Pissedoffcabbie

Checkmate

2007-11-05T12:23:00.001-08:00

Check

2007-10-24T13:55:00.001-07:00

What's Wrong With This Picture

2007-10-17T13:16:00.000-07:00

I Thought The Nazis Went Away

2007-10-10T01:19:00.000-07:00

This is a barracks on a Naval base outside San Diego. Why, it looks like a swastika. Did the Navy know that when they built it? Does an architect know what his building looks like right side up? I think so. We weren't supposed to see it, but someone using Google satellite found it. Good for them.

What does it mean? I thought the Nazis went away. San Diego isn't Argentina. Did some of the Nazis come here after the war? I guess they did. That's too close to the bone if you ask me. Why did we let them in? Were American corporations more fascist than we could even imagine? It seems that way. Is the Bush family involved in it? You bet they are. Hey, didn't Hitler write a book called The New World Order? And, Bush Daddy said there was going to be a New World Order. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Bush Junior was in a secret club called Skull and Bones. Why is their club house full of Nazi paraphernalia? I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Was the last election Nazi vs. Nazi? That's not much of a choice. Why are there fucking Nazis all around us, and we don't know it? Questions, questions.

Beseech To Impeach

2007-10-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

Now that the lid is boiling off the pot for war with Iran, the will to impeach Bush is reaching epic proportions. And yet, no one in Congress or the Senate is making a serious move to throw the bastard out. How can this be? Once the war has started, there won't be any going back.

For starters, our legislators seem to be operating under duress. None of them want to go down in flames in a sex scandal or, even worse, in a plane crash. Ask any of them what they know about Sen. Paul Wellstone's demise, or Sen. John Tower, or Rep. Sonny Bono, etc, etc, and they will tell you that they know their limits. They're all show horses with no ability whatsoever to topple the current regime. Most are compromised, and those that aren't are simply marginalized. If this sounds a little too far-fetched to you, then I suggest you turn off CNN and start doing a little research. Yes, they ARE playing for all the marbles, and yes, people DO get killed for not playing along. We have no trouble acknowledging, and expecting that brand of politics from any other country on earth, so, why not for this one? It's downright pathological, I tell you.

Yesterday, I watched in amazement as thousands of people lined up downtown to cheer for, and possibly meet, President-To-Be Hillary Clinton. I was left to wonder, is the zombie drug in the water? Is it airborne? What do these people expect from her? A Rothschild once said that if you assume a position of power, then people will hand that power over to you. Is it that Hillary is always the most arrogant person in the room?

As for having Bush impeached, it may just be more legally problematic than anyone can know. Too bad so many Republicans still don't have a proper rationale for wanting it to happen. Maybe then, we would have a chance.

Apocalypse Soon

2007-09-23T22:34:00.000-07:00

If you were to go back in time to the 70's, or even the 80's, and tell folks how things are coming along in America in 2007, their reactions would be interesting. Some would start planning to be gone long before now. Others might consider arming themselves. Heavily. But, if you couldn't prove it, then most would probably not believe you. "Cops are running around shocking women, children, and elderly people with phasers like In Star Trek? No way." A drunken president with the I.Q. of potted plant who twice openly stole the election has invaded Iraq, and is now sizing up Iran? I don't think so." China owns all the treasuries and dollars? How could that be?" And, of course, "Oh, there's no way that we would tolerate such madness." The young people would rise up and revolt like they did in the 60's."

I would have had no such problem believing what was to come. Having partially grown up in the Washington, D.C. area, I learned to expect the worst. Being made to witness President John F. Kennedy's funeral in Arlington on a ripping cold day at such a tender age was a bitter pill to swallow. I knew the bad guys had won, and there was no going back. I also knew from seeing Abbie Hoffman, Bob Marley, Frank Zappa and John Lennon and others cut down in their prime that there would be no elder statesmen in these times that speak for me. There are voices in the wilderness, and that is all. Those in the limelight had better be part of the machine, or be dead.

Sometime between now and when I run off to a remote cabin and live on diet pills and Mountain Dew, I hope to knock a few heads back on the harsh reality of our present situation. It's looking more and more like we're goose-stepping in the footprints of certain forefathers that came from the Fatherland. Nowadays, we call it Homeland, but it makes no matter. What's important is to know what the smart people did the first time around. Granted, it was easier for them when escape was just a short train ride to Switzerland, or Morocco, or wherever. And, it's getting to be more and more difficult for us to get around. So, it may be that we'll either have to stand and fight, or be good little monkeys and take whatever they dish out. Someone should start organizing in those Walmart parking lots. They sell megaphones, don't they? I know what they won't be selling pretty soon. Good luck, patriots.

Walk, Don't Run

2007-09-17T13:33:00.001-07:00

Northern Rock, Britain's eighth-largest bank, is experiencing some technical difficulties. It seems that everyone is lining up to get their money out. That means the bank will be insolvent before half of their customers get anything more than a complementary ballpoint pen. On Friday, the bank's computer system collapsed under the weight of all the online customers hurriedly making withdrawals. Somewhere, an empty bottle hit the floor.

The majority of Northern Wreck's investments were in mortgages, so it's trouble in paradise for those folks. It's now being said that the beleaguered bank will be bought out by the other bigs, and the grapes of wrath are looking pretty ripe. Today, we see that Alliance & Leicester, another mortgage bank, is similarly on the skids. They plunged 47% in the last twenty minutes of trading. A box of hammers couldn't fall any faster than that. Maybe there's a reason why Jesus overturned the money-lending tables after all.

What's it all mean? Alan Greenspan said today that the euro could replace the dollar as the reserve currency of choice. I guess that would spell the end for the pound as well. Those who laughed years ago at the suggestion of a New World Order are no longer laughing. The smoke and fire is there for all to see, and a new era is upon us. When the Pharaoh comes, try to look busy.

Map-Maker, Map-Maker, Make Me A Map

2007-09-09T15:32:00.000-07:00

By now, we've all heard Miss South Carolina's answer to the question of why Americans can't find the U.S. on a map. Despite the fact that she seemed to be speaking in code, her answer is resonating with the millions who have watched the video. They no doubt revel in their superiority as they compare their intellect to that of an 18 year-old beauty pageant bimbo. And thus, the bar is set even lower still. Somewhere, Kurt Vonnegut is spinning in his grave.

It's unfortunate that our favorite beauty queen missed an opportunity to give an original and informed answer to her question. She could've said that it's becoming increasingly difficult to find anything on a map, given that man-made incursions are causing our maps to be re-drawn faster than anyone can keep up with. Between global warming and ambitious lake-draining projects causing changes to our landscape, it's hard to know what the real geography is anymore. And, what with all the geopolitical growing pains we suffer, it's hard to know where the borders are. Map-making is getting to be like painting the Golden Gate Bridge- as soon as you're done, you have to start over again. I sure wouldn't want that job.

I wonder what maps will look like by the year 2020. This one would be interesting, but it's probably more than you could hope for. You don't need a map to know that, to find a peaceful and rational future, you can't get there from here. If I had the proper resources, I'd leave this country in a crystal meth minute, but what's the use? No matter where you go, there you are. Welcome to South Carolina.

Swords To Plowshares

2007-09-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

So, the never-ending quest to disarm the American public has taken a new turn. It seems that the feds have developed a program to train clergymen to persuade their congregations to turn in their weapons and obey the government during martial law. Is it too late for Charlton Heston to don the collar and take his place in the pulpit? He sure was convincing as Moses, so he's bound to make a scene.

This scenario begs the question- is martial law imminent, or is this yet another scare tactic? Given all the other recent preparations, including the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive, I would say that we are on very shaky ground. The Hurricane Katrina crisis seemed to have been a dry run for gun-grabbing, as forced confiscation of firearms did indeed happen. Thus, a precedent has been set, and the feds have a frame of reference for a future disarming on a bigger stage.

The reasons for martial law outlined in the Presidential Directive are vague at best, but easy to estimate. A crashing economy, heightened tension and violence between immigrants and natives,
and panic over dwindling resources like water in the southwest all loom on the horizon. A large-scale false-flag terror attack is not unlikely. Pick your poison, but count on something along these lines happening. The only real question is when.

Bail Away

2007-08-28T00:41:00.000-07:00

Song of The Bailing Man
Harry had a notion to bail out the ocean,
so under the clouds he did stand with his bucket in his hand.
And above the wash of the waves,
he floated a confident voice that did boast, cajole & rejoice,
I can get this done!
I can get this done!
In the light of the big blue sun,
I'm the one who will get this done.

He set up the motion needed to bail out the ocean.
Harry had a notion to bail out the ocean.
But with his toes he could feel the relinquishing sand,
with his hand he could feel the diminishing land,
and in the course of time the realization settled in his mind,
I cannot bail out the ocean.
I cannot empty the sea.
This work only lends itself the airs of nobility.

And he let go of the bucket.
And he regretted the voice that had floated, cajoled & rejoiced.
Harry burst the bubble.

David Thomas

The Mortgage Zombies Are At Your Door

2007-08-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

As I write this, Capital One Financial is laying off almost 2,000 employees, and is shuttering it's wholesale mortgage banking business. Mortgage and loan outfits are dropping like flies, and homeowners who have tried to turn their houses into money machines are now sweating like southerners in a spelling bee. This game of financial musical chairs is about to end, and the scarcity of seats is horrifying. The music has stopped, and the scrambling has begun. The wet bottom of the cardboard box has finally caved in.

Does this crisis in the mortgage sector spill over into other sectors? Of course, it does. The housing bubble bursting will surely cause the interest bubble to burst as well. This elevator from hell goes all the way to the top, and thus, the Fed and European central banks have forked over at least $200 billion to stave off the worst before those at the top of this pyramid scheme can consolidate their interests and protect themselves from the crunch. This injection of liquidity will not save the common homeowner, nor will it keep mortgage outfits from going under. The weight of spiraling debt is too much to bear, and the center cannot hold.

Is this all by design, the suspicious conspiracy theorist asks? Common sense dictates that it is obviously staged, as an economy cannot survive bubble-by-bubble. If the financial movers and shakers don't know this, then no one does. And, of course, they've known it all along. The economic motivation is in the massive consolidation of power and wholesale accumulation of assets for pennies on the dollar. However, there is a political motivation as well. A crashing of the economy will create enough desperation among the masses that a radical change in geopolitical governance will be tolerated in exchange for the promise of an economic solution. Thus, the North American Union and the Amero will arrive as our savior. Don't think so? This continental consolidation is as big a step towards new world order globalisation as the European Union, and the commitment towards it is becoming apparent. Just keep watching as it unfolds, and get ready to start calling yourself a North American.

Under The Bus, Rove

2007-08-14T00:24:00.000-07:00

It's with great relief that we finally see this king weasel hit the bricks. Now, Bush can slip into something more comfortable...like a deeper coma. The caveat here, though, is that another will just pop up in his place. We've all been so sick of the Rove Channel for so long that anything else under the sun would be welcome. Jeffrey Dahmer could be Bush's new adviser, and enjoy a brief honeymoon with the public before reality set in. It's been eons since someone as odious as Karl Rove has slithered through the White House, and our precious institutions will remain besmirched for a long time to come.

It's also important to remember that Rove may come back to bite us in another form. Is a certain candidate looking to hire him? Let's hope it doesn't go that way. Rove should have to stick to back alleys and stay indoors in the daylight hours, and out of the sight of those whose spirits have been tormented by his leering malevolence. His run should be done.

Meanwhile, the elites won't need Karl Rove to pull the rug out from under presidential candidate Ron Paul, as the mainstream media is doing a fine job of it themselves. I found it interesting that Ron Paul's wife was hospitalized in critical condition on the eve of the Iowa straw poll, but then, that's just me. It makes me wonder what would happen if Paul actually won the nomination. He would most likely have to run his campaign from Venezuela. It's going to be interesting to see what it takes to keep him out, but Diebold hasn't let us down yet. Oh, what tangled webs we weave...

Party's Over

2007-08-06T22:01:00.001-07:00

A Quick Recap: The Day The Credit Died

Published at August 3, 2007 in Wall Street and Mortgage News/Insight. 22 Comments

Dear readers - what a day. I wish I could recap everything that happened, and I might get to it this weekend; if I try now I will have been working or on the phone or responding to email or writing for the last 13 hours straight and my wife will kill me - literally. So here is a quick recap:

A commenter correctly said that NovaStar was not the only one that ceased funding today; many other lenders did as well. Here is a quick summary of those that I know who temporarily (unless otherwise noted) pulled the lending plug today:

NovaStar temporarily suspends funding due to “severe secondary market disruptions”
1st National Lending Services suspends all of the following products: Jumbo, Alt A, Pay Option Arm’s, and Seconds indefinitely (email to brokers) and throws in a round of layoffs for good measure
First Magnus suspends all jumbo ARMs and expanded and niche products (email to brokers)
Credit Suisse Wholesale suspends Subprime, Second Lien, Choice Payment ARMs and all 2 and 3 year ARMs
Wachovia pulls out of Alt-A temporarily
Wells Fargo pulls out of Alt-A
Aegis Wholesale suspends option ARMs, expanded Alt-A and second lien products (email)
Homecomings eliminates rebate on all Option ARMs (email)
Countrywide increases pricing and fees on the LTV/FICO/ Documentation type grids for all documentation types, adjustments for Subordinate Financing, Cash out transactions and larger loan balances (email)
National City makes changes
IndyMac increases pricing and spreads on Alt-A products
American Home Mortgage workers pack it up
Fieldstone stops funding
Bear Stearns says its the worst they’ve seen it in 22 years

Billary For You And Me

2007-07-29T11:09:00.001-07:00

When Bill Clinton was elected president, he spoke of the American public getting two for the price of one. He of course meant that Hillary would be somewhat of a partner in his presidency, and indeed she was. Hillary destroyed whatever chance we had of reforming our health care system, and co-authored the school-to-work national education program known as Goals 2000 with David Rockefeller. Are we to assume the same when Hillary is elected (selected)? Bill Clinton returning as a de facto public official should be enough to make anyone want to move to New Zealand, or at least to Vermont.

George Bush Sr. was elected president in 1989. If Hillary wins next year, it will mean a minimum of 23 years of rule by the Bush and Clinton families. Beyond that, Hillary could win a second term, and then Jeb Bush could run. It's the gift that just keeps on giving. And, watch out for George P. Bush, Jeb's son. He's a rising star in the Republican party, and may be the man to preside over the North American Union proper. Good thing he's bilingual, huh?

It was recently reported that Bill Clinton would be attending this summer's Bohemian Grove festivities as the guest of George Bush, Sr. Isn't that special? The seeming father-son relationship between those two makes one wonder if their ideological differences in the past ever had any real substance to them. The answer is that there IS no ideology, except that of the New World Order. The rest is just a sad puppet show. By the time the masses have woken up to that fact, it'll be far too late, and our republic will have been lost for good to the forces of totalitarianism. It sure is a drag to be a one-eyed cabbie in the land of the blind.

In one generation, this pair of gangster families has seized our country by the hair on it's head. If Hillary gets a second term, it'll be a quarter of a century that seemed to fly by while our national sovereignty and constitutional law have been ground into the dirt. Considering the lack of vigilance on the part of most people, it must seem like the blink of an eye.

The turtle said, when mugged by the snail, "I don't know, it all happened so fast."

Me-myself-and-iPhone

2007-07-21T19:25:00.000-07:00

Hey, everybody, the new iPhone is here. Isn't that just swell? The way people are clamoring for them, you'd think that you could talk to Jesus on it, or at least take a picture of him. It's great that you can fit your whole life into something that small, but, boy, it's rough if you have it stolen, or lose it, or whatever. You might feel like you'd built your life on sand. I expect to see cabbies sporting iPhones, and grinning sheepishly when asked how they could afford it.

Worse still is to know that the iPhone is a virtual gateway for the feds to keep close tabs on you. All of your personal information will be readily available to them, so you'd better be careful about "political" discussion that doesn't favor the elites. You don't want to represent the blacksheep demographic of your neighborhood, do you?

Control is a two-way street, though. Madame President won't be calling you directly on your iPhone, but the signal will be getting through nonetheless. She'll be the leader that presides over the fruition of the North American Union, and that's going to call for an extra dose of dumbing down to keep the masses from getting too upset over it. But, at least you can take pictures of that cool new NAFTA Superhighway with your iPhone. Careful you don't get charged with terrorism, though. That might suck.

Democrat Or Republican

2007-07-14T15:11:00.001-07:00

Politics, anyone? It doesn't require much, other than for you to be a fool. Sure, I've been guilty, too. I trusted Clinton and Gore right along with all the other Democrat rubes. I took them at their word on what they said about dealing with environmental issues. As it turned out, more environmental prosecutions took place under Bush-Quayle than did under Clinton-Gore. Eventually, I got on the internet and lost my innocence. Ever see the Clinton Body Count?

Speaking of Clinton, the Dragon Senator really laid an egg when she and John Edwards were accidentally overheard to say that future debates should be limited to "serious candidates". Nothing like putting the mock in democracy. Needless to say, "fringe candidate" Dennis Kucinich was furious to learn of this outrageous arrogance. But, the fact is, I'm glad to see that friendly smile wiped off his face, and I'm hoping to see him come out smoking next time. Let us see Dennis the Menace now, and let's see Hillary get dragged through the mud a few times. Let's see her get her feathers all ruffled.

On the flip-side, there are still plenty of Bush-supporting zombies out there, and I'm wondering if bullets would have any noticeable effect on them. Lord knows, nothing else does. But, they'll be hiding in abandoned caves and mines when Madame President gets to town. And, all the democrat drones will line up for her, peering around her skirt from behind at those mean republicans on the run.

I can't help but think of the two-faced mythological God Janus when I survey this situation. I have no doubt that our masters likewise think of him as they run their good cop-bad cop game on us. Maybe some of them even have a bust of Janus on their fireplace mantles. It gets cold up in the Hamptons, but the fires always burn bright.

Brain Salad Surgery

2007-07-13T12:13:00.000-07:00

After giving a thrilling and inspiring speech in economically-challenged Cleveland last week, our illustrious leader visited the Cleveland Clinic to perform simulated brain surgery. I would posit that the president has been performing brain surgery all along, and has mastered the art of the full frontal-lobe lobotomy. Given that community, compassion and self-sacrifice are regarded by the elites as tumors to be removed, it's no wonder that hospital staffs are so over-worked, and the president had to be pressed into service.

It's particularly disturbing to note that this simulated surgery involved the implanting of a "deep brain stimulation device". If the purpose of such a device is to stimulate reptile-like responses to false cries of terrorism, and a relinquishing of personal freedom for the sake of an artificial sense of safety, then I would say that such surgery is redundant at best. Dr. Bush's work here is done. If that is not yet evident to one and all, then the evolution of the brain must still be a work in progress, with thousands of years to go before the human mind is fully equipped to think for itself. I guess life just has to be a constant re-reading of Waiting For Godot.

After reading about a guy who survived having a truck run over his head, one has to wonder if a full-functioning brain is even necessary for anything other than comprehending philosophy, or solving the Rubik's Cube. If the average mental road-map contains directions to the nearest 7-11, and can locate the TV remote control, then the rest is just gray matter, and we need not concern ourselves with it. Witness the way airline flights are seemingly scheduled at random, or how the Pentagon can lose a trillion dollars in accounting, and sink back into your comfort zone. The primordial ooze feels good between your toes, doesn't it? Just watch out for that hungry-looking pterodactyl in a suit and tie that has it's eye on you.

In the story Flowers For Algernon, later made into the 1968 film Charly, a retarded janitor is transformed through the miracle of science into a genius. It's a shame that, instead of seeking out such a process, our social planners have gone in the opposite direction. No doubt, it is the simpler of the two tasks, and leaves our rulers with much free time on their hands. What can you say except that all work, no polo leaves a Rockefeller a very dull boy. Mount up, you masters, and ride to the end of the line.

Must Be The Fluoride

2007-06-29T00:32:00.000-07:00

Studies conducted in the mid-1990's in China showed decreased I.Q. in children in areas where fluoride was added to the water. The Union of Concerned Scientists has called for a moratorium on water fluoridation until an independent panel can conduct research on the health and environmental effects of fluoride.

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton has launched a media make-over days after her release from a three-week jail stint, vowing to shed her party-girl image and prove she is a changed person. "I'm a good person. I'm a compassionate person. I have a big heart. I'm sincere, and they'll see," Hilton told People magazine in excerpts published on Wednesday from her first interview since getting out of jail Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Up until the 1990s, no research had ever been conducted to determine the impact of fluoride on the pineal gland - a small gland located between the two hemispheres of the brain that regulates the production of the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone that helps regulate the onset of puberty and helps protect the body from cell damage caused by free radicals. The soft tissue of the adult pineal gland contains more fluoride than any other soft tissue in the body.

