Christmas Ham

A Convenient Santa

Hopefully, most of us (in our rapidly moving, wisdom-acquiring, aging process) will realize the lunacy in buying/exchanging Christmas presents in this 21st century. The idea of spending $20 on you, so you can spend $20 on me, all for some mythos that says we should do so...while the retailer (pusherman of mythos) just made $40 on our gullible exchange...and the profit trickles all the way down to the slave labor in Asia/Indonesia....is lunacy.

Conveniently, for those without credit cards and driver's licences, we have created Santa Claus. That way, stores have a reason to convince you to spend ridiculous amounts of money on youngsters, without expecting them to return the favor (but still affecting your credit). Generally, you would never do the same for an adult, without expecting something in return. No, this doesn't stop at 10 when the kid stops believing in Santa Claus. The disproportionate kid-to-parent gift ratio continues through high school. I don't think I spent the same on my parents until I was at least 20. I would hope, for the sake of the last paragraph, that the same applies to you. The Santa effect transcends childhood fantasy. **EDIT - This, of course, doesn't imply that it would be dandy if kids would spend more on their parents. I am just illustrating how children are lavished with gifts, which is great training for when they have their own credit cards. Something else I thought of since I wrote this...why does "Santa" give more gifts in proportion to the family income? Does "Santa" love wealthy kids more than the less fortunate? Why does "Santa" need help from Toys for Tots for the poor kids, while the "fortunate" get Big Wheels and Playstations? This is also what I meant in the paragraph below about Scrooge and Cratchit. Tiny Tim knew the meaning of Christmas, without being lavished in gifts. While spoiled little shits would whine and pout if they were given one measly gift. Santa doesn't teach them to appreciate getting one out-of-style toy from the clearance rack. Santa teaches them that they get all the material items they want for Christmas.

Why don't we make things for each other? That doesn't require a trip to Jo-Ann or unreasonable amounts of creativity. I can take some tree bark, and carve a smiley face and the letters "I L-O-V-E Y-O-U". I can give you a handful of dirt. Maybe you could plant something in it. Maybe you could just keep it in a bag. This is how we will run our household. One of Julie's coworkers only gives her children 3 presents for Christmas, because "they are no better than Jesus." Will there be some toys to go around in the Harris household? Probably, and it will be hard to control Grandparents, Aunts, and Uncles. But teaching a new generation about the haves and have-nots, and that not-having luxury is perfectly fine given the abundance that surrounds us. Jesus told us that if you have 2 jackets, then you stole one from the man with no jacket. I am a thief.

Which has me wondering lately...why do we, on American holidays, feel the need to take more. Specifically, on the holidays when we are supposed to give thanks. We seem to take thanks in the form of gluttony and materialism. (That is pretty damn pagan in my book.) On Thanksgiving, why do we celebrate our abundance by stuffing ourselves? We stuff ourselves EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. What impact would it have on our fellow man, and the environment, if we didn't take on Thanksgiving. I have covered Christmas pretty well, but it is a celebration of God's gift to mankind. I don't have to give anyone an iPod to try and keep up with God. Celebrating His gift is enough, especially when done with family, friends, prayer, songs, and hot chocolate.

I have also been wondering, going back to the oldest Christmas movies and the oldest Christmas stories (except the first one), there is always a search for the "true meaning" of Christmas amid our consumerism and selfishness. Looking around, the success rate for this quest has only gotten worse. I began wondering how far back it goes. It seems Ebenezer Scrooge is as relevant today as he was 164 years ago. In turn, the Bob Cratchit's of the world still have an easier time finding the "true meaning".

Suddenly, Seymour...gets chomped!

I gave my Little Shop of Horrors tape a workout when I was a kid, because at one point I watched it on a daily basis. I must have watched it at least 50 times. It was on there with Spaceballs, which got equal billing. But I do still have it and it probably works.