AN empty gourmet dog food can plundered from Paris Hilton's rubbish bin has launched an eBay bidding war reaching $1.8 million.

Lao Tzu called it 'the gateway to heaven and earth'; hence he urged people to concentrate on the center in order to realize the oneness (of all things). In this center is a pearl of the size of a grain of rice, which is the center between heaven and earth in the human body (i.e., the microcosm); it is the cavity of prenatal vitality. To know where it lies is not enough, for it does not include the wondrous light of (essential) nature which is symbolized by a circle which fatherly Confucius called virtuous perfection (jen); the Book of Change (I Ching) calls it the ultimateless (wu chi), the Buddha perfect knowledge (yuan ming) and the Taoists, the elixir of immortality or spiritual light; which all point to the prenatal One True Vitality.

Paris Hilton's younger sister Nicky is reportedly annoyed her sibling was release from jail early -- because she was forced to cut short her trip to Greece to join the welcome party. Paris was released from jail on Tuesday after serving 23 days of a 45-day sentence for violating her probation from a 2006 drunk-driving arrest. But designer Nicky, 23, is allegedly angry with her parents for "dragging" her back from the Mediterranean, where she was attending a fashion show with her boyfriend David Katzenberg, to show a "united front" for her sister's release.

The Hoax Culture

2007-06-25T23:31:00.001-07:00

If there was one piece of advice to be given to someone new to this country, it would be that all is not what it seems. Never has there been such a culture where trickery, illusion, and misdirection are part and parcel of the political and social fabric. Joseph Goebbels and P.T. Barnum alike would be proud of modern-day American media, corporate PR, advertisers, and ruling bodies. The art of hoaxing has almost become de rigeur in our fair land, and bullshit is now an elemental part of society's fabric. What a time to be alive.

It's funny when pre-release internet movie trailers or home-made videos posted on YouTube fool viewers into thinking a character or event is real, or even when phony Nigerian emails part fools from their money, but it's not so funny when many online forums and message boards are nothing more than psy-ops matrices designed to keep people confused and running in circles, and disseminating disinformation. It's even less funny when the mainstream media doctors videos and images, elections are stolen, and the elites have everyone thinking that a dry-drunk idiot from Texas is their leader. It seems that reality is now relative to how convincing anyone's con is. It's gotten to where finding more than half the truth about anything has become a search for the Holy Grail.

How many people know that Laurance Rockefeller spent millions propping up UFO research groups, and paid through the nose to keep Pulitzer Prize winner and Harvard alumnus Dr. John Mack working on the "alien abduction" scenario, and writing best-selling books on the subject? Was this just another eccentric millionaire hobby, or was it a grand scheme to create a cover story for covert experimentation with exotic technology? The answer is that Rockefellers seldom trifle with anything, and have long been among the most significant of string-pullers in the western world. They simply do not play. Among their grand hoaxes are the perceived breakup of Standard Oil, the betterment of the public through foundation-giving, and their loyalty to the U.S. throughout World War Two. Certainly, no bigger weasels are to be found in our nation's history, and, at any given time, an elder Rockefeller could reach into his pocket and pull out a senator, or Supreme Court judge, or even a president.

A favored technique of the elite spin-doctors is to create a hoax around a particular subject, and then expose it as such, and make all rational discussion of the subject seem ludicrous. A good example was the handling of presidential candidate John Kerry's membership in Skull & Bones. A hoax was created to tie Kerry in with Satanist Anton La Vey. It was just clumsy enough to be easily exposed, and so the whole Skull & Bones issue became a farce. Nothing like throwing the baby out with the bathwater. The best way to hide the elephant in the room is to deftly paper it with the kind of outlandish lies that empty the room out.

The best hoax of all, though, is the denial of meaningful hoaxes. They're labeled as conspiracy theories, and filed in the tin-foil hat section. The miracle of this meme is worthy of George Orwell's darkest notions, and is the grand-mal seizure of American group-think. If this mental undoing continues unabated, it will prove to be the kool-aid that puts us all to sleep for good.

In my first year, my crib was stationed in my sister's room. As I have been told, I developed a technique for escaping my crib, but wisely kept it to myself. It was a means to an end, though, and my game was to wait until my sister was asleep, and then creep up to her bed and give her long hair a yank. She would wake with a start and scream for Daddy while I quickly climbed back into my crib and played possum. After not being believed and getting in hot water for this a few times, my sister turned the tables on me. She played possum until the next time I made my move, and got a good hold of me before I could escape. I was caught like a rat. Dad was summoned, and was forced to issue an apology to my sister, and to consider putting chicken wire around the top of my crib. So, it goes to show that your little hoax can blow back on you if you're dealing with the wrong person. Maybe some day we'll learn how to turn the tables on our masters. It sure isn't going to be tomorrow, though.

In The Belly Of The Beast

2007-06-18T01:38:00.001-07:00

Ron Paul is really showing us how it's done. He's all dressed up like a Republican, and he's in there with them, but it's too late to get rid of him, and now he's pissing in the punch bowl. The Repubs watching the debates from home must've had little birds flying out of their heads to hear the things he was saying.

Mr. Paul need not be the only one having such fun, though. Anyone can go onto a Republican blog, message board, or forum, and identify themselves as likewise being a repub, and start dismantling the neocon agenda for all to see. If you're good, you'll win some converts. Such vampire slayers are out there, and they include a certain crabby ex-cabbie. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it. Preaching to the converted is what the elite prefer that we do, so it's all about jamming up the works any way that you can.

It's fun to ask a Bush-supporting Republican why the border is wide open when homeland security and keeping terrorists out is all the rage. Their eyes glaze over, and they start to foam at the mouth. To finish them off, you ask, what would Barry Goldwater do? Then, it's on to the next victim. It may be all too easy, but I never tire of it. Try it some time and see.

Voter Logic

2007-06-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

Voter logic is that which leads people to the polls, confident of their choice, but with no useful information on the candidates, and no sense of historical precedence whatsoever. It is not the same sort of logic applied when one, say, makes a career decision, or buys a car, or picks out a puppy from the litter. It is the logic of fools, and I don't just mean Republicans.

It must seem like a charm to the elite to have us locked into a system so bereft of diversity that only two choices exist in most meaningful elections. False either/or dichotomy is what it's called,
and it's prevalent in our society. Time or Newsweek, Coke or Pepsi, red state or blue state, and that's all you get. As for what guides people to make these agonizing choices, it's a wonder they can make it through the day.

In a better world, there would be the 3rd option of voting NONE OF THE ABOVE, and, if enough people voted for it, both candidates would be thrown out, and new ones would be sought. As it is, that would be one choice too many, and the notion of actually having to be educated on candidates and issues in order to make a rational choice would be overwhelming. And so it goes.

If our founding fathers were here today, what would they say about the condition of things? Something about the 'whites of their eyes' comes to mind. You CAN see the whites of their eyes these days, and they don't blink once while fleecing us out of the last remnants of our constitution and Bill of Rights. Someone, somewhere had better be taking aim pretty soon.

Off To The Races

2007-06-03T14:34:00.000-07:00

The race is on for President Bush. His signing of the presidential directives NSPD51 and HSPD20, give him full-dictatorial powers in the event of a loosely defined "catastrophic emergency." The directives define "catastrophic emergency" as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government function.
It also states that "The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government." In other words, the president gave himself the sole power and duty to interpret the constitution anyway he chooses, and neither Congress nor the public shall be allowed to debate or disagree on such matters. The race to fascism is on.

The race is also on for Hillary Clinton. Gore's entry into the primaries will most likely split the Obama vote, and pave the way for Hillary to win the nomination. As the sole presidential candidate to attend the recent Bilderberg meetings in Turkey, she is well set up to become Madame President. Once entrenched, she will no doubt follow the dictates of the Bilderberg group, and continue on down the path towards a New World Order. Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton. Does Jeb Bush come after Hillary's two terms? The mind reels.

I've had enough. I'm signing up for classes to learn to speak European, and then I'm out of here. Anybody with me? Oops, look at the new Euro ID card. Do you see what I see? Hmm, I seem to recall Bush reading a story about a goat while 9/11 unfolded. Am I just being paranoid? Too much coffee again? Nah, we really are ruled by a bunch of goat-fucking satanists who act like frat boys pulling off the prank of the millennium. How lucky for us. If you don't believe it, then get yourself a job as a waiter or prostitute at the annual Bohemian Grove meeting in Sonoma, California this August, and behold what takes place. You might want to have a 3-week vacation to fall back on after that, so you can reassemble your shattered sense of reality. Welcome to the real world.
_______________________________

Ron Paul Slays Them All

2007-05-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

Who is Ron Paul, and why is he being heavily censored by the mainstream media? By now, all neocon/zionist Republicans wish they didn't know. The libertarian presidential candidate is shaking things up like no one's business, leaving pundits and opponents alike to duck and cover. As a simple Congressman, his words have only carried so far over the years, but now, as a presidential candidate, he's on the big stage, and telling it like it is.

All Rep. Paul had to do was suggest that U.S. foreign policy motivated the 9/11 attacks during the Republican debate in South Carolina, a reasonable enough notion, and the wet bottom of the cardboard box fell out. The polls that gave him a commanding lead in the first debate were ignored, removed, altered, and marginalized by the msm, and it resulted in one of the loudest outcries ever by internet patriot legions. The msm has been served noticed that they will not get away with covering up the words of the clear winner of these debates.

9/11 pseudo-hero and fellow presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani took strong exception to Mr. Paul's remarks, and expressed a great deal of incredulity at the notion that our foreign policy would have anything to do with being attacked by terrorists. Ron Paul has countered with a reading list for Giuliani, entitled, Reading For Rudy. In a better world, the media would be quizzing Rudy on that material, and he would no doubt squirm like a stuck pig. Nonetheless, he has been schooled, and will have to watch himself in the next debate.

It's a pleasure to see the camel's nose under the tent at such a critical juncture in the run-up to the presidential election. Ron Paul may be no more than a blip on the msm radar screen, but he's sure got the attention of those wide awake and on the internet. Republicans everywhere can hang their heads in shame.

Where's My Flying Car?

2007-05-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid in school, I was lead to believe that the future held the promise of robots, rocket trips, and tooling around in a flying car. So, where the fuck is it? It's now 2007. Computer technology is almost at a molecular level, and people are walking around with talking cameras and matchbox-sized things that have 50,000 songs on them. Isn't it a little strange that we've essentially been using the same mode of transportation for the better part of a century with little improvement on the original concept? We're getting hosed here, and with no end of it in sight.

I suppose flying cars could prove to be problematic, but hey, nothing's perfect. Just don't let Paris Hilton know, and we should be all right. If the rest of us try and stay out of trouble, and don't give the cops any reason to get riled up, then it's fly the friendly skies. Call it manifest destiny. After putting up with all this crap, we have it coming to us.

Meanwhile, there are those who have developed cars that run on water. Too bad the guy keeled over in a restaurant, dead from poisoning. Anybody know why that might happen? Maybe he didn't pay off his gambling debts, or his wife caught him with the babysitter. As for being the next guy to invent a car that runs on water, well, you go first.

In the 70's, a band from Akron, Ohio created a concept known as de-evolution. It was funny at the time, but it's not so funny now. We seem to have been conditioned to learn nothing from history, and to accept whatever mediocre garbage that's laid before us as the status-quo. If Ford put out nothing but a dumpster with four wheels, we'd be driving them, and liking it. Mighty big sunroof there, so what's to complain about?

I know there won't be any flying cars, and my childhood hopes and dreams have been dashed. We're resigned to a trailer park planet, where progress moves about as fast as a turtle on his way to a funeral. The only thing that IS progressing at a robust rate is called novo ordo seclorum. Good luck with it, and may the road rise to meet you.

On The Horns Of A Dilemma

2007-05-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Isn't it something to see the President standing next to the Queen of England, giving everyone the Illuminati high-sign? Remember, they're not in Texas here. Hook 'em, horns does not apply. And, why is Bush looking so smug? Is it the fact that he, too, should be wearing a crown? The queen may see things differently, though. I'm sure her departure came none too soon.

Something else that may be heartening to the neocons is the ever-growing ignorance amongst our youth. If you don't know what year 9/11 occurred in, then how can you know who's really responsible for it? For that matter, how can you know anything other than ordering pizza and watching reality TV? The answer to that will present itself in due time, when young graduates join the work force, and start climbing the ladder of success. Save that cap and gown- you might have to sleep on it.

The global warming debate seems to be as polarizing as anything, and possible alternatives to mainstream science's reasoning seem to be piling up. If we closed down Washington D.C. and emptied it out, would we not have hit on a possible solution? There's only one way to find out.

Happy Now?

2007-04-30T22:33:00.000-07:00

Just what is this thing we call happiness? Is it Up With People singing at your birthday party, or a new pony, or just the next hit of crack? Like any state of mind, it's governed by the release of endorphins, and subject to one's ability to produce them. Being nothing more than a bag of chemicals is not so hard to understand, but the illogical conditioning that makes the release subject to whatever whim, say, shopping, or watching basketball, or torturing people in Guantanamo Bay, is not so easy to get into focus. Worse still is when that conditioning breaks down, or is interrupted, and the flow goes out the door with it. And then, Elvis reached for his pills...

Happiness is overrated. Chances are, whatever is making you so happy is either going to get spent, lost, broken, stolen, or will eventually cheat on you. THEN, where are you? Like the song says, it's just a paper sun. Happiness really needs to be a zen thing, where you're happy about absolutely nothing. You might be really boring to others, but, who cares. You're happy. Problem is, most people don't have the patience to work at things like meditation that have no immediate payoff, and require intense concentration. Not while there's a game on, at least. So, what have you got for me, Doc?

Why does Bush have a list of everyone who is on anti-depression meds? Is he planning on sending them all get-well cards? Maybe he's getting ready to enact a law that forbids the sale of firearms to anyone on meds. Boy, there's half your gun control right there. If it works, whoever thought it up will be promoted to a very high position, and maybe get a big bonus in Halliburton stock. Think he'll be happy then? I can't speak to that, but I know what would make ME happy. They better never give me the chance.

Cabbie No More

2007-04-22T14:04:00.000-07:00

The time has finally come for me to walk away from that big yellow swordfish one last time and turn in my key, head held high, thankful for life and sanity. My cool new job at the Scientology Center is such that I no longer need to spend my weekends in the fishbowl, driving for my supper. Hallelujah! It was often fun and interesting, but it was also a petri dish full of stressful events. I will live longer now. Bye, bye, SUV queens who can't see above the steering wheel. Bye, bye, stop-sign-running bike nazis. Bye, bye, demolition-derby bus drivers. Bye, bye, miffed one-night-stand people who'd convinced themselves they were THE ONE, slinking home to sleep it off, too self-absorbed to tip. Bye, bye, smug Marina pod-people, flush with "success".
Bye, bye, cold-blooded cabbies who steal your fares. And, buh-bye, Exxon, Shell, etc. If anyone could squeeze blood out of a turnip, it's decidedly you. Let me know when we can get 100 MPG, and maybe I'll drive again.

Meanwhile, let's see what's going on out there:

Here's a science minister saying that elderly people should be tagged with implants. I take it that minister is not himself in the autumn of his life, as I don't see him volunteering to be the first one tagged. And, here are some people who say that no one should be chipped. I say, chip the control freaks, and keep them down on the farm. They've caused enough trouble already.

It seems that a language arts-teaching parrot has been discovered. Is THIS how our president learned to speak? It would figure, and, boy, making sense in this world is a mighty arduous task. If there is anyone truly up to it, I'd like to know about it.

Multiple Motive Massacre Syndrome

2007-04-18T00:42:00.000-07:00

"There was no emotion in his eyes."

Its impressive how the number 33 often seems to present itself when the elites play a trump card, and make no mistake about it, they certainly did drop a bomb this time. As for the motives, they include another turn of the screw for the police state, knocking Rosie O'Donnell's assertion's on 9/11 complicity out of the spotlight, and ushering in a new round of talk on gun control. The Democrats can now bicker on the subject all summer long instead of focusing on, say, Iraq, or the North American Union, or subpoenas for Cheney, and so on.

Of all the Manchurian Candidates who have taken the stage over the years, the most fascinating and disturbing were the two Charlie Manson acolytes, Squeaky Fromm and Sarah Jane Moore. Both took shots at President Gerald Ford at close range. The incidences were just weeks apart, and both occurred in or relatively close to San Francisco. If one or the other had succeeded, Nelson Rockefeller would have become president. How fortunate for us that THAT didn't happen, Rockefeller proxies Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton notwithstanding. Brother David learned from that failure, and is content to run things from behind the curtain.

It's ironic that the shooter's sister works for a company that provides intelligence and high-tech security. Does that company benefit from an event like this? You bet they do. Thank God for all the Coincidence Theorists who would dispel any notion of a connection here. We want to wake up in the same world we went to sleep in, and that's not so easy these days. Pity the princess on a pony that has to find her way in this world. The big smack-down is just around the corner now.

Penguins On A Treadmill

2007-04-09T14:09:00.000-07:00

Do scientists really have to put penguins on treadmills and monitor their heart rate to prove that global warming is real? Apparently so. Why not just administer polygraph tests to bought-and-paid-for global warming debunking pseudo-scientists. That might save a lot of time and trouble, and penguins won't have to be made to run like they're trying to catch the 5:00 train. Besides, the problem will be solved by 2023, when President Jenna Bush orders giant mirrors to be positioned around the globe. Haha, when the aliens turn their telescopes our way, they'll only get a reflection of their ugly selves.

It figures that someone would write a book about the Nazis' proclivity for environmentalism, and thus draw a connection between the two. Well, damn those Greenpeace Nazis for torturing us with patchouli, and making us all adhere to dolphin fascism. But, it's ironic that the book was put out by Swallow Press. What ELSE will the drones be required to swallow?

Due to the high price of gas, I've decided to put my house-mate to work driving some extra shifts for me. This eat, sleep and play stuff is over. I'm saying, return with your shield, or upon it. And, don't call me on my cell phone to complain about yuppies who don't tip. It's your problem now.

$3.35 A Gallon

2007-03-30T17:22:00.000-07:00

Look at that- Bush and Cheney syphoning gas out of some poor, unfortunate citizen's car. Sure, they can afford these exorbitant prices, but, as they would tell you, stolen sweets taste sweeter.
As for the oil companies and their record profits, well, you take what the public gives you, and the American public would give you their second-born child just to keep driving. The words "price gouging" just don't seem to register with the drones anymore, and the idea of alternate-powered cars still seems as distant as Pluto. It's a long-standing love affair that we have with driving until we drop. But, the one thing that won't be dropping, at least until the next election, is gas prices.

Occasionally, someone does reach a boiling point, and does their part to inspire rebellion, but it's short-lived at best, and the thought-police are quick and severe in dealing with such uprisings.
Sure, we could all cut up our Exxon credit cards and deal only with, say, Arco, but the lines at the pump would be long, and that would be making some serious incursions into our quality time, and who's willing to make THAT kind of sacrifice? Thus, the big smiles on oil executives' faces. The rationale for high gas prices is in place, and they've got us right where they want us, and there doesn't seem to be much anyone can do about it, except for moving to San Francisco, growing dreadlocks, and driving a granola-powered Volkswagen. Watch out for Muffy and Buffy in that big SUV, though. They'll run you off the road so fast, you'll think it was 1906 again. And, you've got to watch for those graduates of the Paris Hilton School Of Driving. They're out in force on the weekends, and their tanks are full. Just ask any cabbie.

Foreclosing Time

2007-03-28T12:26:00.000-07:00

As the Irish say, many go out for wool and come back shorn. In Cleveland, Ohio, there were 15,000 mortgage foreclosures last year, with many more on the way. It seems that high-interest subprime loans are the culprit, and minorities and the elderly are the victims. At this point, the city is unable to even keep track of all the vacant homes.

What happens to these unfortunate homeowners? Do they move into run down, over-crowded apartment dwellings? Not given that option, will FEMA set up tent cities for them? Once upon a time, the flats of Cleveland was a shanty town. Will those times return? Or, will folks be given one-way Greyhound tickets to San Francisco? It's a wonderful life, indeed.

The more important question is- how were these people suckered into such risky loans, and why wasn't this development foreseen? Perhaps the bankers and loan officers should be the ones to leave town. After all, who would Jesus foreclose on? In the 80's, a Mahoning County, Ohio sheriff named Jim Traficant defied a court order, and refused to foreclose on unemployed homeowners. It figures that, as a Congressman, he was later railroaded into prison. Wear that thorny crown in good health, Jim.

Subpoena Coladas For Everyone

2007-03-21T13:56:00.000-07:00

Subpoena, subpoena, subpoena. Did I miss anyone? The crow is sizzlin' on the grill for Bush supporters now, and that Texas-style barbeque sauce ain't gonna make it go down any easier. A constitutional showdown is building, and it seems like the guys in the black hats are running out of bullets. Then again, they still have a trump card or two to play if so desired. If something works once, it'll always work again. Somewhere, there's an office pool picking the date for martial law. I have my suspicions, but I wouldn't want to make anyone a winner.

If that isn't bad enough for the Washington weasels, a very up-scale D.C. Madam has turned her phone number records over to the media. Divorce lawyers will be parachuting into the Beltway if those numbers are matched up to names, and the story goes public. A trophy wife rebellion would be on, and the beleaguered husbands would be hunted down with lit torches. Please, may it be so. We all need something fun and invigorating to watch for a change, and that would do just fine.

It's comforting to know that at least one presidential candidate is calling for Bush's head. That would, of course, be the irrepressible Dennis Kucinich. Would it be that he got the kind of coverage that Hillary gets, it would actually be encouraging. As it is, Dennis gets county fair level attention from the msm, so he may as well be saying that Bush deserves the guillotine. Noone but the internet news hounds will get the message. The rest will bang their pans or rattle their jewelry for whoever shows up big on the screen. It could be Sponge Bob, and they'll all clamor for his great leadership, and bask in his magnetic personality. Or, it could be a neolib dragon lady ready to carry the torch for the elite as the pendulum swings back to the left. At this point, it wouldn't make much of a difference. But, hey, remember to take a cab when you go to vote. Everyone and their brother will be down there, and parking could be a problem.

See Halliburton Run

2007-03-13T00:20:00.000-07:00

It comes as no surprise to learn that Halliburton is preparing to move their headquarters to Dubai. There, they will be indictment-free, and more able to oversee the plantation formerly known as the Middle East. The Iranians must be delighted with this development. They can report directly to their soon-to-be bosses, and there won't be any failure to communicate. In other words, the Pharoah is now in your face, so look busy.

Likewise, Bush is anticipating a move, and has bought 98,000 acres in Paraguy, right next door to the property that Rev. Moon has purchased. Well, I guess when you're the decider, you have to plan ahead. Given all the shit this administration has stirred up, it's not hard to image the first President-in-exile fleeing in the dead of night to his South American compound to escape the wrath of a fed-up public, and a righteous special prosecutor. We know his MO by now- when the heat is on, run like a dog.

To Bee Or Not To Bee

2007-03-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

“There is a general consensus that it is now reaching crisis proportions,” says professor May R. Berenbaum, head of the department of entomology at the University of Illinois, and chair of a committee for the research arm of the National Academy of Sciences that studied the status of pollinators in North America.

The good professor is talking about the recent disappearance of bee colonies throughout the U.S. Up to 70% have now vanished in 20 states, and it's cause for serious concern. The so-called experts have even given it a cute name- colony collapse disorder. It sounds like what would happen to China if punk rock was introduced there, but, all jokes aside, our food-growing capacity would be seriously diminished if colony collapse disorder continues unabated. The bees' worth to our economy is roughly 14 billion a year. The beekeepers do not know the cause of the disappearance, so there are no answers currently at hand.

In other news, Hillary Clinton seems to have acquired a southern accent, and a pretty hokey one at that:

http://www.ifilm.com/profile/breitbart/video/2829104

"I don't feel no-ways tired". I DO, Hillary. I'm very tired of you, and all the other tin-horns coming down the trail. You're about as trustworthy as a diamondback rattlesnake, and just as beady-eyed. What did we ever do to deserve you?

Busted

2007-02-27T23:08:00.000-08:00

Oh, wonder of wonders, the BBC has been caught out in the biggest and most incontrovertible smoking gun of 9/11 complicity evidence yet. It seems that on 9/11, they ran a clip of a reporter in Manhattan talking about the fall of Building 7 several minutes BEFORE it fell. You can clearly see it in the background behind the reporter. Now, how in the hell are they going to explain THIS away? The answer is, they cannot. They are busted, and now the official line on 9/11 is toast.

The BBC has been asked to answer to this snafu, but their response was weak as tea. They also claim that the tapes from that day are somehow "lost". Straining credibility is, of course, at the heart of mainstream media, but this is as bad as saying the dog ate your homework. In light of this, anyone who will continue to believe that 9/11 was not a set-up is a damn fool.

The story is spreading far and wide on the internet, and, by spring, it should be common knowledge amongst those who are not comatose in front of their TV sets. The outcry over 9/11 complicity will increase exponentially, and the heat will be on. But, before it reaches critical mass, something will serve to distract the masses. War with Iran, or maybe just a spate of celebrity deaths will turn the page on this. Ana Nicole Smith still dead, news at 11. It's so predictable that even a fool like myself can see it. How about you?

Don't Criticize It, Legalize It

2007-02-19T13:27:00.000-08:00

It was recently revealed that a study done by researchers in 2000 proved that THC shrinks and kills tumors. The same study was also done in 1974. With this in mind, one has to ask, why the hell is it still illegal? Why do the feds deny us something so beneficial? Just how much do the elites give a damn about our health and welfare? Marijuana doesn't lead to domestic violence, hideous traffic accidents, and liver disease, but we sure know what does. Drink up, shriners.

In 1955, Terry Southern wrote a short story called Red Dirt Marijuana. After a couple of characters find some marijuana, one asks why it's illegal. The other replies, "It's 'cause a man see too much when he git high, that's what. He sees right through ever'thing...they's a lotta trickin' an' lyin' go on in the world...he see right through there into the truth of it!" Well, we can't have that, now can we? W.C. Fields said, never give a sucker an even break, and so, they're not going to make it any easier for you. Anything that might turn rubes into operators needs to be locked in a vault along with all the cancer cures and free energy devices. Nothing to see here, folks, so turn around and head back down to Joe's bar. It's Jets 23, Bears 13.

Somewhere, there's a think tank for Cancer, Inc, and you can bet that the brainiacs in there have no moral dilemmas in keeping the one-way train to hell a' rollin'. They need hemp about as much as a stag needs a hat rack. Sure, it's around, but it's "underground", and the social stigma of illegality is attached to it. A young lad can wrap his father's car around a telephone pole after experimenting with his tequila intake and it's all just youthful hijinx. But, let him be caught with one of those dangerous jazz herbal cigarettes, and it's off to military camp for him. We all saw Reefer Madness, but where was Cutty Sark Madness, or Rolling Rock Madness? I guess those movies only played in Utah.

If all this good news about medical marijuana isn't enough, it has been reported that pot use actually causes new cell growth in the brain. That's not what the drug war doctors would have us think, is it? And, now that a new strain of pesticide-resistant pot that actually grows back from its roots has been developed, it might soon be growing everywhere. That would sure beat a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Deal with it, feds.

NAFTA Shafta

2007-02-08T22:00:00.000-08:00

"There are three kinds of men. Some learn by reading. A few learn by observation. The rest have to pee on the electric fence for themselves." Will Rogers

As we are finding out, the proponents of the North American Union are proceeding in a stealthy, yet methodical pace, and the dye is being cast. The construction of the Texas leg of the NAFTA Superhighway is underway, and this uber-sovereign steamroller is gathering momentum.

Won't our Canadian bretheren enjoy seeing this monstrosity making incursions into their provinces and steadily eroding what cultural differences there are between our countries? And, won't it be sad when the average American is too busy working 60-70 serf-like hours a week to protest the dissolving of our unions? Welcome to North America, now shut up and get to work. We have new pyramids to build, and the old temples are to be razed. You are permitted to eat, drink, and be merry when you can, but don't question things, lest your implant be set on full-throttle depression mode, and you're sent to the boiler room to work things out. But, of course, those stung by the bees of stupidity won't have to concern themselves.

Political opponents of this project are starting to line up and state their cases. They are mostly coming from the right, but there will surely be Democrats to decry the inestimable loss of earning power when this scenario is played out to it's conclusion. Whether one is to be found in a think tank or a drunk tank, it should be obvious that the rug is being pulled out from under us.

In other news, we find that a Kentucky teacher has been placed in a psych ward for having stated that 9-11 was an inside job. You can now safely assume that the inmates are running the asylum. If one's dreams are analyzed in therapy, what would one make of THIS dream?

Nostalgia For The Future

2007-01-26T13:50:00.000-08:00

Did I hear him wrong, or did Bush really say it's time to move to ethanol?

We've got to be aggressive about finding alternative sources of fuel. And one such source is ethanol. Ethanol comes from corn -- and we're pretty good about growing corn here in America, we've got a lot of good corn growers. Therefore, it makes sense to promote ethanol as an alternative to foreign sources of oil.

Straight from the monkey's mouth to your ears, there it is. Isn't it nice that Bush suddenly wants to talk green, and promote alternative energy? Maybe that global warming panel Senator Boxer is setting up has something to do with it. I hate to break it to him, though- corn is food. Even with all these good corn growers, how can we have enough for both? Boy, it's like going into Iraq with no exit strategy all over again. Can't these guys ever get past part A to parts B and C? Do they think they're writing a script to a TV sitcom? It sounds like Bush had Global Warming For Dummies read to him by Condi that morning, and now we're all Children of the Corn.

I just read about a gallant cabbie who gave an elderly woman a jump so she could get to her medication. For his troubles, he received a ticket for double-parking. Worse still, the city council refused to drop the citation, even after hearing from the woman. Like the man said, a mind is like a parachute- it only works when open. Good job, you losers.

The Hippies Were Right

2007-01-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Conservative columnist Rod Dreher must feel like he lost a bet and had to eat a plate of worms. He's become so incensed by George W. Bush and his insane and tragic war in Iraq that he's now admitting that the hippies were right all along. His long-held personal beliefs have crumbled, and now he must admit the awful truth. Don't blow a gasket, Rod, just get in line behind everyone else who has finally come to their senses.

Of course, the hippies were right. There's never been a good reason for waging war, unless your name is Rothschild or Rockefeller. That this is becoming clear to some folks only now is a testament to the general stupidity of the right wing, but there you go. Fear plus testosterone plus things that go boom is a lethal combination that our leaders have only been too happy to mix and match throughout history to keep us divided and conquered, and to keep their pockets full. We fall for it until family members come home in a body bag, and only then does the clamoring begin. Where will it all end?

War isn't the only thing that hippies were right about. In the early 70's, a rag-tag band of reprobates procured a small boat and sailed out into the Pacific to protest nuclear testing. Not being experienced sailors, they missed their mark by a wide margin, but they returned to a hero's welcome. A movement was spawned, and an era of bearing witness to atrocity was born. Not all hippies spent their time sleeping on couches, taking copious amounts of acid, and nodding endlessly to those dreadful Grateful Dead tapes. Many had the foresight to see a ravaged, used-up planet at the end of the rainbow, and had the determination to do something about it.

The fact that they were able to raise a considerable amount of awareness and change some corporate behavior without resorting to violence is a testament to the validity of the core beliefs of the hippie movement. It's a shame that those beliefs were later papered over by disco, cocaine, and six-digit salaries, but change is inevitable, and especially when social engineering becomes institutionalized. It's no wonder that the next generation reacted to this watering down with feral-like punk anger. It was naive to think that the pro-active sociopaths among us would just fade into the woodwork at the sight of hippie rock stars storming the White House with President Jimmy Carter. They lost the battle, but they certainly did not lose the war.

My grandfather once told me that there were only three things you have to know in this life- water runs downhill, payday is Friday, and the boss is a prick. He was right, but with the caveat that the boss is anyone who can influence your thoughts to further their own nefarious purposes, and that they come in all colors of the rainbow. My only advice is to kill your TV while you still can.

Global Warming For You And Me

2007-01-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

Once the new legislators are in place, Sen. Barbara Boxer intends to hold hearings on global warming. Boxer and others even sent a letter to the president to recommend working with them on the problem. Excited yet? Me, neither. If anything, the hot air coming out of those hearings will probably only contribute to the problem. At the very best, the nation will adopt California-like standards to combat global warming, and it will not be enough. Regardless of what they do, there will be some very interesting changes ahead.

Given the mediocracy of the situation, one wonders if our chances of making it through relatively intact are all that good. Looking into the abyss is difficult, especially when all or any should realistically see a reflection of themselves. But, at the heart of the situation lies something so evil that it can hardly render a human form. It is at the top of the heap, but also at the bottom. It knows no guilt, and no shame. And, when it goes down, it will drag us all down with it. Thanks a lot, you Rothschilds, Rockefellers, DuPonts, etc. Bet you don't do quite as well in the next world.

Noam Chomsky Is Not Your Friend

2006-12-28T13:03:00.000-08:00

Why does Noam Chomsky, defender of progressive issues, and seeming whistleblower on the imperialistic ways of the U.S. government, deny the the fact that 9/11 was a set-up? Is he in denial, under duress, or on the payroll? You decide:

ZNet Sustainer: Dear Noam, There is much documentation observed and uncovered by the 911 families themselves suggesting a criminal conspiracy within the Bush Administration to cover-up the 9/11 attacks (see DVD, 9/11: Press for Truth). Additionally, much evidence has been put forward to question the official version of events. This has come in part from Paul Thompson, an activist who has creatively established the 9/11 Timeline, a free 9/11 investigative database for activist researchers, which now, according to The Village Voice’s James Ridgeway, rivals the 9/11 Commission’s report in accuracy and lucidity (see,http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0416,mondo1,52830,6.html, or www.cooperativeresearch.org).

Noam Chomsky: Hard for me to respond to the rest of the letter, because I am not persuaded by the assumption that much documentation and other evidence has been uncovered. To determine that, we'd have to investigate the alleged evidence. Take, say, the physical evidence. There are ways to assess that: submit it to specialists -- of whom there are thousands -- who have the requisite background in civil-mechanical engineering, materials science, building construction, etc., for review and analysis; and one cannot gain the required knowledge by surfing the internet. In fact, that's been done, by the professional association of civil engineers. Or, take the course pursued by anyone who thinks they have made a genuine discovery: submit it to a serious journal for peer review and publication. To my knowledge, there isn't a single submission.

ZNet Sustainer: A question that arises for me is that regardless of this issue, how do I as an activist prevent myself from getting distracted by such things as conspiracy theories instead of focusing on the bigger picture of the institutional analysis of private profit over people?

Noam Chomsky: I think this reaches the heart of the matter. One of the major consequences of the 9/11 movement has been to draw enormous amounts of energy and effort away from activism directed to real and ongoing crimes of state, and their institutional background, crimes that are far more serious than blowing up the WTC would be, if there were any credibility to that thesis. That is, I suspect, why the 9/11 movement is treated far more tolerantly by centers of power than is the norm for serious critical and activist work. How do you personally set priorities? That's of course up to you. I've explained my priorities often, in print as well as elsewhere, but we have to make our own judgments.

ZNet Sustainer: In a sense, profit over people is the real conspiracy, yes, yet not a conspiracy at all – rather institutional reality? At the same time, if the core of conspiracy theories are accurate, which is challenging to pin down, though increasingly possible, does it not fit into the same motivations of furthering institutional aims of public subsidizes to private tyrannies? I mean, through the 9/11attacks, Bush Et Al. has been able to justify massive increases in defense spending for a “war without end,” and Israel has been given the green light to do virtually whatever it wants since now ‘the Americans are in the same fight.’ Furthermore, there has been a substantial rollback of civil rights in our nation, with the most extreme example being strong attempt to terminate habeas corpus.

Noam Chomsky: Can't answer for the same reasons. I don't see any reason to accept the presuppositions. As for the consequences, in one of my first interviews after 9/11 I pointed out the obvious: every power system in the world was going to exploit it for its own interests: the Russians in Chechnya, China against the Uighurs, Israel in the occupied territories,... etc., and states would exploit the opportunity to control their own populations more fully through "prevention of terrorism acts" and the like. By the "who gains" argument, every power system in the world could be assigned responsibility for 9/11.

ZNet Sustianer: This begs the question: if 9/11 was an inside job, then what’s to say that Bush Et Al., if cornered or not, wouldn't resort to another more heinous attack of grander proportions in the age of nuclear terrorism – which by its very nature would petrify populations the world over, leading citizens to cower under the Bush umbrella of power.

Noam Chomsky: Wrong question, in my opinion. They were carrying out far more serious crimes, against Americans as well, before 9/11 -- crimes that literally threaten human survival. They may well resort to further crimes if activists here prefer not to deal with them and to focus their attention on arcane and dubious theories about 9/11.

ZNet Sustainer: Considering that in the US there are stage-managed elections, public relations propaganda wars, and a military-industrial-education-prison-etc. complex, does something like this sound far-fetched?

Noam Chomsky: I think that's the wrong way to look at it. Everything you mention goes back far before 9/11, and hasn't changed that much since. More evidence that the 9/11 movement is diverting energy and attention away from far more serious crimes -- and in this case crimes that are quite real and easily demonstrated.

ZNet Sustainer:Considering the long history of false flag operations to wrongly justify wars, our most recent precedent being WMD in Iraq, The Gulf of Tonkin in Vietnam, going back much further to Pearl Harbor (FDR knowingly allowing the Japanese to bomb Pearl Harbor – which is different from false flag operations), to the 1898 Spanish-American War, to the 1846 Mexican-American War, to Andrew Jackson’s seizing of Seminole land in 1812 (aka Florida).

Noam Chomsky: The concept of "false flag operation" is not a very serious one, in my opinion. None of the examples you describe, or any other in history, has even a remote resemblance to the alleged 9/11 conspiracy. I'd suggest that you look at each of them carefully.

ZNet Sustainer: Lastly, as the world’s leading terror state, would it not surprise anyone if the US was capable of such an action? Would it surprise you? Do you think that so-called conspiracy theorists have anything worthy to present?

Noam Chomsky: I think the Bush administration would have had to be utterly insane to try anything like what is alleged, for their own narrow interests, and do not think that serious evidence has been provided to support claims about actions that would not only be outlandish, for their own interests, but that have no remote historical parallel. The effects, however, are all too clear, namely, what I just mentioned: diverting activism and commitment away from the very serious ongoing crimes of state.

http://blog.zmag.org/node/2779

I don't usually send videos to my list but this short clip of Noam Chomsky being interviewed re 9-11 is very revealing in which he says, referring to what critics of the official narrative allege, "what does it matter even if it was true, it wouldn't be significant?" He then refers back to the assassination of JFK in which he still insists that the assassin was Oswald, with the nonsensical comment that "people get killed all the time."

Add to this his routine dismissal of the role of the Jewish lobby in shaping US Middle East policy and it is easy to understand why he is known as the "Chief Gatekeeper."

Will he debate anyone on these issues? Of course, not. He prefers opponents like Alan Dershowitz who is guaranteed not to raise any important issues that Chomsky cannot counter. In this 4 minute clip, he speaks about coincidences that can't be explained but it would be nice if he would explain how it was that the 8000 page Patriot Act was already written, printed, and ready to be sent to Congress immediately after 9-11 when, before the event, there would have been no chance of its passage. Another coincidence?

http://youtube.com/watch?v=LoDqDvbgeXM

Here's more:

http://educate-yourself.org/cn/noamchomskyindex.shtml

Pissed Off Cabbie's Guide To Christmas Shopping

2006-12-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again, and, given the current flaccid state of the dollar, no one can realistically expect you to give them a pony for Christmas, unless, of course, their name is Danforth or Muffy, or David Rockefeller III. So, it's time to look at some reasonable, down-to-earth gift possibilities, and I'm only too glad to help out.

Here's something new, a sure sign of the times that should please (irritate) most anyone. It's a coffee mug with the Bill of Rights printed on it. What separates this item from the rest of the pack is how the Bill of Rights disappears when coffee, or any hot liquid is poured into the mug. Won't your Republican father-in-law enjoy wrapping his clammy fingers around this? FEEL the fascism, pops.

Have a friend or relative that runs with a gang? Get him this nice crime scene body outline beach towel. Any Crip or Blood should be proud to display this when sunning themselves in the 'hood.

Here's a special gift for that relative who still lives in Mom's basement- you know, the one who's 34 and has a Camaro up on blocks in the front yard. It's a t-shirt that says, "Support Bacteria- it's the only culture some people have". Won't that go over big down at the bowling alley?

If you're looking to suck up to the boss this year, get him this Executive Sandbox. It'll give him hours of pleasure reminiscing about the time he was arrested in Jamaica, and spent spring break in jail. It's the kind of thing you never want to forget.

For kids who really want to please Mom, this Psycho Mom Shower Curtain is just the thing. Let her know that you feel the love. Watch what goes into those Christmas cookies, though.

I'm hoping somebody gets me this t-shirt that says, Coffee- You Can Sleep When You're Dead". Something about that just says it all, and don't we cabbies know it.

People, of course, like giving the gift of music. I don't want to impose my tastes here, but just I'll say that if anyone can't get into William Shatner Sings or the Rough Guide To Irkutsk, then they're just plain tone-deaf. You can give these CD's to anyone, young or old, and watch them explode with happiness.