So yesterday, it came as a surprise to me that there is an alternate ending! And it is great! How did I miss this all these years? Still not sure if it would be better than the "happy" ending that made the final cut, but it is awesome. So this alternate ending is more in line with the stage show and the 1960 Roger Corman movie. Audrey and Seymour both get eaten by Audrey II, a business man harvests the little Audrey II plants and sells them. They become a fad item, like pet rocks and hula-hoops, and make it into American homes. They grow, eat people, get huge, and take over the world! Oh yeah, don't sleep on those allegories!

Since it was scrapped, it was never finished in post-production. So it is obviously a little raw. I think it is cooler this way, it looks old and campy...almost like a silent-film. Not sure how many of you watched it, or watched it enough to go ga-ga over an alternate ending...but I know of at least one person (hint: he watched the same tape as I). So for that reason alone, here it is...


The lyrics to the final song are hard to understand, so here they are...
>>Subsequent to the events you have just witnessed,
Similar events in cities across America
Events which bore a striking resemblance,
To the ones you have just seen- began occurring
Subsequent to the events you have just witnessed,
Unsuspecting jerks from Maine to California,
Made the acquaintance of a new breed of flytrap,
And got sweet-talked into feeding it blood.
>>Thus the plants worked their terrible will,
Finding jerks who would feed them their fill
And the plants proceeded to grow and grow,
And begin what they came here to do
Which was essentially to Eat Cleveland and Des Moines
And Peoria and New York and where you live!

They may offer you fortune and fame, Love and money and instant acclaim
But whatever they offer you, Don't feed the plants

They may offer you lots of cheap thrills, Fancy condos in Beverly Hills
But whatever they offer you, Don't feed the plants
Look out! Here comes Audrey Two! Look out!

Hold your hat and hang on to your soul, Something's coming to eat the world whole
If we fight it we've still got a chance, But whatever they offer you
Though they're slopping the trough for you, Please, whatever they offer you
Don't feed the plants
Don't feed the plants!

____________
oh yeah, and...

Was this done on purpose???

Sweet Sir Galahad, Mary, & Joseph! I found it!

Well, I wasn't really looking... And this is the first time I have heard the song. But listen to it! This is Joan Baez at Woodstock singing Sweet Sir Galahad. Classic.

The credits for the movie inconveniently start rolling 2/3 of the way through the song. (Conversely, you couldn't pick a better song to start the credits with. Also, there is another video from The Smothers Brothers, but this one is superior.)
When the credits roll, it's a perfect time to close your eyes, anyways. Just do it, no one's watching. Music with your eyes closed is like going from VHS to DVD.

What makes the song even more compelling is the content. Here is the story from Wikipedia:

"Sweet Sir Galahad" is a song written by Joan Baez, which she first performed in 1969 at Woodstock. The song tells the story of Baez' younger sister, Mimi Fariña, and her second marriage to Milan Melvin after the 1966 death of Fariña's first husband, novelist and singer-songwriter Richard Fariña (in a motorcycle accident). Baez was inspired to write the song, after hearing of Melvin's courtship of Fariña, during which he came into her bedroom at night through the window. It has since become one of Baez's most well-known compositions.

In 2006, Baez contributed a "re-tooled" version of the song. In the new version, Baez briefly changes the lyric "Here's to the dawn of their days" to "Here's to the dawn of her days," a tribute to the song's subject, Baez's sister Mimi, who passed away in 2001 of cancer.

So basically, it is an ode to the man that saved Baez' sister from her sadness. Righteous, man. Righteous.

Jim "Douche" Callahan and Criss Angel

This is pretty funny. I watched Phenomenon for the first time last night, and this douche-bag is the reason I almost turned it off after 10 minutes. Everything he did was garbage. But this takes the cake...and you have to watch it until the end, when he almost fights Criss Angel.

This will probably be all over the internet today, viewed by millions. Nothing seems to slip by these days. But I thought I would show you, just in case.

What amuses me is...who ever said contacting 'the other side' would cause convulsions and your eyes rolling back into your head? Apparently Jim Callahan thinks so. Because maybe you just go unconscious and sit totally still? That would have been more convincing. When he falls to the floor, it is too funny!