Well, that's about it. Whether you're shopping at Tiffany's or Wal Mart, some gifts are universally appropriate, no matter how cheap they are. It's really the thought that counts, and keeping yourself out of the National Debt equation is the right thing to do. But, if decisions are overwhelming you, there's always that one tried-and-true way to go. Sincerity wins out over imagination in my book every time.

Happy Holidays, rubes!

Bad Taser, No Donut

2006-11-30T11:02:00.000-08:00

By now, we've all heard about the malicious tasering of an Iranian-American UCLA student. A video of the incident was posted on youtube, and a rousing on-campus demonstration ensued. Here's what a police officer had to say about it on a police forum:

"They told that little college punk 114 times to stand up. He should not have been Tased 5 times, he should have been Tased 113 times.

Little snot nose, know it all, tree huggin', left wing, daddy's dime, silver spoon, wet behind the ears, no life experience, still on momma's t1t, PUNK A$S.

That brat and his "I want your badge number" lacrosse playing f@ggots need to get their narrow little a$ses in the military and learn some respect.

Does this sound like someone who should be brandishing a painful and dangerous weapon? It might if your I.Q. is under 100, which seems to be the case for this cop, and many too many of his bretheren. He obviously doesn't think too much of higher education, and wears that sentiment on his sleeve. Reports of elderly women, pregnant women, and children being tasered have all been aired by the media, and it becomes clear that tasers are not a good idea. Police officers with limited mental landscapes who are seemingly threatened by their own shadows are brandishing these things like they were water pistols, and seem all too eager to deal out punishment for those who do anything but cower in their presence. How do we protect ourselves from these mad-dog cops?

Is it possible that some officers have a vested interest in the use of tasers? Why, yes, it is, and USA TODAY says so. It turns out that hundreds of officers nationwide are actually on the payroll of companies that manufacture tasers. Here's where the bacon hits the grease. I guess you have to be a snot-nosed college student to understand the concept of "conflict of interest". Attorney Generals across the land should be looking into this.

While on the subject of crime, here's one that surely wins hearts and minds. A 15 year-old Florida boy has twice stolen a bus, and drove it on it's route, picking up passengers. His rationale is that he did a better job than the regular bus drivers. If so, he should be commended. For those of you who have no such improvement in your public transit, and are tired of growing old waiting for the bus, I recommend you take a cab instead.

Serve In Heaven, Or Rule In Starbucks?

2006-11-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

As a cabbie, I generally tend to stay away from downtown San Francisco, and lurk in the residential areas, combing the hills, and pleasantly taking in the Victorians. Why do I have such an aversion to being downtown? Let's see now, could it be the crackhead zombies who brazenly walk out into the middle of Market Street in front of you as you're plowing along at 40 mph, trying to get to that airport-bound fare with the suitcase up the block before another cabbie can get to him, causing you to slam on your brakes, skid on the trolley tracks, and wind up stuck behind a bus? Is it the SUV drivers that cut you off, then cruise at 5 mph in front of you while looking for a non-existent parking space? Or, is it the smugness of all the yuppie pod people swishing to and fro on a mecca to Macy's, or on their way home to smarmy, over-priced condos that look like dentist's offices?

Actually, it's all of the above and more, but the worst, most heinous thing about downtown is that ubiquitous green logo. I look left, I see Starbucks. I look right, I see Starbucks. I look ahead, I see Starbucks. I look back... I shudder to think of it. Like in some existentialist nightmare, that evil talisman seems to chase after me with nothing but malevolence. These Kafkaesque coffee shops confront you at every turn. You can run from Starbucks, but you'll only be running TO Starbucks. Old-world news stands, mom-and-pop cafes, independent bookstores, barbershops, candy stores, and cafeterias have gone by the wayside, replaced by the chain that sells The Most Expensive Coffee In The World.

It's easy to see why this happened- the yuppies don't like choices. They eschew variety, and want their thinking done for them. They've bought in to the kind of corporate communism that John D. Rockefeller once envisioned when he said that the individual is gone, never to return. And, since Starbucks is piping in Bob Dylan, they can bask in faux hipness while sucking down that $3.50 caramel chocolate cinnamon double-expresso burnt coffee grande with crack sprinkles when they're on break from Satan's little workshop.

How far does one have to go to get away from this monstrosity? Are the mountains of the moon too far away? When does the next rocket leave? I'm on it. Not everyone suffers the foolishness of Starbucks gladly in their town, though, but what can anyone do about it? If you destroy one, three more pop up in it's place. We can only dream. Perhaps a designer virus that spreads exclusively in Starbucks could be developed, or de-programming subliminals could be placed strategically throughout the city. Hey, I'm just trying to think outside the box here, don't look at me like that. After all, Rome did eventually fall, so there's hope for us yet.

For now, I'll just have to deal the best I can. I'm a moving target, so at least I have that in my favor. To kill the vision, though, a pair of green-tinted sunglasses may be in order. One day, a tourist from Akron, Ohio will ask me where Starbucks is. I'm going to say, that's easy...it's across the street from Starbucks.

Get Behind Me, Satan

2006-11-15T00:04:00.000-08:00

Well, well, well, look who's back to try and sieze the moment and draw Sonny Boy away from the abyss. Look who's sent the Iraq Study Group, no doubt a plunge protection team, in to try and keep the Middle East from going up in flames. Look who's gotten Rumsfeld thrown under the bus and replaced by Robert Gates. He's back, and looking every bit the Pharoah he always was.

If I had the ear of the president, I would tell him to stuff that old man back in his coffin. Send him and his cronies packing. YOU'RE the Decider, and everyone else lines up behind you. Pull the lever to the trap door, and send James Baker tumbling into the alligator pit. Sure, you've failed at everything you've done in life, but THIS is your defining moment. Is that mean 'ol Nancy Pelosi going to make you run and hide behind daddy, or are you going to pull yourself up by your bootstraps, put on your flight jacket, and deal out some pain? Get on your horse, Dubya, and give it one last ride. Notice how they said that impeachment is off the table? That's because you're the man. You're ten feet tall, and they don't want to mess with you. So, why give up the ghost now? Tell Poppy to stick to the grandfathering business, and to stay out of yours. Who was the head cheerleader at your school? That's right, YOU were. Who's better than you?

Speaking of Nany Pelosi- those who worry about San Francisco values should be more concerned with San Francisco politics. Nancy's following in the footsteps of Diane Feinstein and Willie Brown, two of the slimiest tin horns to ever come down the pike. I always found it interesting that Diane and Willie left the building shortly before Harvey Milk and George Moscone were gunned down in 1978, and that Willie openly admitted that he had received a call warning him not to fly on 9/11. My favorite, though, are the ballot boxes found floating in the Bay by the Coast Guard just after a local election. I know, I know, they were washing the boxes on the docks, and the wind blew them into the Bay. That's what Willie's spokesperson said, anyway. Well, it IS pretty windy here, windy enough to blow the smell of sulfer around for all to smell. Problem is, for some, it's the smell of success. While the little people applaud Pelosi's ascension, the folks in Pacific Heights rattle their jewelry in approval. Good work, Nancy. Welcome to the machine.

Recruiters Lie, Kids Die

2006-11-06T22:37:00.000-08:00

Mt. Vernon recruiter: "We're like we're not at war, war ended a long time ago."

Student: "Will I be going to war?"
Recruiter: "I would say your chances would be slim to none ..."

Patchogue recruiter: "You have a 10-times greater chance of dying out here on the roads than you do dying in Iraq."

Student: "Aren't people still being shipped out?"
New Jersey recruiter: "Naw, they bringing people back."
Student: "Nobody is going out to Iraq anymore?"
Recruiter: "Naw, we bringing people back."

Yonkers recruiter: "As long as you don't choose a job in this area, you don't have to worry about going over there."

...we found one recruiter who even claimed if you don't like the Army you could just quit.

Yonkers recruiter: "It's called "failure to adapt" discharge. It's an entry level discharge so it won't affect anything on your record it will just be like it never happened."

These are direct quotes from recruiters who talked to students who were sent undercover by a New York TV station to recruiting centers to find out just what is being said. Well, now we know. These little bastards should be court-martialed immediately, with no questions asked. I hope that station, and/or other media outlets, follows up on how these recruiters from hell are being dealt with.

Meanwhile, a secret war simulation report from 1999 on what an invasion of Iraq would entail was released through a Freedom of Information Act request. It stated that at least 400,000 troops were required, which is almost three times the number that are now on the ground in Iraq, and even then, the situation was likely to lapse into chaos. Is it any wonder that active military leaders are now opening calling for Donald Rumsfeld's ouster? This war is a miserable failure on all levels, and it's time for those responsible to be held accountable. If Pelosi and the other Democrats take over, then they must do whatever it's going to take to force Bush out of this war. If they don't, then it will be a betrayal of epic proportions.

He's A Soldier Now, You Know

2006-10-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore.
His mama sure was proud of him!
He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all.
His mama's face broke out all in a grin.

"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine,
You make me proud to know you hold a gun.
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get,
And we'll put them on the wall when you come home."

As that old train pulled out, John's ma began to shout,
Tellin' ev'ryone in the neighborhood:
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know."
She made well sure her neighbors understood.

She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door.
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun,
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war.

Oh! Good old-fashioned war!

Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come.
They ceased to come for about ten months or more.
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train.
Your son's a-coming home from the war."

She smiled and went right down, she looked everywhere around
But she could not see her soldier son in sight.
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last,
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes.

Oh his face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist.
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know,
While she couldn't even recognize his face!

Oh! Lord! Not even recognize his face.

"Oh tell me, my darling son, pray tell me what they done.
How is it you come to be this way?"
He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move
And the mother had to turn her face away.

"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud.
You wasn't there standing in my shoes."

"Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'.
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine."

Oh! Lord! Just like mine!

"And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink,
That I was just a puppet in a play.
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke,
And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."

As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand.
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand.

John Brown, by Bob Dylan

The Bus Ride Of Your Life

2006-10-22T20:36:00.000-07:00

All too often, life is like riding a bus that goes nowhere. But, now there's a bus that goes all the way to the end of the line. If you're a Chinese citizen, and you've committed one of sixty eight different crimes punishable by death, then you will be riding this bus, and you don't get a transfer. You will, however, get a lethal injection, and, possibly, your organs will be harvested. And, this is being labeled as humane, and a step up the evolutionary ladder from the tradition firing squad.

Thank you, but just shoot me rather than strapping me onto a gurney and hauling me into a mobile death bus for a short death ride around the block. Looking like something out of the movie Soylent Green, this monstrosity represents our worst nightmares. To reflect on it is to experience the kind of cognitive dissonance that drives men into the desert, or to the mountains, or on that arduous journey to the corner bar.

Meanwhile, another kind of tough love is being meted out in Gaza, and it's causing internal organs to be cooked,
limbs to be severed, and other various mutilations. The use of this kind of weaponry is unthinkable, and yet, it is being put to use on rock-throwers in order to inflict the very worst kind of punishment. I guess if you start with kids torturing insects with a magnifying glass and project out from there, the psychology of this phenomena becomes apparent. It's cruelty over vindictiveness, and it has no place in a civilized world. But, if you can think of it, someone will build it. The satyrs won't be sated until every river turns red with the blood of those who oppose them. But, it's all just life's rich pageant, isn't it?

This Halloween, if you go trick or treating in the neighborhood of the elites, you might be offered something special. Bon appetit, there's plenty to go around.

Are We Terrorists Yet?

2006-10-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

Given the latest declarations, regulations, and threats, it seems that another turn of the screw for bloggers is at hand, and it may be the one that turns us out. It's definately an Orange Alert for those of us at odds with the current power structure.

Michael Chertoff, head of Homeland Security, says that the net is a training ground for terrorists. Does that mean when you read blogs about 9/11 complicity, election fraud, falsely-prosecuted war, and dictatorial power-grabs, you're on the way to becoming a terrorist? If so, then there sure are a lot of us on those slippery slopes. At any rate, it sounds like Mr. Chertoff is unhappy, and is getting ready to do something about it. And, we know that dual-citizen neocons don't often make idle threats.

Investigative reporter Greg Palast narrowly escaped arrest by Homeland Security on terrorist charges when he took an ABC film crew to a FEMA Katrina victim internment camp in Louisiana, situated next to a very toxic Exxon refinery. I guess it's an act of terrorism to let on that such refineries are to be found in that area, thus making them vulnerable to terrorism. Damn, Greg, what were you thinking? Do try to stay out of trouble in the future.

Last year, a group of Quaker anti-war demonstrators were classified in a Department of Defense intelligence database as a potential terrorist threat. No surprise there, given all the bomb-throwing, rocket-launching Quakers there are in the world. The DOD now claims that the inclusion was in error, and just a rush to judgement. How many more such errors might we expect in the future? I'd say that Quakers, bloggers, whistleblowers, constitutionalists, activists, muckrakers, malcontents, and other honest people are all in the same camp now. No pun intended, but Halliburton did get a 385 million-dollar contract to build internment camps throughout the U.S. If you do the math, it sounds like enough housing for a million or so people. Unless these are Scared Straight camps for Republicans, I'd say we have reason for concern here.

Meanwhile, an end-around on bloggers in regard to 'net neutrality' is underway. Runaway bandwidth charges from phone and cable companies threaten to pull the rug out from under offending citizen journalists. And, video bloggers are now at risk from a EU directive aimed at bringing the internet under broadcasting regulations, which would severely curtail such activity. The playing field is rapidly changing, and the desire and willingness to bring dissenters to heel is now far beyond the talking stage. They're doing it.

Lord Of The Lies

2006-10-07T21:56:00.000-07:00

I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't time to start hiding our children in caves and abandoned coal mines to keep them from the grips of this decidedly demonic ruling elite. Looking over some of the recent child-related laws passed or on the verge of passing is becoming a surreal experience. A Student Strip Search Bill is now before the Senate, but the timing couldn't be worse. Tom Foley certainly voted for it, but now, no one has to ask why. That it could come to this is incomprehensible, but it's not surprising. It is the year 2006, and we have been torn asunder by the New Romans. No doubt about it, we've seen better times.

In addition to exploiting children for their pedophilic needs, Republicans have been on the march to create a standardized mental illness screening program aimed at diagnosing children. I guess psychiatric drug profits just won't be satisfying enough until every other child is doped up with some soul-numbing, creativity-destroying medication. All the better to make Republicans out of them, I suppose. To thank for this heartless scenario, we have the Rockefellers and their myriad foundations that have railroaded medical research down the narrow path of pharmaceuticals. If you don't believe it, then just try to get a grant to study holistic or alternative medicine. The drug companies are like the Great Wall of China, and you are not to see what is beyond.

Of course, there's the No Child Left Behind law that stealthfully allows military recruiters free reign in public schools. If I had to choose between kids encountering crack dealers or recruiters, it would be an agonizing choice. There's always home schooling, but, hey, who has the time? We can't all be John Lennon. Folks are fighting back, though, and a great many parents and teachers have been up in arms over this intrusion. Recruiters are not particularly welcomed into schools, but they are persistent little bastards, and their tricks make the Scientologists seem like girl scouts selling cookies. These are truly the sirens on the rocks for youngsters who think they're jumping into one big video-game experience with pay and benefits, and haven't been properly mentored to understand what the military has in store for them.

If that isn't bad enough, public schools are starting to resemble high-tech prisons. I.D. tags that allow your child to be electronically tracked are not uncommon. Metal detectors and surveillance cameras are the order of the day. The kind of learning that takes place under these conditions is not what parents should hope for, and the school-shooting phenomena that accounts for it should be examined more closely. All is not what it seems.

The level of manipulation taking place all around us is no less ambitious than that of the Nazis, and, indeed, much of it was imported here at the end of the war. It's difficult to see, or accept, when one is engaged in the day-to-day of just trying to do right by one's family, and that's precisely what makes the elites so smug. What the Nazis did to pull the wool over Germany's head should have been required learning in our schools, but the parallels would have become too obvious. It's tough when we have to find out for ourselves. It's ironic that, on the one hand, we decry the end of innocence for our children, but on the other, we adults are innocent as lambs. As the Irish say, many go out for wool and come back shorn.

Habeas Corpus Is A Corpse

2006-10-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's a sure sign of the times that we would lose something that has been in existence since the 1300's, and has always served to protect us from the sheer barbarism of arbitrary detainment. I'm not here wondering why, as it has become clear that our elected officials will do anything to keep from having their feet held to the meat grinder. Rep. Mark Foley can tell you all about that. Blackmail is a swell trick for keeping folks in line, and it's a lot less messy than plane crashes. The next time you hear about a legislator suddenly stepping down to "spend more time with the family", you can know that they've been thrown under the bus for not playing along. That plain brown envelope arrives, and they're calling a press conference the very next day.

The pod people will say that you have nothing to fear from the absence of habeas corpus if you aren't doing anything wrong. Defining "wrong" is going to be a tricky matter from here on out, though, and it will certainly be a matter of perspective. If opposing Bush is wrong, then I don't want to be right. But, neither do I relish the thought of being waterboarded, so I'm wondering if it isn't about time to, um, stock up. Top a da woild, Ma. Know what I'm saying? The best thing, of course, is to set sight on a different shore, but not everyone has that opportunity. If you can't take the stand, then it's time to take a stand. The mock in democracy has been thoroughly emphasized, and we are left to try to pick up the pieces. Good luck.

Of Morans And Men

2006-09-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

We spray and we spray, but the Bush supporters just keep coming back. God bless their pointed little heads, but, it's time to get real- Bush is the worst president ever, and he offers nothing of substance for them. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear he got the job through the Make A Wish Foundation. Why must the bar be set so low? It's not like we can afford the luxury of having a moran for a president. Aren't red states experiencing job outsourcing? Don't Republicans fear for their social security just the same as the rest of us?

Someone should arrange a couple of junkets for Republican voters before this upcoming election. One would be to Iraq, where the truth of this war can be experienced first-hand. That should go a long ways towards rolling back the FOX propaganda. The other trip would be to the Arctic region, to visit the global warming-ravaged, shrinking ice packs. This trip has already been taken by Republican legislators, including Georgia Sen. Saxby Chambliss, who voted last year against an emissions bill to cap greenhouse gases. Chambliss joined Sen. John McCain and others on a fact-finding trip to Greenland, and has made a complete about-face on global warming. He no longer considers it to be a partisan issue. If we could get a million or so more Republican voters to do likewise, Bush's support would melt just like those ice caps.

This past weekend, I delivered a cab-full of yuppie hipster-wannabes to yet another beer-fest in the city. They were discussing the merits of various high-tech SUVs, and I asked them where gas mileage ranked. They said it was a non-factor, of course, and went back to talking up hydraulic rear-view mirrors and such. I didn't bother trying to push the issue of global warming with them, as I figured they would just claim that it's all the ramblings of morans. I've learned that you can't argue with a senseless beast, and especially not one with a six-digit salary. You'll just be treading on thin ice.

Stupid Is As Stupid Does

2006-09-22T20:43:00.000-07:00

Well, isn't that a pity. Extravagant, party-going yuppies have run aground on the rocks of life. It's kind of analogous to what is now happening to another party, that being the Republicans. It seems that a number of moderate right-wing legislators are feeling so alienated by the smell of sulfer, that they are abandoning ship and turning Democrat. Nancy Riley, a state senator from Oklahoma, cited "abhorrent" treatment, and a "lack of compassion for people" as the reason for her defection to the Democratic party. It's become apparent that moderate Republicans have had enough of being under Bush's hoofs, and are plenty willing to get up off the stretcher and join the enemy.

I'm wondering if there is any precedent for this phenomena. I've seen Republicans turn Democrat about as often as polar bears playing chess. No doubt, those will be some very conservative democrats, but they certainly will be well-received. This is a big disgrace for the Bush administration, and it could get a lot worse in the run-up to the election. With so much trouble brewing, it's about time to start anticipating what Karl Rove's promised October Surprise might be. War with Iran? Bin Laden on a stick? Maybe he's just bluffing, but Karl doesn't go down without a fight. Black November is coming.

I see where Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has chastised Hugo Chavez for his recent remarks about Bush in his U.N. speech, and referred to him as a thug. How unfortunate that the possible House leader should be such a boot-licking milquetoast queen in the face of all the wanton distruction that this administration has wrought. How dare she defend the worst president we've ever had. Chavez is nobody's ideal leader, but he spoke the truth, and he's entitled to that. Nancy Pelosi is a miserable worm, and the same goes for any other legislator who will not tell it like it is. Bush is in the house, and it stinks to high heaven.

Run, Whistleblowers, Run

2006-09-13T11:51:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, I wrote that whistleblowers would be among the only appropriate candidates for public office. Now, we're actually beginning to see this phenomena come to fruition. A handful of whistleblowers are seeking office this fall, and it's a gratifying sight.

Clint Curtis was a computer programmer hired to rig an election for Florida Republican Tom Feeney. He testified on voter fraud before a Congressional Committee, and is now running as a Democrat for Feeney's congressional seat. Curtis has won the primary in a landslide, and will no doubt make this election a very interesting one. Tom Feeney is resorting to name-calling, which signals trouble ahead for his little kingdom. More and more, the desperate cries of tin-foil hat and black helicopters are falling on deaf ears, and voters are waking up to smell the corruption.

Meanwhile, another Florida whistleblower, Robert Bowman, has likewise won a primary. Bowman is calling for independent investigation of 9/11, and is not buying the official line. As for his credentials, Bowman was the director of the original Star Wars program, and that speaks for itself. I'd love to see Michelle Malkin or any other Republican handmaiden debate Bowman on the issue of 9/11 complicity. On her end, it would be the sound of one hand clapping.

Another 9/11 whistleblower is running for Congress in Minnesota. Colleen Rowley, a former FBI employee, made considerable noise about the FBI's shady part in 9/11. One can only hope that the voters in her district will not waste this terrific opportunity, and will come through for Ms. Rowley.

Mary Maxwell, a Republican no less, is running for a seat in New Hampshire, and looking for the legal means to bring the real 9/11 perpetrators to justice.

Howie Hawkins, a Green Party candidate for the N.Y. Senate, is calling for a people's investigation of 9/11.

Craig Hill is likewise running for the Senate, in Vermont.

Yet another is Joshua Smith, running for Congress in Washington. This is part of his platform:

This may be hard to believe if you haven't given it much thought, but it must be said anyway. Current scientific evidence does not support the government's official explanation of what happened.

If some of these candidates win their respective seats, it should be encouraging to other whistleblowers to do likewise, and, most importantly, to keep blowing the whistle. After all, there can only be so many plane crashes and "suicides" for whistleblowers before the public wakes up to reality, and decides to do something about it. Given the latest polling numbers on 9/11, that time may not be so far off.

Burning Man Hardly Smoulders

2006-09-03T18:13:00.000-07:00

Burning Man 2006 was a real letdown this year, as the anticipated hordes stayed away. Maybe having FEMA as this year's sponsor had something to do with it. Meanwhile, as an alternative, the artists have entered their flame-shooting works in a monster-truck rally in Bakersfield. The vendors are sure to follow, and it'll be a colorful scene with the painted faces blending in with the mullets. The resultant mix should be something. Truckstop-Hop will fill the air, and Burning Trailer 2007 will commence. Bubba and Starhawk together, no more stormy weather.

In other news, we have lost the man they called The Crocodile Hunter. He was a good one who dedicated his life and wealth to conservation. I might be Irish, but I'm not lying this time. As a tribute to him, I will attempt to wrestle my cat in front of a live film crew. Kaiser Hospital is just blocks away, so I should manage just fine if things get out of control. Watch for it on youtube.

Cabbies By Day, Terrorists By Night

2006-09-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

The latest Republican legislator to make a fool out of himself, Sen.Conrad Burns, has crawled out of his hole to say that terrorists "drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night". Well, how good it is to have the finger pointed towards my bretheren and myself. And, all along, I've been shovelling it on Washington, the kings of terror. What could I expect? They've lobbed the ball back into my court. Bastards.

But, I got to thinking, what about some of those turban-wearing guys with the thousand-mile stare that I see leaving the cab yard like they're on a mission? They're the ones who always sit in front of the hotels, looking like they're waiting for some kind of instruction. They never make any money, so why are they out there? Hmmm. Could there be something to this, or are the bus fumes finally getting to me? Dioxin causing some pesky synapse mis-firing? I don't think so. Maybe it's just too much coffee.

You have to admit, it's a lot easier to learn how to drive a cab than it is to learn how to fly a 767. You only have to know right from left; thankfully, up-and-down are not in the equation. And, if you run out of gas, you don't plummet 50,000 feet before coming to a rest. So, I can see the appeal. Cab school only takes a couple of days, and there's donuts enough for everyone. If you're going the Florida flight school route, you're dodging hurricanes and alligators, and you've really got to bear down. When they show the video on how to descend 5,000 ft. in one big spiral and level out at ground level in time to hit a five-sided building, you'd better be paying attention. Allah will send you to the land of wind and ghosts for a good long time if you belly up and choke on the big test.

I wonder what the taxi terrorists have planned. Ramming into our beloved San Fran trolley cars and spilling everybody out would be some serious shock and awe. Imagine the footage being shown over and over on CNN and FOX. The outrage and indignation would sweep the nation. Or, maybe a fleet of taxis take out the toll booths on the Golden Gate Bridge. That would have young Americans enlisting at every turn. They just better not do that.

At any rate, I'm sorry to see my craft besmirched by this clown. I'm not down with terror, but if he ever got in my cab and introduced himself, it would take all the self-control I have to not tune some loud, blaring middle-eastern music on the radio, and take him for a tour of the city at 75 mph. The bastard would have it coming to him.

The Shape Of Things To Come

2006-08-10T11:53:00.000-07:00

If my thought-dreams could be seen
They'd probably put my head in a guillotine
But, it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only

Bob Dylan

The Special Olympics Of Driving

2006-07-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

Life In The Corporate Lane

2006-07-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Ordering Pizza In 2012

2006-07-21T10:50:00.000-07:00

Operator: Thank you for calling Pizza Hut. May I have your national ID number?

Customer: Hi, I'd like to place an order.

Operator: I must have your NIDM first, sir.

Customer: My National ID Number, yeah, hold on, eh, it's, 3897950001-54-66689.

Operator: Thank you Mr. Phelps. I see your E-mail address is, phelps@home.net and that you live at, 8257 Private Drive. Your home phone number is, 505-7633, your office number over at Brave New World Insurance is, 254-7697 and your cell number is, 733-7433. Which number are you calling from sir?

Customer: Huh? I’m at home. Where’d you get all this information?

Operator: We’re wired into the HSS, sir.

Customer: The HSS, what is that?

Operator: We’re wired into the Homeland Security System, sir. It will add only 15 seconds to your ordering time.

Customer: (sighs) Oh well — I'd like to order a couple of your All-Meat Special pizzas.

Operator: I don't think that's a good idea, sir.

Customer: Whaddya mean?

Operator: Sir, your medical records and commode sensors indicate that you've got very high blood pressure and extremely high cholesterol. Your National Health Care provider won't allow such an unhealthy choice.

Customer: What?!?! What do you recommend, then?

Operator: You might try our low-fat Soybean Pizza. I'm sure you'll like it.

Customer: What makes you think I'd like something like that?

Operator: Well, you checked out 'Gourmet Soybean Recipes' from your local library last week, sir. That's why I made the suggestion.

Customer: All right, all right. Give me two family-sized ones, then.

Operator: That should be plenty for you, your wife and your four kids, and your 2 dogs can finish the crusts, sir. Your total is $49.99.

Customer: Lemme give you my credit card number.

Operator: I'm sorry sir, but I'm afraid you'll have to pay in cash. Your credit card balance is over its limit.

Customer: I'll run over to the ATM and get some cash before your driver gets here.

Operator: That may not work either, sir. Your checking account is also overdrawn.

Customer: Never mind! Just send the pizzas. I'll have the cash ready. How long will it take?

Operator: We're running a little behind, sir. It'll be about 45 minutes, sir. If you're in a hurry you might want to pick'em up while you're out getting the cash, but then, carrying pizzas on a motorcycle can be a little awkward.

Customer: Wait! How do you know I ride a scooter?

Operator: It says here you're in arrears on your car payments, so your car got repo'ed. But your Harley's paid for and you just filled the tank yesterday.

Customer: Well, I'll be a #%#^*^&$%^$@#!

Operator: I'd advise watching your language, sir. You've already got a July 4, 2006 conviction for cussing out a cop and another one I see here in September for contempt at your hearing for cussing at a judge. Oh yes, I see here that you just got out from a 90 day stay in the State Correctional Facility. Is this your first pizza since your return to society?

Customer: (speechless)

Operator: Will there be anything else, sir?

Customer: Yes, I have a coupon for a free 2 liter of Coke.

Operator: I'm sorry sir, but our ad's exclusionary clause prevents us from offering free soda to diabetics. The New Constitution prohibits this. Thank you for calling Pizza Hut.

Waking Up Is Hard To Do

2006-07-11T23:21:00.000-07:00

One of the underlying themes for the novel The Unbearable Lightness Of Being is how people would prefer that the state make their choices for them, as they are too overwhelmed to make their own choices. We would like to think otherwise, but, when taking a good look at our society, it becomes painfully clear that we do indeed eschew the responsibility of freedom. Certainly, the predator class has done it's level best to keep us under their thumb, but we have met them halfway, and made it all the easier for them to keep us down.

Still, one wonders how it might have been if not for the mental fences surrounding us. Emerson and Thoreau's treatises on self-determination may not have been lost on us. So, how do they do it? Unless one lives in the wild, the answer should be obvious. That television in your house is the devil in your mind. Instead of us going to the carnival, the carnival comes to us, and plays us for every bit the fool. But, it goes much further than that, and the beans have been spilled. Every seven or so years, there is a new "education crisis", and it's out with the old, and in with the new. And, with every turn of the screw, we have gradually become a school-to-work feedstock. Thinking beyond the left-right false dichotomy, much less questioning the validity of one's vote, is seemingly impossible, given the signal-to-noise ratio of the dumbing-down process.

To call attention to this mass-manipulation is, of course, to trigger a well-conditioned mind-set characterized by reflexive ridicule, and a disconnect from rationale. The tin-foil hat meme allows one to bypass the out-in-the-open Kenny Lays and Halliburtons, and to ignore the obvious sociopathic current that runs through our ruling class. At the least, it causes us to focus our mistrust on one entity, while the rest operate in seeming invisibility. It is a neat trick, and it's architects are well-versed in the art of mind control. At the rate things are going, I would hardly be surprised to someday see a majority of Americans on all fours, barking like dogs whenever they start to experience any cognitive dissonance. All bark and no bite is, after all, what we want here. Why bite the hand that feeds us?

It's A Mexican Standoff

2006-07-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

Gee, what a surprise to hear that the Mexican progressive presidential candidate Obrador is getting shafted in a very close election against Fox successor Calderon. It's at the point now where election fraud is just like Christmas- you KNOW it's coming. Just take a look at this from Narconews:

"...Monday morning, Mexican journalist Carmen Aristegui, who hosts the nightly talk show Aristegui on CNN Español, dropped a political bombshell on her popular morning program on XEW radio in Mexico City. There, live on the air, she used the Internet to enter a restricted area on a Calderón campaign website, with the username of Hidebrando117 and a password she received from an unnamed source. There, Aristegui found proof of the electoral cyber-fraud of the century: the entire national IFE voter list cross-referenced with supposedly confidential government information about which voters receive government assistance or contracts from all the federal agencies. Live and on the air she found information about herself, her family members, about the IFE president, and about the PRI presidential candidate.

Moments later, the Calderón campaign shut down that section of its Internet site, but the cat was out of the bag. Much of the Mexican national media ignored the story. But Aristegui repeated it Monday night on the international TV news network CNN and La Jornada – a pro-PRD newspaper, the fourth largest in Mexico – led with the story on Tuesday (on Wednesday, a La Jornada editorial criticized the information blockade by other media, saying “in spite of its relevance, the corresponding information was minimized and even ignored by most electronic and commercial media”)."

Obrador is saying that 3 million votes are missing, and is calling for a hand re-count, while, on the streets, protests are raging. This really takes the cake. The election could actually be annulled as a result of this disclosure. You would think that most American liberals would be following this closely, and making some noise, but they seem to have other things on their minds right now, like World Cup soccer, or whatever else tickles their fancy these days. The relevance of this election will become clear at some point down the line, though, when NAFTA reaches it's horrible economic conclusion. The race to the bottom in this country is a Special Olympics all unto itself. I didn't see too many people in the streets after Bush stole the last election, nor a serious call for a recount, so which is the REAL banana republic?

Working Ann's Dead

2006-06-27T11:12:00.000-07:00

Will wonders never cease? It has been disclosed in this interview that Ann Coulter is an avid Deadhead. The anorexic right-wing hack with rhetorical Tourette's Syndrome seems to have been to her share of shows, and has the tapes to prove it. What's next- Dick Cheney admits to a fondness for Pink Floyd? Newt Gingrich longs for the good old days of following the Jefferson Airplane? Just where did the hippies go wrong that one of their ranks could turn out to be a trash-talking conservative she-devil? Needless to say, Ann Coulter won't be sleeping on MY couch any time soon.

On the other side of the fence, it has come to light that Grateful Dead members Bob Weir and Mickey Hart are annual attendees of the Bohemian Grove festivities, and have drawn the ire of the Bohemian Grove Action Network. This certainly represents the ultimate in selling out, and one wonders just what goes on out there. Do Bobby and Micky cajole Henry Kissinger and others into tie-dye t-shirts while they all drink blood from Geronimo's skull? Maybe so. The greater question, though, is, why were they invited? I guess it's mighty impressive that a rag-tag group of nominally-talented reprobates could create a financial empire off the backs of young burrito-vendors, hat-makers, and trustafarians. And, after all, they don't work- they play. That's doing it the opportunistic, I mean, the American way. Excuse me, but the colors are getting in my eyes.

The NAFTA Super Highway To Hell

2006-06-21T20:56:00.000-07:00

At some point in 2007, work will begin on the Texas leg of the NAFTA Super Highway. Ten lanes wide, it will run from the interior of Mexico well into Canada. An environmental impact statement has been filed, and public hearings are scheduled for next month. This super highway will allow containers from China to enter the U.S. from Mexican ports, and will negate the Longshoreman's Union. The Mexican truckers will not be members of the Teamster's Union.

Incredibly, President Bush has never mentioned this rather ambitious project in any of his speeches. The mainstream media coverage of it has been obscure at best. And yet, ground will be broken in Texas in just 6-12 months. Once completed, our country will never again be the same, as much of our union clout will have been subjugated and made irrelevant by this Pan-American monster.

Even more significantly, this project portends a North American Union that will essentially erase the U.S. borders north and south. The net result is bound to be a third world economy bereft of union benefits and protection. It's astonishing that this is taking place with no media scrutiny whatsoever, but that's how it goes in the modern world. Consent is a concept that's seen it's better day. Isn't it a shame that we so took it for granted.

Well Abe said, "Where do you want this killin' done?"
God says, "Out on Highway 61"
-Bob Dylan

For Whom The Bell Curve Tolls

2006-06-14T21:25:00.000-07:00

Intelligence, and that which puts it to the test, is relative to one's challenges. Contextual intelligence, which does not register well in standardized intelligence testing, is perhaps the most relevant to survival, and it is in the worst times of economic and environmental stress and upheaval that we see who has game. And, given current conditions, those times are not far in front of us. Towering debt, a failing dollar, massive job out-sourcing, and a general Wal Mart-ization of the economy all signal a rough road ahead. Those whose talents are of a corporate nature will not fare as well under such conditions as those who have lived at or below the poverty level, or even on the street, and have managed admirably through difficult circumstances, and even raised families to do likewise.

In the midst of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, a re-ordering took place among those who were in harm's way. Suddenly, one's property holdings or expertise in the stock market were of no use in finding the resources for survival. Those who were more familiar with crisis and a low level of comfort were the most able to deal with the shock and difficulty of the situation. The sense of looking into the abyss was not unfamiliar to them.

It was reported in the news recently that a pair of prison inmates braved a steep cliff and adroitly saved a man from a burning truck. Would soon-to-be inmate Kenneth Lay be so resourceful in such a situation? It's not too likely. Class privilege does not confer intelligence, and hardly even gives the appearance of it, and one need look no further than our own president to see the truth in that. There is no real pressure in a situation where the deck is stacked in your favor, and there is nothing to be learned, except that it sure is easy when you're sitting in the catbird seat.

The heart of the matter, which Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance author Robert Persig sought in such convoluted fashion, is quality, and the lack of it. It was Persig's cleaning lady who clued him in on that pearl of wisdom, giving him the epiphany he sought. One need not hold the philosophy chair at a prestigious university to arrive at such a clear conclusion, but, in this society, the pedigree weighs more than the truth. Once tenured, smugness tends to replace any sense of discovery. Imagine discovering that your assets are a fraud, and the bank is taking your house. Nouveau riche, it tolls for thee.

"It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows."
-Epictetus

Cash Rhymes With Crash

2006-06-08T23:28:00.000-07:00

In consulting my cab driver's manual for the economy, I found the following equation: trade deficit + housing bubble + gravity = falling dollar. Most every cab driver in this city knows where the Federal Reserve is, but few, if anyone, would understand that those inside are busily engaged in the business of turning our cash into trash. Some of us do know that a fiat is not just another car taking up space on the road. The Feds' ever-expanding dollar supply is now at the point of driving major foreign lenders away from the weakening dollar. Thus, the skids are greased for calamity. The Bush administration is now buying back what it can of it's own debt, hoping for a soft landing, but they're still hold up in an economic Alamo, and living on borrowed time.

An orderly devaluation of the dollar is not likely now that Russia has launched an oil bourse, and will be trading in rubles. Likewise, Iran and Venezuela will be opening bourses, and will trade on the Euro. These actions sound a death knell for the dollar, and lead many to believe that, with such weapons of mass economic destruction now trained on us, an attack on Iran is inevitable. That the dollar is the main reserve currency for oil dealing is the only thing that keeps the U.S. economy from collapsing under the weight of it's massive debt. The likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, and George Soros are now shorting the dollar, and thus, the fat lady can be heard from out here in the lobby.

One might wonder, could this all be by design? When you consider that the world economy has been as finely managed as a Shakespeare play in Stratford-On-Avon for the last two hundred years by The House of Rothschild, I'd say we're seeing a new, and very brutal chapter. What's in it for the predator class? Oh, just a grand opportunity to sieze assets, dispose of legion usless eaters, and set up a biometric police state.

Doesn't that seem to be in keeping with much of what is happening lately? Let's see, now- eminent domain, pandemics, and NSA surveillance- can I swing a dead cat without hitting one of those items in the news these days? No, and we can certainly extrapolate from there that more of same is on the way, and, unless we suddenly rise up in unison, these phenomena will reach their full conclusion. To assume otherwise is to live in the land of wind and ghosts. Just ask any German who was alive in the 1930's.

A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall

2006-06-06T21:37:00.000-07:00

Oh, where have you been my beady-eyed son
Oh, where have you been, my clueless young one

I've stumbled on the floor of five greasy barrooms
I've walked and I've crawled in six crooked strip-joints
I've stepped in the middle of seven steamin' cowpies
I've been 10,000 miles of watchin' NASCAR

And it's a hard
And it's a hard
And it's a hard
And it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a-gonna fall

The Faithful Brave The Fangs Still

2006-06-01T23:36:00.000-07:00

Some red state folks sure are something for hanging on to their sad and pathetic faith in George W. Bush. The time will come when they, too, get bit, but, for now, that mad St. Vitus dance of anti-hero worship goes on. Soon enough, though, there will be much wailing and gnashing of the teeth, as the price of gasoline, a failing dollar, and fear of immigrants will make this country seem like a bad dream to them. They can hide from the Dixie Chicks, but they can't hide from reality.

What could they possibly expect from Bush at this point? He has offended voters all across the spectrum, and seems intent on running the ship aground. As the rest of us now know, his agenda is far from conservative, and even Bill O'Reilly has called for Bush to go. And yet, these mildly retarded Republicans keep coming back for more. They identify with Bush because, for them, his smirking pride, monosyllabic vocabulary, drunken demeanor, and anti-depressant dementia bring it all back home. Republican trailer park family values are sacred, no matter what. And so, at least for now, pretzel logic still rules the day.

If I went into a coma, and woke up in 2008, what should I expect to find? Another stolen election, and president Jeb Bush? I wouldn't be too surprised, as you just can't underestimate the voters' gullibility, or overestimate the neocons' depravity. They can, and will, steal another election if left to their own devices, and our friend Greg Palast knows how. Someone had better have a remedy for this situation, or it's sundown on the union. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s piece on voter fraud in this month's Rolling Stone does much to illuminate the whole insidious process. I sure hope people read it and take heed. It's time to climb out of the snake pit.

I Get No Kick From Champagne

2006-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you've seen it all, here comes news that the French champagne vineyards are being contaminated with radioactive waste. It certainly brings new meaning to putting a glow on, doesn't it. What will Donald Trump do now, toast with red wine? The very thought of it is revolting. How could we have raised up a bourgeoisie, only to see it poisoned by the very icon of it's existence? The irony of it is bubbling over.

Decades ago, Greenpeace educated us on the perils of nuclear power. They made it very clear that nuclear waste cannot be safely disposed of, in spite of the usual lies from industry and regulatory agencies. But, some folks are just too stubborn for their own good. It was the French government who sunk the Rainbow Warrior out of spite, and now, it seems that the chickens are coming home to roost. But, if it isn't one thing, then it's another. Our friendly petroleum products haven't served us very well, either. What to do?