Pharmer's Market

A Couple Little Big Things

1. What is with the sizing of men's clothes these days? Everything L has become M, everything XL has become L...and so on. Most men's clothing is now form-fitting, and it is ridiculous. If someone wants a form-fitting shirt, buy a smaller size! Don't make Larges into Mediums!!! This also creates confusion for guys with man-boobs. I suppose you can't buy 'cool' clothes after your 25th birthday, and must do your shopping at Sears or JC Penney...where the original, 'nerdy' rules still apply.

2. Check out the LifeStraw. A "straw" that can filter most standing water into...drinking water! An invention that can change the world. Currently, they aren't sold retail to you and me. But you can get them on eBay right here.

Conservative Yappers

I have this affection for talking heads and current events. I enjoy the news and all, with the one guy behind the desk. But I really like it when people get around a table and argue about stuff. I love watching The View's Hot Topic segment because it is "real people" (as in, not politicos trying to push an agenda) engaging in quasi-intelligent conversation...more often than not. Whoopi is awesome. Bill Maher's show is another round-table example. I have to download episodes because I don't get HBO. I also love the Sunday morning lineup. Meet The Press, Chris Matthews, George Stephanopoulos.

But lately I have been addicted to listening to another breed of political talk. Specifically, Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity on conservative talk radio. I don't know what is more entertaining, the fact that I hate everything they say...or that I hate the manner in which they do it. It gets me fired up and I am neglecting good music to hear them spew garbage.

What I have discovered by listening to them is just what their job is. Sure, we all know they are pundits for conservative republicans. But they have a more specific role to polarize everything into 2 sides. They have to keep their listeners thinking inside the box. Us against them. Conservative against Liberal. Republican against Democrat. Pro-Business against Populist.

Even more fascinating is that this must be achieved using sophomoric means. This is quite the effective technique when you have an easily influenced audience. When you listen to callers, it is obvious that these are people that can't think out of a black-and-white, 2-sided box. So calling people names, finger pointing, and drumming the same soundbytes into their heads over and over and over...does the trick pretty well.

One of my favorites is the demonization of Al Gore. By polarizing Al Gore down to a leading liberal figure (the bad guys), conservatives (the good guys) must hate everything he stands for. The most glaring use of Al Gore is making him the embodiment of Global Warming. Here is an example of their sophomoric techniques... Sean Hannity always rips Al Gore for riding around in a private jet, while mocking him for telling people to ride bikes to work. Here are their accomplished goals, in the listeners minds, by saying this:
-Al Gore looks like a stupid hypocrite,
-by attempting to discredit Al Gore, they discredit global warming
-Environmentalists are impractical zealots for thinking you should keep your gas-sucking SUV in the garage every now and then,
-easily-influenced listeners get a pro-business, pro-oil, anti-environment message, and leaves them open to criticize anything Al Gore does...which now includes his Nobel Peace Prize. Seriously, they made fun of him all day today for getting a Nobel Peace Prize.

Does anyone stop to think why they are told to hate environmentalists and global warming? Just as a person living on this earth, what sense does it make? These people aren't the thinking type.

NEWS FLASH: Pro-environment people don't worship Al Gore. The environment was precious long before Al Gore came around. Al Gore is to the environment, as Bono is to AIDS in Africa. You don't have to be a U2 fan to want AIDS to end.

DirectBuy

I am sure most of you have seen those annoying DirectBuy commercials on TV. Join their special club and save tens of thousands$$ on your furniture and home improvement projects! Well, I have wondered just what the heck this place was, because the commercials smell really fishy. Like I always do these days when I question something, I Google it!