Is it possible that some have actually discovered free or relatively cheap energy sources, like hydrogen from water, or zero-point energy, but have been bought out, or eliminated, by the oil-worshipping elites? Some would say, yes. Others, of couse, would ridicule the notion, and go on believing that we've made absolutely no progress in energy technology in the last fifty or so years. To them, I would say, don't spill any of that champagne this New Year's. It came all the way from France.

Faux News: The Latest In Lying

2006-05-29T15:57:00.000-07:00

Can no one muzzle this man, and keep him from spewing lies, lies, and more lies, and put a lid on the propaganda machine? The FCC may think so. It is now investigating the practice of television stations using so-called news items produced by the White House and by major corporations, and passing them off as real news. The whistle was blown by the Center For Media Democracy, who tracked 77 different stations using these manufactured broadcasts.

The contrived news stories were used to put a favorable light on the Iraq war, and to promote products, like Pfizer's pharmaceuticals. It seems that they were convincing enough that few suspected that they were not normal news. That this would be happening should come as no great surprise, but now, there can be no denying it. A Soviet-style use of the media for purposes of propaganda is now exposed, and should be another brick in the wall for impeachment.

It's getting to the point where the mainstream media should be trusted about as much as the man behind the Scientology table on the downtown street corner. The father of John D. Rockefeller was a bonifide travelling snake-oil salesman, and therein lies the genesis for institutionalized lying in America. If the media had been as corrupt then as now, John D. would have become a de-facto king. As it is, FOX and CNN have made Bush seem like royalty. Sure, his ratings are down, but the damage has been done. Can you hear me NOW, NSA spooks?

What's next- a "news story" showing Iraqis singing God Bless America? Immigrants and Texans arm-in-arm, passing the bong at a Los Lobos concert? How about America's love affair with Diebold voting machines? Or, "Nuclear Power, The 21st Century Flower". Before long, people will be made to think George Orwell was the guy who invented the ham sandwich. Pass that mayonnaise.

Kenny Lay Had A Bad Day

2006-05-26T20:41:00.000-07:00

Kenneth Lay is going to prison. The same Kenneth Lay who bilked California out of billions of dollars, railroaded Governor Gray Davis out of office, and levered the obnoxious nazi Arnold Schwarzenegger in as the new Governor. It's been a long time since Californians have been able to even sit down, but now, we get to see him do the long walk. Enron is pretty much off the charts now, and you can almost feel sorry for their employees. We won't be getting our money back, but at least the bastard is off the streets. No doubt, he'll be converting to Christianity, and having prayer service in between tennis matches, though. No Wackenhut prisons for Kenny Boy. I just hope Bush doesn't get any crazy ideas about pardoning him at the end of his term. He wouldn't do that, would he? Kenny should be coming out of jail in time for his 101st birthday.

Here's a little story that should put things into perspective:

 A YOUNG HILLBILLY NAMED KENNY MOVED TO TEXAS AND BOUGHT A DONKEY
FROM A FARMER FOR $100.00. THE FARMER AGREED TO DELIVER THE DONKEY THE NEXT
DAY.

THE NEXT DAY THE FARMER DROVE UP AND SAID, "SORRY SON, BUT I HAVE SOME
BAD NEWS, THE DONKEY DIED."

KENNY REPLIED, "WELL, THEN, JUST GIVE ME MY MONEY BACK."

THE FARMER SAID, "CAN'T DO THAT. I WENT AND SPENT IT ALREADY."

KENNY SAID, "OK, THEN, JUST BRING ME THE DEAD DONKEY."

THE FARMER ASKED, "WHAT YA GONNA DO WITH HIM?"

KENNY SAID, "I'M GOING TO RAFFLE HIM OFF."

THE FARMER SAID, "YOU CAN'T RAFFLE OFF A DEAD DONKEY!"

KENNY SAID, "SURE I CAN. WATCH ME. I JUST WON'T TELL ANYBODY HE IS
DEAD."

A MONTH LATER, THE FARMER MET UP WITH KENNY AND ASKED, "WHAT HAPPENED
WITH THAT DEAD DONKEY?"

KENNY SAID, "I RAFFLED HIM OFF. I SOLD 500 TICKETS AT TWO DOLLARS A
PIECE AND MADE A PROFIT OF $998.00."

THE FARMER SAID, "DIDN'T ANYONE COMPLAIN?"

KENNY SAID, "JUST THE GUY WHO WON. SO I GAVE HIM HIS TWO DOLLARS BACK."

KENNY EVENTUALLY BECAME THE CHAIRMAN OF ENRON.

I just have to say it- what's the frequency, Kenneth?

The Devil Is Giving Free Ice Skating Lessons

2006-05-24T01:08:00.000-07:00

Due to necessity, I've finally done something I stubbornly swore I'd never do- buy a cell phone. Lest anyone find me to be a techno-rube, I have good reason to have kept my distance from this all-too-pervasive phenomena. Certain studies have indicated that cell phones are of a gradually debilitating nature, and are to be used only sparingly.

As a non-user, I've been immune to the conditioned normalcy of users, and to the zeitgeist of denial. People spend hours a day yakking into these fiendish things, and it has become requisite for many careers. Social butterflies are hopelessly hooked, and flop like a fish out of water without one. Headsets are, of course, available, but I still see the majority walking, or driving, with that nasty little bug up to their ears. As for me, I'm happy to use my land line, and I can wait until I get home to talk to anybody. My stock broker, my probation officer, my bookie, and Ed McMahon all know where to find me, and that's all that matters.

As some have pointed out, there is an interesting parallel between the cell phone industry and the tobacco industry. Both have sought to undermine damning research of their product, and both are sporting PR machines that rival the White House. An industry that is turning over billions of dollars is not expected to do the altruistic thing when it's pointed out that it's product is a serious health hazard. Come on, this isn't Canada. As usual, it's a struggle to have the truth brought to light, especially when an industry has lots of enablers. I would know- I'm a smoker.

I bought a cell phone primarily to have in my cab for those swell times of having a flat somewhere on the outskirts of town, with no jack to be found. I have thus far avoided that fate, but it's common enough. Also, I can network with other drivers to find out where the action is, and where the trouble spots are. And, I can now send love-letter text messages to the radio dispatch gal, who will hopefully respond with many radio calls. And thus, I am on the grid. Can you hear me now?

Overall, there is a technological mutation taking place within our society, and I'm not anxious to take part in what the next step seems to be. The ultimate wireless is, of course, implants, and the notion of that scenario should be enough to scare more than just the luddites. But, with time, and the usual pre-conditioning which is now under way, that, too, will be an accepted step in our technological evolution. It's already becoming standardized for pets, so it's fairly close to home. Dignitaries are being implanted to thwart kidnapping, and likewise for children. It's even being suggested as a means for controlling immigration. Hell may freeze over, but I won't be greeting the friendly implant wagon when it comes around. I guess I'll just have to work around it.

One Wave Short Of A Shipwreck

2006-05-19T00:27:00.000-07:00

The area in red is, of course, that magical place known as Siberia. Once home to communist officials and military officers who needed some time out-tough love, it is now significant as the largest methane sink in the world. The Siberian permafrost is melting like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day, and 70 billion tons of methane are set to be released in perhaps just a few short years. Scientific data tell us that methane holds heat in our atmosphere 20 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide.

A lot of the global warming models now being touted do not take this scenario into account, the reasons of which I'm sure are political. Shortsightedness may play into it as well, as the Peter Principle is just as much in effect in the sciences as anywhere else. After all, it was experts who built the Titanic. But, the research grant money does tend to gravitate towards those who comprehend the corporate wants and needs of the day. So, it's left to Al Gore and the environmentalists to sound the alarm.

The roll-back of global warming awareness is certainly underway. The Competitive Enterprise Institute, funded by Exxon, has launched an advertising campaign to counter Al Gore's movie. The premise is that carbon dioxide is our friend, and actually very healthy for us. Now, we're going to find out who's really paying attention, and who's not. The truth may be inconvenient, but it's not going to be wished away. Recently, someone mused that euthanizing right-wing pundits would solve global warming. While I like that kind of thinking, it's probably going to take a little more than that to get things under control.

It is incomprehensible that Exxon and other oil companies would try to put out the fire with pseudo-scientific nonsense and cling desperately to their lofty perch, but there you have it. It may well be that they are subconciously thinking, if we go down, they go down, too. If we can't have the world, then no one can. It's a thought that makes me want to start smoking crack, but I think I'll just settle for an ice cream cone for now.

Look Who's Coming To Dinner

2006-05-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

That alligators are now wandering out of the swamps and dining on Floridians, no doubt as another unfortunate result of climate change, is analogous to what the oil companies will be doing to us this summer. The price of gas is slated to go over $4.00 per gallon, and that will eat many of us alive. I expect to see fewer cab drivers, and more homelessness. Truckers will be in pretty rough shape, too. Life in hell sure doesn't get any easier, does it?

It would be nice if the cab companies had more than a few hybrids on hand, but, why should they care? They make their money regardless, and they'll only invest where it suits their needs. They think we should be grateful to drive cabs that don't have square wheels. There could be a gas tariff, but it will be accompanied by a gate increase, so the drivers will get little relief. It's a lucky thing for the cab companies that they recently got one of their own onto the taxi commission here, and she's a real ball-buster. There will probably be no cap on gate increases. What can a poor man do?

The weather modification bill that just got fast-tracked through Congress has to make you wonder just what they have in mind. A technological quick-fix for the ravages of global warming is not what the situation is calling for, but that's what seems to be on the table. I wonder what the environmentalists who scoffed at the notion of weather control when first presented with the idea years ago will say now.

I also wonder what Lee Raymond, former Exxon Mobil chairman, will do with his $400,000,000 retirement package. Maybe he'll build a nice compound in the Caribbean, somewhat like this one. If he takes a taxi anywhere, though, I hope he tips big.

The Emperor's New Orange Jumpsuit

2006-05-13T22:42:00.000-07:00

To look at it, you might say the clothes have no emperor, but that's about to change. Truthout.org is saying that Rove is indicted, and will resign upon the charges being announced. You know what that means. If Rove isn't pardoned outright by President Bush, then he's doing time. Time to pause, time to reflect, time to look inward, time to rot in hell. This, of course, puts Bush in a real tough spot, as if he didn't have enough problems already. If he doesn't pardon Rove, then some plea-bargaining could ensue, and Karl could spill enough beans to bring down the whole ship. If Bush does pardon him, his approval ratings could reach into negative numbers. It must be tough to be The Decider at this point. And, if I were Karl Rove, I would think real hard about what happened to Ron Brown before caving in to the special prosecutor and singing for my supper.

Patrick Fitzgerald won't be stopping here, though. It seems that Dick Cheney is up next. His notes, subpoenaed by a grand jury, show that he had more than a passing interest in Plame and Wilson. And, The New York Times is reporting that Cheney pushed to widen the NSA eavesdropping. My goodness, the lid is boiling off the pot. Somehow, I don't think these guys were expecting all of this when they stole the election in 2004, but, the best laid plans...

As a side note on just how paranoid Bush has become, it was reported that, at a recent appearance in Florida, Bush's motorcade had automatic rifles pointed out the windows at protestors. I would hardly believe it if not for these testimonials at Daily Kos. Bush must think that the public is going to pounce on him and drag him to a lampost for a hanging at any time now. After a few more rounds of insider whistleblowing, he might not be too far off base. It's interesting to note that Bush now gets such over-the-top protection, but, on 9/11, when the country was under the worst attack ever suffered on the mainland, the secret service allowed Bush to read a story about goats to a group of children in a public place for over 20 minutes before whisking him to safety. That should tell you something.

I'll be real impressed if Rove goes down, and the heat continues to rise under Cheney, but it all seems a little too contrived to me. How could they have come this far, only to have one special prosecutor have at them like political pinatas, and pull up the tent stakes? When the Bilderbergers last met, did they know this was coming? It's getting real strange out there, but time will eventually sort it all out. In the meantime, we can do the indictment dance around the maypole, and celebrate summer without the odious Karl Rove.

Suckernomics

2006-05-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Suckernomics is a term coined by the irrepressible Dr. Dennis Cuddy. I reprint his article here in it's entirety:

By Dennis L. Cuddy, Ph.D.
April 24, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

In my previous article, I introduced the term "Suckernomics." The reception to this new term was very positive, so I have decided to expand upon its principles. Suckernomics is the process whereby the American public is made, and kept, economically ignorant. It begins even in elementary school, and the following is a list of some of its basic principles. The list is not meant to be exhaustive, and I am sure that you, the reader, will be able to add examples to it.

1, Don't teach students basic reading and math skills, so they will not be able to compete economically against those of other nations.

2, Convince Americans that more money is needed to solve our educational problems, even though a tremendous increase in educational funding has occurred over the past 4 decades, with negative results.

3, Teach children that petroleum products come from decayed fossils, even though there is no evidence of massive numbers of dinosaurs or massive amounts of vegetation in Middle Eastern desert regions or in the North Sea or near Alaska where large deposits of oil have been found. Don't let them know petroleum products are plentiful and come from methane derivatives, available through deep-drilling techniques used by the Russians for decades. Otherwise, they won't believe there's an oil shortage, and pay continuously rising prices.

4, Require Americans to pay about 40% of their annual income in taxes, but tell them that they are still better off than the serfs of feudal days who paid a smaller percent of their production to the nobles.

5, Persuade Americans that they should pay taxes for government programs which operate less efficiently than if run by private enterprise.

6, Entice Americans to purchase items on credit, even though that increases the cost of the goods by 10-20%.

7, Have Americans place a large percent of their paycheck into a Social Security "Trust Fund," which Congress then raids, leaving future senior citizens wondering what happened to their hard-earned money for retirement.

8, Allow the federal government to get away with posting an inflation rate that does not include increases in the price of food and fuel. This also allows the federal government to pay senior citizens less in Social Security benefits each year, because cost-of-living increases are not based upon an accurate inflation rate.

9, Give authority regarding trade decisions to the World Trade Organization, run by unelected bureaucrats overseas who can tell Congress it has to change our laws. Convince Americans that this is "free trade" when it is actually "managed trade," because many nations still have trade restrictions and subsidize industries in their own countries.

10, Dismiss calls for "fair trade," claiming American workers can compete against slave and child labor.

11, Persuade Americans there are still such things as "American corporations" as ownership increasingly goes overseas (e.g., 97% of sound recording industries, 65% of metal ore mining, 64% of motion picture and video industries, 63% of book publishers, etc.).

12, Have Americans believe that profits from American companies still stay in the U.S. (e.g., Amoco's profits go to England, Random House's and Chrysler's profits go to Germany, Gerber's profits go to Switzerland, TransAmerica's profits go to The Netherlands, etc.).

13, Convince Americans that government incentives for American companies to locate offices/jobs overseas will not harm the job prospects of American workers (even comedian Jay Leno said President Bush went to India to visit the American jobs that had relocated there).

14, Persuade Americans that NAFTA and GATT would bring high-paying high-tech jobs to the U.S., while increasing numbers of high-tech jobs are outsourced to India, etc., and while President Bush and Congress propose dramatically increasing (from 65,000 to 350,00 annually) the number of H-1B visas so that high-tech foreign workers can come to the U.S.

15, Convince Americans that increasing numbers of guest workers working for minimum wage (because they are placed, for example, 10 in a house and pay only 1/10th each for expenses) will not undercut American workers in many industries (e.g., fast foods, construction, hotel and motel, grass-cutting, carpet-cleaning, etc.) who have to pay 100% of their own expenses.

16, Persuade Americans increasingly to purchase cheap foreign-made products here, leaving them to wonder why they cannot find a good-paying American job anymore.

17, Convince Americans that they have still gotten their monies' worth purchasing cheap products from overseas even though they don't last as long as American-made products.

18, Have government severely regulate/limit the use of people's private property, but still require them to pay the full amount of taxes on their property.

19, Force/coerce people to turn over their private property to the government in the name of preserving a pristine environment, but then this same property is contracted out to developers/mining companies, etc., for exploitation.

20, Drastically reduce the United States manufacturing base, yet assure Americans that having missile parts, etc., made in Communist China or elsewhere will not compromise our national security at any time, especially during wartime.

21, Persuade Americans that building up the economy of Communist China via investment and trade will not strengthen their military with which they can threaten/attack us. Also convince Americans that giving the Communist Chinese advanced missile technology will not aid them militarily either, if they decide to attack the U.S., Taiwan, Japan, or some other nation in the future.

22, Assure Americans that genetically modified foods and animals are economically beneficial, even though the long-term health consequences of such genetic modification is unknown. In an experiment, half of a field was planted with unmodified soybeans and the other half of the field with genetically modified soybeans----geese refused to eat the genetically modified soybeans! Do they know something we don't know?

23, Spend millions of American tax dollars to build the Panama Canal and then hand it over to a Panamanian dictator who sells operation rights at either end of the canal to the Communist Chinese who could destroy it if in a war with the U.S. in the future.

24, Have millions of American tax dollars spent on political campaigns to oust Slobodan Milosevic as leader of Yugoslavia at the same time Americans are expressing outrage over Communist Chinese political campaign contributions to American candidates.

25, Spend millions of American tax dollars on textbooks teaching Afghan children jihad (holy war) against foreign invaders, causing the Afghans when grown to fight against the U.S. invasion.

26, Americans give millions of dollars in foreign aid to countries that give large amounts of money to terrorists who want to destroy us (this is the "sell them the rope with which they'll hang us" principle).

27, Convince Americans that the unemployment rate is going down, when this figure does not include those who have stopped looking for work. Also, hide the fact that many who have been laid off jobs and found new employment are now working in the service industries which pay less than their former jobs. Thus, while they are counted as "employed," they have less purchasing power.

28, Condition the American people to abandon moral principles in order to benefit economically. For example, the reason Americans can buy cheap Chinese products in the U.S. is because the Communist Chinese dictatorship can force laborers to work cheaply or go to prison where they sometimes are raped. Therefore, Americans have accepted the immoral attitude that it's allowable for women and men to be threatened with imprisonment (where they may be raped) if that's what it takes to buy cheap shirts, shoes, etc., in the U.S.

29, Have the American people accept the U.S. going from having the greatest economy in the world to being the greatest debtor nation. Former President Clinton recently said the only way we can pay for the Katrina disaster is the extent to which China is willing to continue to buy our debt. This makes us subject to international blackmail.

30, Condition the American people passively to accept Congressional provisions for offshore tax shelters for their corporate friends, at the same time the U.S. faces serious problems concerning the national debt, budget deficits, trade imbalances, the dollar's loss in value, many personal bankruptcies, and a high tax rate for the rest of us.

The result of suckernomics will be a further withering of the middle class, resulting in a techno-feudal society ruled by an elite. Not only will this be a return to feudalism, but the "suckers" have also been conditioned to accept "futilism"----the idea that it is futile for them to resist dominance by a power elite intent upon synthesizing Western Capitalism and Eastern Communism into a World Socialist Government under the elite's control (an updated, indexed edition of my book, THE ROAD TO SOCIALISM AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER, will soon be published).

http://www.newswithviews.com/Cuddy/dennis64.htm

Here's a typical news story to bolster what Dr. Cuddy has said:

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=421263

The Moderate Republicans Are Coming, And Boy, Do They Look Pissed

2006-05-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

It sure is something to see all these Reagan Republicans and moderate conservatives sharpening their knives for the Bush administration. It's getting to where Randi Rhodes couldn't do a better job of taking Bush apart than some of these folks. You really have to wonder who, other than Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and Michelle Malkin, really support him anymore. The kool-aid is wearing off, and Bush has a lot to answer to. The economists hate him, the constitutionalists hate him, the generals hate him, the anti-immigrants hate him, etc. His own father seems to spend more time hanging out with Bill Clinton rather than with him, so it's not looking so peachy.

They can re-arrange the deck chairs on the Titanic all they want, but it's still going down. The desperation meter is pegging well into the red, and, a few more indictments down the line, neocon heads will spring open, and little birds will fly out. Let's just hope that these desperate times don't lead to desperate measures. Rats are dangerous when cornered, and are known to bite. Those of Bush's enemies who have the resources need to formulate a quick-strike policy that will prevent further treachery, and put an end to this madness once and for all.

If there were a military coup tomorrow, I wonder what the CNN polls would say. Bush's approval rating is lower than a frog's ass at this point, so, who would be left to oppose it? The Bill O'Reilly gang could lock and load, but it would be over very quickly for them. Hey, maybe those internment camps being constructed by Halliburton will come in handy after all.

Four Dead In Ohio

2006-05-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

On May 4, 1970, four students were gunned down by National Guardsman on the Kent State campus in Ohio. To most, it may seem like a cypher now, but it was a defining event in my life, and for many around me. I grew up a few miles from Kent, and was just old enough to understand the ramifications of it. I knew that I didn't want to be drafted and sent to Viet Nam with a gun in my hand, and that peaceful protest was a cornerstone of this country. It was apocalyptic to see innocent students brutally shot down, and the trauma of it is still with me.

While it is true that students, or paid provocateurs, burned down the campus ROTC building, the protests had, for the most part, been peaceful. We now know about the FBI's cointelpro operations, which were designed to inflame the movement and cause it to erupt in violence, and draw support from the moderates away from it. We also know that the governor of Ohio, James Rhodes, ordered guardsman who had just come off of a 30-day miner's strike to the Kent State campus, thus insuring an ugly scene. It was evil, to be sure, but, that's how the game gets played. There are no rules, no referees, and no mercy.

I'm greatly disappointed that there isn't more active protest of the current war in Iraq. While there is no draft in effect, the casualties are mounting on both sides, and, like the Viet Nam war, it is senseless beyond belief. The agenda for war is never for the common good, but is rooted in cold-hearted economics and ruthless opportunism. That we can still be convinced otherwise speaks to the fact that we have learned little from history.

"Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, IT IS THE LEADERS of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is TELL THEM THEY ARE BEING ATTACKED, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. IT WORKS THE SAME IN ANY COUNTRY."

--Herman Goering at the Nuremberg Trial

Oh, No, It's Another Election

2006-05-01T10:49:00.002-07:00

Well, here it comes again. I look forward to another election like it's a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. Politics is like poison ivy- the more you scratch it, the more it itches. And, nothing spurs on blind animal rage like political debate. Are you ready for that family get-together that turns into a political food fight? Meanwhile, anyone running for office has their knee pads on, and their lips puckered. But, kissing the slugs isn't so bad when you know that the servant becomes the master one day after the election.

I know most liberals think their day in the sun is coming. But, before anyone starts rolling up their sleeves to get busy, there's one little thing that's screaming for attention, and that's voter fraud. It sure would be a drag to watch all the little people roll the big ball up the hill, only to see it roll back down on them YET AGAIN, because the elites screwed us with paperless voting machines, draconian voting requirements and bullying tactics in African-American voting precincts, and feigned incompetence. Twice around this track should be enough to have most Democratic voters highly suspicious of the process, but it remains to be seen if anyone of significance acts on those suspicions.

Diebold is certainly on the skids, but they may still be a big player in this election, and that spells trouble. The current lawsuits against Diebold probably won't have any bearing on this election. Their supposed rival, E,S&S is still around, too. Both companies are owned by brothers. Gee, what a coincidence. How is this possible? Why haven't they been rounded up in the dead of the night by, say, Senator Byrd's people, and fed to alligators? Two assholes named Bob and Todd have brought this country to it's knees, and will do it again if not deterred.

It's of particular interest what happens with the southern voting block. The potential for a huge swing is there, so the desperate Republicans need to be watched night and day. And remember, you can cut off Katherine Harris' head, but three more will pop up. She isn't that easily dispatched. Big Boss Jeb Bush can tell us that we have a failure to communicate, but he'll be pissing in the voters' face, and telling them it's raining, just like he always does. Someone had better hurry up and market a smart pill, or we'll ALL be wearing the blue dress.

The Zogby exit poll called a landslide for John Kerry. There's just no way possible for there to be that much deviation from the mean, and so it should be painfully obvious that the victors cheated their way into the White House. Any liberal voter who thinks otherwise should be kept from operating any heavy machinery. Election fraud is nothing new, anyway. In one amazing election here in San Francisco, ballot boxes were found floating in the bay by the Coast Guard. The excuse that came from Mayor Willie Brown's office was that the boxes were being washed on the docks, and the wind blew them into the bay. When I heard that, I was laughing, but laughing to keep from crying.

I wish people didn't have to wait to be told to go and storm City Hall, or take an axe to those goddamn voting machines. It's getting to the point where that's all that's left to us. I just don't see any civilised way of dismantling the fraud. But, hey, who are you going to vote for?

As a late addendum to this rant, I submit this news story for your perusal. "It's unclear what caused him to become upset." Is it, now?

Ms. Coulter, Please Report To The Re-Education Camp

2006-04-27T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have no doubt that Ann Coulter could complete the above picture. After all, the message is right up her alley. But, that's about as far as I would go in giving her any credit for being on the ball. This rabid dog of a right-wing commentator seems to have been raised on a steady diet of Rush Limbaugh, roller derby girls, and raw meat, and I would not recommend putting your hand anywhere near her mouth.

In her latest screed, she joins in the conservative chorus now blaming enviromentalists and democrats for the current gas prices. Apparently, the oil companies' latest price-gouging is due to us having protected the Alaskan wilderness from oil-drilling. I'm having a hard time drawing the same conclusion, what with oil companies recording murderously obscene profits, and oil execs getting four hundred million-dollar retirement bonuses. The American auto industry's successful ploy of convincing us that we have to drive around in Sherman Tank-sized SUVs that get 17 MPG doesn't quite jibe with what she's saying, either, but, I guess she didn't think about all of that. Thinking isn't what she gets paid to do, anyway, but, at some point, reality has to slap up against that horse face and register. Perhaps when a significant portion of our coastal areas are inundated, and gas is at $6.49 a gallon, Ms. Coulter will come around. But, I'm not betting on it. Most likely, she'll proudly and defiantly go down with the ship, much like that capricious captain in Melville's epic tome. Wouldn't that be just like her.

After The New Gold Rush

2006-04-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Now that global warming has caused considerable Arctic thaw, the notion of accessing an abundance of new oil is presenting itself as consolation for the damage global warming is bringing. The Arctic is warming twice as fast as the rest of the planet, and last September saw the lowest extent of ice cover for more than a century. And, there are huge deposits of oil in the Arctic. What incredible good fortune it is for the oil companies that global warming should turn out so propitiously. It's an American tradition to turn lemons into lemonade, and our oil companies are always up for the challenge.

"By the end of this century, the length of the navigation season...along the Northern Sea route is projected to increase to about 120 days from the current 20-30 days..."

How convenient that is. Of course, the probability of spillage increases as well, but that's of no great concern to the companies who see no end of the rainbow for oil profits, in spite of all the talk of peak oil. Their only concern is that they have a future, however short-term it may be. For those wondering why the breaks haven't been applied to global warming, they should now have their answer. The U.S. is not likely to change this unfolding scenario while there is oil to be had in the Arctic, and will play a dangerous game of limbo with our climate. How low can the ice go before the damage is globally catastrophic? One thing's for sure- if weather conditions continue to become more severe, there should be plenty of fuel to burn to stay warm. And so, to the oil companies, it's the kind of win-win situation that brings myopic smiles all around the boardroom.

Those wishing to implement alternative energy have got their hands full in trying to divert this scenario. The public is going to have to be made to demand better fuel efficiency, and, considering that the SUV has become the new status symbol, it's going to be a very ardous task. The public will not budge until they see tangible signs of danger to their own well-being and, by that time, it may be too late to reverse the warming trend. The sense of self-import on the part of American consumers precludes heeding the warning signs, and so it's down the road we go towards oblivion. The acceptance of fossil-fuel useage as part of the status quo is embraced with religious fervor. As a sign of the times, one could almost reverse the popular bumper-sticker slogan to say, "my dogma ran over your karma".

It's a shame that so few have the imagination to envision a world without oil consumption. It was such imagination that once made this country great, as it moved past the time of oil lamps and horse-drawn carriages into a then-futuristic world that relied on innovation. That we have reached such an impasse of ideas speaks volumes for our foundation-driven, dumbed-down educational system and corporate-controlled media, and how we now find ourselves in an evolutionary cul-de-sac, with individualism on the wane. Unless a sudden virus of thinking outside of the box miraculously takes hold, this purgatory of progress will in short order be our undoing.

"Be an opener of doors for such as come after thee."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

9/11: S.F. Chronicle Takes The Low Road

2006-04-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

The latest 9/11 hit piece, this time issued by one Cinnamon Stillwell, writing for the San Francisco Chronicle, has gone just a bit too far out of the realm of respectable journalism. In fact, it told an outrageous lie, for which the Chron has been forced to issue this retraction:

"Cinnamon Stillwell's column Wednesday on SFGate originally stated that images of the plane that struck the Pentagon had been seen by the American public. No such images have been made public."

I'm sorry to see my hometown newspaper sink so low as to allow a no-nothing hack like Cinnamon Stillwell to publish such nonsense. It's obvious what demographic is being targeted here- the SUV-driving, latte-sipping professionals who are not yet clued into what happened on 9/11, and aren't likely to be anytime soon. Much like Betsy Hart, the Suzy Homemaker of FOX, Cinnamon Stillwell is reaching out to her right-wing yuppie bretheren, but has dropped the ball on her toes. The Chronicle was besieged with e-mails and letters, demanding a retraction of her obvious and deliberate falsehood. It may have gone right over the heads of Muffy and Buffy, but, not so for those who are paying attention.

Doesn't this all point to the fact that the 9/11 truth movement is now speaking to a majority? That the mainstream media has to rely on the most dumbed-down of their ranks to bolster the 9/11 cover-up for the remaining drones speaks volumes as to how far the movement has come. Had Ed Asner made it onto CNN as planned, the subsequent duck-and-cover would have been something to behold.

The group Scholars For 9/11 Truth have been putting out solid, well-researched information. Where are the scholars who would de-bunk this information? Cinnamon Stillwell and Betsy Hart are about as scholarly as Paris Hilton, and their brand of Stepford Wife karaoke journalism is to be discarded in the dumpsters of our junk culture. Those two, and any others of their ilk, should stick to writing about sailboats, puppies, and poinsettias, and leave the serious topics to the big people.

Trouble Ahead, Trouble Behind

2006-04-17T12:38:00.000-07:00

For this administration, the wheels are most certainly off the track. I can't imagine what it must be like to be a Bush official these days. Pol Pot has had better approval ratings than this. Adding to the wreckage is the former chief economist for Bush's Department of Labor Morgan Reynolds, who will be making a public presentation on 9/11 complicity at the University of Wisconsin on May 6th. Recently, he wrote this on the subject:

"While more Americans doubt the 9/11 story every week, evidence abounds that many have a mental block against rational examination of the evidence of 9/11."

This is no backwater "theorist" speaking, is it? He's one of Bush's former top people, AND a member of Scholars For 9/11 Truth, and he's here to help us with those pesky mental blocks. The whistleblowers are coming out of the woodwork, and the Bush administration is in even more trouble. Recently, Robert Bowman, former head of the Star Wars program, also came forward to say that 9/11 was a set-up. I would like to see Noam Chomsky, or any other 9/11 debunker, debate these people, and see if they can even go one round without making fools of themselves. I suspect they would be drowning on dry land.

Dr. Reynolds' presentation will be accompanied by a screening of the video Loose Change, an excellent documentary on the 9/11 deception that has been making the rounds. In the Dark Ages, church officials refused to look through a telescope and see the universe as it is. Those who deny the obvious evidence for the greatest act of treachery in our country's history are doomed to the same ignominious place in history. But, the fog does seem to be gradually lifting, and Bush's grip on this country is loosening. Despite the best efforts of the administration to keep us distracted by a multitude of other woes, people are smelling smoke, and want to know where it's coming from. When they find out, it could get ugly.

Beyond Impeachment

2006-04-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

A poll currently being taken on MSNBC shows 86% favoring impeachment. The exasperation level is reaching fever pitch, and the word is becoming a mantra. Unless I'm mistaken, the last time the polls showed such uproarious disapproval, the president WAS impeached. Those were simpler times, of course, and it had become the mandate for the ruling elite to throw that president overboard. However, if demographics are truly undergoing a change, and the Democrats do well in the mid-terms, then the will and the way to impeachment might just present itself. And, I understand that Neil Young has written a new song called Impeach The President. Well, if Neil says it, then I guess we can count on it, right? Before, he said Let's Roll, and we sure did that. Thanks for finally coming back to the fold, Neil.

Okay, so impeach the bastard, even if it IS five years too late. I'll be cheering for it as much as the next guy. But, when we fall out of the cloud and hit the ground, where will we be? Even if the chain of command falls all the way down to the Speaker of the House, we're still left with a Republican. Would President Hastert pull out of Iraq, quit the Patriot Act, disband Homeland Security, and cease deficit spending? Most likely, he would "play it safe", and sit on his hands until the election.

Another intriguing question is who he would appoint as Vice-President. The last time that happened, it was Nelson Rockefeller. Imagine that rattlesnake just a heartbeat away from the presidency. It's interesting to note that there were three serious attempts made to assassinate President Ford. Go dig up the PBS special on the Rockefellers, and listen to brother Laurance say, "Nelson said he wanted to be the president, and I told him later, you have failed". It's hard to believe that Sharon Rockefeller, former chairwoman of PBS, would allow that to slip through, but, there you have it. There must have been happier times for those boys, but it sure wasn't in the '70's.

I may be jumping the gun here, as impeachment isn't very likely, but it's frustrating to not hear of any real vision beyond that horizon. Do we sail triumphantly across the river, escaping the 300-lb gorilla, only to discover that we're riding on the back of a crocodile? History is littered with the remains of those went back to sleep after a tyrant had been deposed. The I-Ching, while known primarily for divination, is actually a parable about the safe transition from despotism to benign rule. One would wish that the current and soon-to-be Democratic legislators would read it. Or, at least, the history of Watergate, and all that followed in it's wake.

Making The McWorld In Our Image

2006-04-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

I guess it isn't enough that we tacitly agree to dumb down here in our own country. No, we really want the rest of the world to be just as crass and tasteless as we are. There are new markets to conquer, and they need to be softened up. We'll export our glittering mediocrity with a happy face, but you'll be staring down the barrel of a gun if you dare to resist. Friendly fascism works out real well here, but it can take something a little more brutal to get the folks abroad to dance the dance.

Much in the way Christianity was once spread throughout the world, now American-bred idiocy pushes it's way through the thicket and brush, overturning the temples as it goes. Cable TV, junk culture and bad drugs are finding their way into everyone's neighborhood, and it's an ugly scene. But, hey, if Desperate Housewives and paxil work for us, then it should work for them. And, there's plenty of room down here at the bottom.

If those ancient lizards of rock, The Rolling Stones, can slither over the Great Wall of China, then is Madonna far behind? Will Pepsi be the pause that refreshes after a hot day in the Nike factories? Of course, the toughest nut to crack will always be the fundamentalist Muslims, but that's what the bombs, tanks, and torture chambers are all about. Once the door is finally open and a little light shines in, the turbans will give way to Yankee caps, and the Koran will be put aside for People magazine. If not, well, there'll just have to be far fewer muslims in the world. We have our ways, don't you know. I'm just wondering who will cut the ribbon when the global theme park is officially opened.

Democratic Underground Gets Underhanded

2006-04-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

It figures that the biggest "progressive" forum on the web would suppress discussion of 9/11 complicity, and relegate it to the cellar of their forum. Democratic Underground will tolerate no posting of 9/11 information, or links to it, on the main discussion boards. This is what democracy DOESN'T look like.

Long-time contributers to Democracy Underground have been permanently banned for having crossed the line. The head moderator's excuse for this shameless censorship is that too many 9/11 threads were cropping up, and so they had to be relegated to their own page. What lousy reasoning that is. Why, then, aren't other popular topics similarly paired off? How many threads that start with "Bush said this", or "Bush is going to do that" can anyone read? This moderator is full of shit.

It seems to be a matter of course that anything so popular is eventually compromised. Once upon a time, indymedia was a great wellspring of progressive and activist information sharing. After it started to reach mass proportions, the open publishing section was moved from the front page, and doomed to relative obscurity. What were once well-read headlines are now a mere cypher. Well, the left gatekeepers are popping up everywhere. You spray and you spray, but they just keep coming back.

Asinine Assertions From The 9/11 Debunkers

2006-04-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

To counter Charlie Sheen's appearance on CNN to call out Bush and the neocons on 9/11 complicity, FOX has trotted out...Betsy Hart. Make no mistake about it, she's speaking to those with a less-than-stellar mental landscape here, and her sophomoric rhetoric is made-to-order for the SUV and cellphone crowd. Let's see what Dumbed-Down Betsy had to say:

I'm the first one to suggest that we in a democracy should have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to our government. I would sure like to know how the United States ever became vulnerable to such attacks in the first place! But our skepticism has to be based on thoughtfulness, knowledge and right principles. (Have other conservatives, and liberals _ have I? _ gone so far, too far, in trying to question a legitimate government that this is what we get?)

In any event, what the conspiracy theorists won't answer is why our government would do such a thing as 9/11 _ and more to the point, if it committed this terrible crime and then, essentially, got away with it, why hasn't it "finished" the job? Conspiracy theorists repeatedly claim that no one can answer why there are so MANY conspiracy theorists, so that alone gives their theories credence.

That's a circular argument to say the least, but here's at least one reason for the conspiracy theories that I find compelling: the threat of Islamic terrorism is so frightening, so unpredictable, so unknowable that in some ways it's easier and more manageable for some folks to think that our government is behind it all. Exposing the terrorists for who they are resolves little _ evil must still be fought, and the endgame in some minds is uncertain. But if the administration could be exposed for "initiating these attacks," it would provide final, "easy" resolution _ and it would end the administration and any influence its adherents have, forever.

Heavens to Betsy. I'm supposed to be so frightened by Islamic terrorism that I comfort myself in denying it and blaming it on Bush instead. How could I have known? Leave it to Betsy Hart's remarkable perception to shine a light into the depths of my subconcious mind. It's "easier and more manageable" to believe that my country is ruled by sociopaths with blood on their hands than to accept that bad guys in turbans really exist, and, of course, hate us for our freedom. How could I have been so misguided?

Betsy also said that we won't answer why the neocons would do such a thing. That lie is especially for the benefit of the aforementioned low-IQ drones who have never read a thing that counters the official line on 9/11. They didn't hear Bush say, "I won the trifecta". They don't see Halliburton's profit margin. They don't know that the war has taken much of Iraq's oil off of the market, thus driving oil prices to record heights. They don't realize that 9/11 has conveniently turned the Bush administration into a defacto dictatorship. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. And, Homemaker Betsy is here to hold their hands through all this awful conspiracy theory stuff now cropping up in the mainstream media. Imagine Kathy Lee Gifford combined with Rush Limbaugh, and you have the heinous Betsy Hart.

Over on the left side of the fence, we have Doug Thompson, a previously respected blogger and editor of Capitol Hill Blue. Given Mr. Thompson's usually unassailable work, one wonders if a gun is not pointed at his head for suddenly spewing such mindless drivel in defense of the official line on 9/11. Much of what he said is just plain lies, and flies in the face of solid, rational research, and he suggests that 9/11 researchers just have their own agendas.

Of course, Mr. Thompson cannot and will not respond to the question of why Building 7 fell, as it was not hit by a plane. He and the other debunkers will just go on hurling invectives at researchers and the celebrities who back them up, and insist that it's case closed. There will be no point-by-point debates with these people, as they can only lose in resounding fashion. The great Noam Chomsky has dismissed the whole thing out of hand, and refuses to discuss it. How the mighty have fallen.

That these debunkers are there at all, much less painting themselves into corners, indicates an urgency to roll back the recent wave of 9/11 exposure. That is guilt by association, and it only serves to point up the truth of what 9/11 researchers are saying, and to throw more fuel on the fire. They can paint stripes on the horse all they want, but it is still no zebra. Given the growing climate of mistrust in the Bush administration, and the turning away from the mainstream media, it is certainly within the realm of possibility that the cover-up unravels before the term is up. Good luck, debunkers. I wouldn't want to be in your shoes.

Hell Has Frozen Over: A Republican Whistleblower Turns Democrat

2006-03-30T09:45:00.000-08:00

Clint Curtis is running for a Congressional seat in Florida after testifying to Congress of having been solicited to help rig an election for Republican Congressman Tom Feeney. Clint is a former Republican who will now run as a Democrat and challenge for Feeney's seat. Will wonders never cease?

Meanwhile, the odious Ann Coulter is in hot water for committing voter fraud herself. It seems that she voted in the wrong county, and gave a false address. That is a felony, and Ms. Coulter is going to jail. Ann, can you make me a vanity plate that says POC? 'Preciate it.

Our favorite voting machine company Diebold is similarly on the ropes after having been subpoenaed in Florida, de-certified in various states, and seeing CEO Walden O'Dell resign in disgrace. The damage has been done, though. We've now suffered through six years of a Bush presidency that has seemed like a Bataan Death March, with two more excruciating years to go, and it's all thanks to Diebold's deliverance of a stolen election to their lord and master. The Zogby exit poll had Kerry in a landslide, but the other guy somehow won. Damn, at this casino, you can have a royal flush, and still lose. We'd best not come back here again.

I sure hope Clint Curtis wins his seat. It would be good to have at least one legislator in this country with the guts to speak out about voting fraud, and put the rest to shame.

Charlie Sheen And 9/11: Timing Is Everything

2006-03-24T13:56:00.000-08:00

What a week it's been- Charlie Sheen went on CNN to question the official line on 9/11, and the most active student member of 9/11 Scholars For Truth, Michael Zebuhr, was brutally murdered. I can't help but to put these two events together. Timing is everything, and this stinks to high heaven.

Sheen's coming forward on CNN was preceeded by his interview with Alex Jones, one of the few radio talkshow hosts who tells it like it is on this and other subjects which should have our undivided attention. As a follow-up, Jones also made it onto CNN, and was able to speak his piece on 9/11 complicity. This represents a breakthrough that should have the neocons very concerned. A CNN on-line poll has over 80% of its respondents agreeing with Mr. Sheen. If my math is correct, that represents a huge majority. Perhaps that majority will now become less silent on the subject.

The killing of Michael Zebuhr seems like retribution for Sheen's sounding off, and a warning to others involved in this scenario. I would hope that, instead of backing off, others will step up the pace, and make a full commitment to bringing the truth to light. I'm also hoping that other celebrities will be emboldened by Sheen's actions, and likewise step forward. Now is not the time for timidity.

Where There's Smoke, There's Mirrors

2006-03-22T21:13:00.000-08:00

See Lyndon Johnson. See him being sworn in on Air Force One. See the soon-to-be Secretary of State wink at Lyndon Johnson. See Lady Bird Johnson try not to smirk too much. See democracy die for good on that day.

I could live a thousand years, and never understand why people didn't get it. When a ruler is deposed, it stands to reason that his successor had something to do with deposing him. It's a shame to have a historical fact regarded as mere cynicism, but it's no wonder. The only time a coup d'etat is not a coup d'etat is when it happens in America.

"You know, I was one of the ones who advised Kennedy to stay away from Texas. Lyndon (Johnson) was being a real asshole about the whole thing and insisted." -John Connally

Gary Webb: The Reporter Who Committed Suicide Twice

2006-03-19T16:56:00.000-08:00

Gary Webb was the investigative journalist for the San Jose Mercury News who broke open the CIA crack connection story in 1995. He paid for it first with his job, and later with his life. His death in 2004 was ruled a suicide, even though he was shot in the head TWICE. Anyone trying to defend that claim may as well be a holocaust denier, or a member of the flat-earth society. But, these days, you could be shot, stabbed, beaten, mauled, and impaled, and the right coroner will rule it a suicide if you're someone who's been causing too much trouble. The mainstream media will, of course, play along, and no tough questions will be asked.

Gary's story in the Mercury News, and his subsequent book Dark Alliance, were among the most damaging broadsides ever issued to the CIA. Regardless of the cowardly retractions and denials on the part of the Mercury News that followed, it forced the CIA to admit to a relationship with Latin American cocaine kingpins. The editors who succumbed to pressure from above and pulled the rug out from under Gary have been rewarded with promotions into sweetheart jobs. The managing editor, David Yarnold, is now the Executive Vice President of the Environmental Defense Fund.

This story indicates that the drug prison industrial complex is a reality, and that the "Drug War" is a war on the people of the United States. Let Gary tell you the story in his own words. His railroading is another brick in the wall of fascism, and it's not to be forgotten.

This Is NOT A Movie

2006-03-15T11:48:00.000-08:00

The above picture is not a Hollywood set. It is an internment camp within U.S. borders, and there are plenty more of them. Most can be found on closed military bases, and are manned by Homeland Security and FEMA personnel. Over the past decade, there has been enough research to indicate that this is no urban myth. Rep. Henry Gonzalez admitted to their existence in 1997. And now, we find that Halliburton has been awarded a 385 million dollar contract to build even more camps. The justification given is a possible immigration problem, but that seems ludicrous in the face of this administration's very liberal immigration policy.

The real reason probably has more to do with our plans for further war-making, and the resistance that will surely follow. A war with Iran will not be a war of "liberation", and the million or so Iranians here in the U.S. may take great exception to seeing their homeland turned into a parking lot. So, too, will millions of liberals and disillusioned conservatives who will have seen this country slide far enough into a dictatorship, and those that protest too vigorously will be placed in the "fifth column" category. That means enemy combatant, as Atty. Gen. Ashcroft calls them, and, as per his vision, they are subject to be rounded up and placed in said internment camps.

In spite of my own trepidation, I'm not yet convinced that the deployment of these camps is an absolute given. It may just be that the neocons are hedging their bets. However, it's important to know that these camps existed throughout a Democratic administration, and so it would be erroneous to assume that they will be on the way out along with the current regime in 2008. It would not surprise me in the least to see Madame President Hillary Clinton sending dissidents on a one-way ride while under martial law. Wolves in sheep's clothing do eventually show their teeth, and especially at dinner time, which, for the New World Order, seems to be coming up. Wars, pandemics, and global warming are the barbarians at the gates, and they spell an end to democracy and national sovereignty. Whoever the leaders may be, they will deal with these crises with a very heavy hand, and with no compassion whatsoever. I hope we've learned that much from what happened in New Orleans.

For those who would dismiss this scenario out of hand; isn't Guantanamo Bay just a little too close to home? We are one degree of separation from having it right here in our own backyards. Halliburton has it's contract in hand, and will commence building camps. What say you to that? First, they took the Muslims...you know the rest. Mind you, don't lose any sleep, but try to know that you're not waking up in the same world you used to wake up in. Novus Ordo Seclorum is the rule now, and the constitution is going the way of streetcars, biplanes, and gas lamps. In time, the only way you'll see it again is to visit the Smithsonian.

Condi, Stop Smoking That Crack

2006-03-11T16:28:00.000-08:00

Listen to Spike Lee throw down:

"People say, 'She's so successful' and 'Look at her position as a black woman.' She is a black woman who grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and said that she never experienced a day of racism in her life," Lee tells the April issue of Stuff magazine.

"Condi, stop smoking that crack!"

The consternation for Condi is coming from all sides now, and even Sandra Day O'Connor is calling out the dictatorship. I have a feeling there's a word that makes Condi twitch when she hears it- INDICTMENT. Hey, you made your bed, you sleep in it. If Bush goes down, you go, too. But, there's always those lucrative consulting and speaking gigs ahead, and those will buy a lot of shoes. Nothing like falling uphill, huh?

Just to be fair, here's what Condi's fans have to say:

Rice challenges expectations and assumptions. There is undeniable authority in her long black jacket with its severe details and menacing silhouette. The darkness lends an air of mystery and foreboding. Black is the color of intellectualism, of abstinence, of penitence. If there is any symbolism to be gleaned from Rice's stark garments, it is that she is tough and focused enough for whatever task is at hand.

How about that. Some Republicans just love their dominatrix Secretary of State. But, wait, didn't they deride Hillary Clinton for the all the same characteristics? I guess what's good for the goose ain't good for the gander. It sure is funny how Republicans can contradict themselves into next Tuesday, and never sense the gears grinding. Oh, well, c'est la vie.

Where Have All The Microbiologists Gone?

2006-03-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

On Nov. 16, 2001, Dr. Don Wiley's car was found on a bridge over the Mississippi River, and his body was later found in the river. Wiley was one of the foremost microbiologists in the U.S., working at Harvard University. His expertise was in immune systems and their response to viral attacks of the plague variety.

This death would not be so significant if it weren't one of over fifty such deaths of microbiologists since 2001. All of these microbiologists had expertise in infectious disease, and all died a violent death. Something is wrong with this picture, and the ramifications are chilling.

Many have speculated on this phenomenon, and one hypothesis keeps coming up- a race-specific virus is in the works, and someone is either trying to stop it, or eradicate those who COULD stop it, or, at least, blow the whistle on it. It could just be a general pandemic in the works, as well. At any rate, it does not bode well for the future, and is right in line with the notion of depopulation, a concept whose time seems to have come.

Research on population control, preventing future births, is now being carried out secretly by biotech companies. Dr. Ignacio Chapela, a University of California microbiologist, discovered that wild corn in remote parts of Mexico is contaminated with lab altered DNA. That discovery made him a threat to the biotech industry.

While it is certainly true that we have a population problem, the methods for dealing with it as prescribed by our elites leave much to be desired. If it is to be otherwise, then there must be a global referendum on the subject, with maximum cooperation on all sides. This isn't likely to happen, though, as the mainstream media tends to keep mum on the subject. Extremists are cropping up, and The Sierra Club and it's members have wrestled with the issue, but only within a not-in-my-backyard immigration framework. Thus, it is left to the elites to decide our fate. How unfortunate for the rest of us. In the meantime, I would suggest a career path that does not include microbiology and infectious disease.

Uh, Oh, It's Sibel Edmonds

2006-03-06T21:46:00.000-08:00

If there's anyone who keeps the neocons up at night in regards to 9/11, it's Sibel Edmonds. As an FBI translator, she blew the whistle on security breaches that led to the successful attacks on 9/11. For that, she was fired, and a gag-order has been placed on her. Edmonds sued to contest her firing, but her case was dismissed, with "state secrets privilege" invoked. The ACLU is now handling her appeal. Senators Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont) have publicly supported Edmonds, and have pushed for a declassification of her material. Her cause has also been championed by Watergate whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg.

Ms. Edmonds is clearly nobody's fool, and is very determined to get her information out any way that she can. Her testimony would blow holes in the 9/11 commission's findings. She is currently under a gag order, but she hasn't given up on getting her information out to the public. It could be the difference in getting rid of the neocons sooner rather than later, and having the public see the full extent of their treachery. And, if we know anything about them, we know that they're not infallible. The Bush administration is caught between a rock and a hard place here, so let's help Sibel any way that WE can.

After examining this case, it should be clear to one and all that something is rotten in Denmark. To think otherwise is simply to be in denial. As they say, the mind is like a parachute- it only functions when open. Why must it be so difficult to believe that these people are fully capable of blowing up a couple of office buildings, particularly when you consider what they had to gain from it. This is the perhaps the most powerful administration in the history of the nation, and they gained that power by having the patriotism card handed to them on a platter. Without 9/11, there would be no re-election in 2004, no Patriot Act, no war in Afghanistan and Iraq, no massive surveillance at home, and no staggering profits for Halliburton. Coincidence theories be damned- they did this, and we're letting them get away with it.

When fascism comes to America, it'll be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross. -Sinclair Lewis

Chavez And Sheehan Together, No More Stormy Weather

2006-03-02T09:36:00.000-08:00

So, Hugo Chavez has found an ally in Cindy Sheehan. Venezuela's oil production notwithstanding, her grief and rage could power an entire city. Who SHOULD she turn to? The bloodthirsty Bush regime, it's corporate sponsors, and a compliant mainstream media are all too happy to see our children sacrificed for the sake of hegemony and imperialism, and spineless democrats watch benignly from the sanctity of their D.C. ivory towers. Does Hillary Clinton have anything for Cindy? Not a chance. Cindy needs Hillary like a stag needs a hat rack. In fact, since Paul Wellstone died, there haven't been many well-known legislators worthy of Cindy's company. Nowadays, when we vote, it's not exactly self-serving. Buying a lottery ticket would be a better use of time.

It sure is something to hear right-wing commentators refer to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez as a dictator. When you point out to them that Chavez is a popularly-elected official, they then switch to election fraud as their rally cry. Hmm, election fraud, now where have we heard THAT before? To avoid looking altogether foolish, those right-wingers need flak jackets of a much better quality than those provided to our troops in Iraq.

"Those who cast the votes decide nothing, those who count the votes decide everything." - Joseph Stalin

If hypocrisy were poker chips, then most any right-wing blogger could be Donald Trump. Election fraud is now as American as apple pie, Chevrolet, and steroids. Ask Jimmy Carter that in a private moment, and he would wholeheartedly agree with you. Of course, arguing the point with a Bush supporter would be no more productive than debating a goldfish. But, someday, they WILL learn that such loyalty is not reciprocal. Hopefully, it won't be the way that Cindy Sheehan learned it.

What can Cindy do next to keep her campaign alive? She could visit Iran and inspect their nuclear sites. Maybe she could become a cast member of the Daily Show. All I know is, I want to keep seeing her in the media, tweaking Bush at every opportunity. She's earned the right, and she has more integrity than all the mainstream media put together. You might ask how those media moguls sleep at night. They do, but it's basically just hanging upside down in their closets until the sun comes up.

He Who Holds The Hammer Drives The Nails

2006-02-25T15:12:00.000-08:00

Isn't it about time we stop focusing on King Dubya, and close in on the man with the big head and bulging eyes? I, for one, am sick to death of all the attention lavished on Bush's antics, while our REAL ruler is allowed to operate in relative obscurity. I'm grateful to see Cheney's hunting exploits played out in the press, but it hardly indicates what Cheney's real role in our lives is. The illusion that our all-hat, no-cattle president is in control and makes significant policy decisions is a very toxic one. If we had Cheney, a man who snarls when he speaks and compulsively rubs his hands together, out in front, we would have a better grip on reality.

I'm starting to think of politicians as nothing more than professional actors, and to regard them as such. Bush is playing the lead role in The Osbournes, and Cheney the lead in I, Claudius. We know which role is more interesting to the American public, and we're badly misguided for it. A reality TV show about a trailer-park president with a colorful family history, spewing Texas-sized malpropisms and raising twin bimbo party animals, gets all the ratings when paired with a Masterpiece Theater presentation of the Emperor alone in his chambers, plotting our demise. Hey, we know what we like here.

Cheney is pretty much a self-made man, and his history shows it. His sense of self-preservation is certainly intact, and his loyalty to his friends is touching. If only he pledged such fealty to the rest of us. He has no problem letting the buck stop with the chimp, though, especially when it counts the most. That's what he's there for, and Cheney knows when to defer to the big guy. It's not he who has to face the music. I doubt if Cheney could keep the blood washed from his hands long enough to appear in public that often. Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, he says, and we return to our fascination with a tragically stupid president. It's akin to seeing a bad accident, and not being able to turn away.

It's hard to know just what would happen if Cheney were cornered, but you have to figure that he wouldn't go quietly. He didn't get this far without having a savage instinct for survival, or the means and will to dispatch his enemies. We can only hope that his sociopathic psyche will someday work against itself, and he'll take the other neocons, or even the Supreme Court, on a nice long hunting trip.

When Does Push Come To Shove?

2006-02-20T12:11:00.000-08:00

It is 2006, and we in America are witnessing what should have us in a full-scale revolution. Stolen presidential elections, a full-on police state with unprecedented illegal wire-tapping and surveillance, a false war claiming tens of thousands of American casualties, an economy teetering on the edge, and a president who says the constitution is "just a goddamn piece of paper". If that isn't enough to get this country up in arms, then what WOULD do it?

Obviously, we are a very polarized nation. But, what do we have as a lowest common denominator? Is it the welfare of our children? I don't think so, given that our school system is in shambles, our best and brightest are labeled as ADHD and given soul-numbing medication, fed a steady diet of mindless junk culture, and shipped off to war in the Middle East to die for oil. And, for the most part, this all takes place with the blessing of their parents. Is it our standard of living and job security? No, that isn't it. We watch silently as jobs are out-sourced, and social security is siphoned off. What, then, could it be?

What's the one thing that the elites will never impose on us? PROHIBITION. The liquor will flow through times good and bad, and the bars will always be open. Drive down Mainstreet, USA, and read the signs. What's on every other corner? A book store? A Yoga center? If they shut it all down, we would march on the power centers in a fortnight. Instead of the flag saying, "Don't Tread On Me", it would read, "Don't Dry Up On Me". What did Ginsburg say about searching for that angry fix? It would be ON, and the elites would all be cowering in their underground bunkers.

Turning off the cable TV and internet connections would probably have folks reaching for their rifles, too. No more L.A. Law? Up against the wall, you mothers. No football? Release the hounds. It would be a very ugly scene, and our government would fall in a week's time.

The elites may be crazy, but they're not dumb. The last thing they would do is to take away that which we demand, and that which we are addicted to. We like our shackles, and have no desire to do what the elites fear most, which is to question. Once upon a time, that wasn't a problem. But now, we're being bred like KFC boneless chickens, and intellect has vanished down a rathole along with our civil liberties.

What luck for rulers that men do not think.

-Adolph Hitler

Lie Father, Lie Son

2006-02-07T21:52:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken in a chapel just after 9/11. It speaks volumes on what really happened. Click on it, and it will come into sharper focus. From left to right, the President, looking scared shitless, Papa Bush assuredly holding Junior's hand and smirking like he's in the catbird seat, Barbara wearing a lunatic leer, and Bill Clinton in a droll poker-face.

I don't see any grieving here, or any sense of tragedy. I just see evil, and the worst kind of opportunism. God help us all for having them to run the asylum.

"Sarah, if the American people had ever known the truth about what we Bushes have done to this nation, we would be chased down in the streets and lynched." - George Bush Senior speaking in an interview with Sarah McClendon in December 1992.

It's a shame that we probably won't see them hanging from lamp posts any time soon, or, at the very least, in the docket, flanked by attorneys. In a country such as this, it just doesn't happen. Nixon was brought down not by the people, but by his superiors.

There are many voices crying in the wilderness over the issue of 9/11 complicity, and yet, if they aren't heard in the mainstream news, it's as if they're speaking the wrong language. Professors, researchers, engineers, fire-fighters, workers and victims form a chorus of testimony. It's a shame that the truth just seems to be so much cognitive dissonance.

Most likely, we'll suffer on through the next three years of the Bush administration, and then waste time and money on the next election, with absurd expectations and blind faith for the next set of candidates. Let's just hope it isn't the woman to the right of Bill Clinton in the picture. At any rate, we're sure to get another gang of meglomaniacal ideologues who will follow in logical succession after the previous ones. In three years, it should be about time for the next good-cop Democrat. Just watch for whatever candidate is invited to the next Bilderberg meeting. The pendulum will swing back, but it will still be the same elite-driven puppet play that ends only when a world government, or, as the suits call it, globalization, is in place. I would call it dystopia.

Would 9/11 have happened had Gore not been cheated out of the presidency? Perhaps not, but, the point is moot, given that the elites had decided the outcome beforehand. It was time for the dogs of war to be released, and Gore did not fit the part. Team Halliburton was the fighting machine of choice, and they're not finished yet. With a 385 million dollar contract to build internment camps in the U.S., they're entering a whole new phase.

We're All Working For The Pharoah

2006-02-06T22:38:00.000-08:00

Pharaoh he sits in his tower of steel
The dogs of money all at his heel
Magicians cry, Oh Truth! Oh Real!
We're all working for the Pharaoh

A thousand eyes, a thousand ears
He feeds us all, he feeds our fears
Don't stir in your sleep tonight, my dears
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Egypt Land, Egypt Land
We're all living in Egypt land
Tell me, brother, don't you understand
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Hidden from the eye of chance
The men of shadow dance a dance
And we're all struck into a trance
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Idols rise into the sky
Pyramids soar, Sphinxes lie
Head of dog, Osiris eye
We're all working for the Pharaoh

I dig a ditch, I shape a stone
Another battlement for his throne
Another day on earth is flown
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Call it England, call it Spain
Egypt rules with the whip and chain
Moses free my people again!
We're all working for the Pharaoh

Pharaoh he sits in his tower of steel
Around his feet the princes kneel
Far beneath we shoulder the wheel
We're all working for the Pharaoh

                                  Richard Thompson

I've always been intrigued by the fact that the elder Bush and some of his sons bear an obsession with Egyptology. They were booked years in advance for a gala event at the great pyramid for the millenium. Word had it that, as part of the ceremony, they were going to place a capstone at the top of the pyramid, and project the Eye of Horus onto it. The theme was the dawning of the Age of Horus. I suspect that Bush has a Pharoah complex, and revelled in it as the millenium turned.

Towards the end of the Super Bowl, I watched a short ad for some new show. For an instant, an eyebrow was projected over the round ABC logo. There it was- a subliminal depiction of the Eye of Horus. I was startled, but not surprised. A great many corporate logos are based on the eye, or the pyramid, the most conspicuous being AOL and Time Warner. This symbol garnered enough attention that it was removed from the web. They do like to see just how far they can push the envelope. Most Fortune 1000 companies have some representation of the eye or pyramid, and they often show up on TV and in advertising. Start watching for them, and see how many you can find.

What does all this mean? It means that we're all working for the Pharoah. While words speak to the concious mind, symbols speak to the subconcious mind. The symbol of the eye and pyramid are the ubiquitous symbols of slavery. The illusion of freedom in this country is now giving way to overt displays of tyranny, and yet hardly any resistance is offered. That's because the subconcious mind has been conditioned to obey. There's far more to it than just these symbols, of course, but they do work to great effect. And now, we've come so far that Bush has decided that he can legally kill suspected terrorists on American soil. Let's see now, they can spy on people, round them up, torture them, and kill them, and it's all been made legal. And, is anyone on YOUR street up in arms about it? I didn't think so.