Turns out it is a scam, any way you slice it. I am surprised that places like this are even legal. Here are some of the details:

-You accept their "free pass" to visit a local showroom. This "visit" is essentially a sales pitch to join, like a timeshare or those investing-made-easy seminars.
-After watching their 90 minute presentation, which doesn't include any specific pricing or product information, they funnel you into the sales room where you get "one-on-one time" with a membership salesperson.
-You are pressured to pay around $5000 for a 2 or 3-year membership (depending on where you live), then around $200 a year after that...and you have to commit for 10 years.
-You have to decide RIGHT THEN AND THERE whether you want it or not. If you leave to think about it, you cannot return for 7 years! Banished! No crap! Check the websites below, it is true!! Why would you hand over $5000 to anyone that tells you that? Keep in mind, this is before you are allowed to price their merchandise!
-Many people at the sites below say the salespeople are assholes, with more off-putting pressure than a used car salesman. And many have turned plain ugly to them after they opted out.
-Most people that joined said it takes months for their product to arrive. And that shipping and handling fees usually raise the price up to where there are no savings at all.
-It is well-established that you have to buy $18,000 in merchandise to break even, and you have to buy $40,000 in merchandise for significant savings. What percentage of their customers will this benefit?

They know damn well that 80-90% (my figure) of their members will never buy more than $18,000 in stuff. That is how they came up with the $5000 figure in the first place! It is the point at which they can guarantee a profit! The merchandise is just a front to get the $5000 up front. They aren't dealers of merchandise, they are collectors of membership fees! Simple economics, folks. This is how hard-working Americans get screwed.

I feel bad for the people that are suckered into this. Like one of the comments on the site below said, "why would you trust anyone that won't let you compare their prices around town...before you give them $5000"?

Question everything and be a "no" person. Unless someone needs a hand, then you can say "yes, I will help you, friend!"

Here are two sites with juicy complaints. If you are like me, you can't stop after reading just one.

http://www.infomercialscams.com/scams/direct_buy_scams

http://www.infomercialratings.com/product/direct_buy

Are you serious, Orlando? Goya?

Check out this silly little story:
http://www.wftv.com/news/14263381/detail.html

I understand not many people have ever seen La Maja, or even heard of the artist Goya. Maybe that is why some might be offended by this. Just some nude woman for everyone to see. However, the reason it will be allowed to stay up is because it IS by Goya...and also one of his most famous paintings. My favorite quibble from the news "Is it Art? Or is it obscene?" IT'S GOYA!!! I am pretty sure the question of his artistry has been settled!

OK, so this IS one of the first appearances of pubic hair in western painting, and Goya stirred up controversy in his own time. Goya was a realist painter. He didn't paint La Maja like the classical, pube-less nudes of the Renaissance. But still, it isn't pornographic. Boys and girls grow hair on their private parts, kids! Crap like this is why Orlando is a joke.

This might just be a publicity stunt. No, it probably is. But the prints that were hung look more informative than aesthetical...with a description and comparison of Goya's clothed and nude versions...surrounded by menus, etc. If they wanted to stir up more controversy, they could have just put up a plain print. The one they used seems to fit into an artsy-culinary theme of the restaurant. And it is much less vivid than this:




If they want something to really stir the folks up, they should put up works by feminist-artist Judy Chicago. She makes La Maja look Puritan!



Judy Chicago, Red Flag, 1971

GrizzlyMan

So I finally watched the documentary Grizzly Man tonight. I put it off for the longest, but it was a highly rewarding experience. In fact, one of the better documentaries I have seen. I suppose it is more commonly remembered as the movie about the guy that was eaten by a grizzly bear.

Timothy Treadwell was definitely "one-of-a-kind". An eccentric character, indeed. But as the movie went on, I found myself relating to his harmony-in-nature over horror-of-mankind personality. You could feel his sincerity. It must be noted that most of the movie is footage that he shot himself over the 13 year period that he lived with Grizzlies in Alaska (during the summers). So you get lots and lots of insight into the man's mind. He loses that mind in a few scenes. Surely a glimpse into his personal demons. After all, you have to be slightly off-kilter to live with grizzly bears!

I found it amazing that he spent 13 summers with them, and in very close quarters. Making it more amazing is the manner in which he died during his 13th summer.

He was going home at his usual time, but he had complications at the airport. Fed up with society, he said screw this, I am going back. So he goes back during the dangerous transition into fall/winter, and most of the bears he knew had left to hibernate. What was left were rogue outsider bears that he was not familiar with, that were basically starving. They needed to eat, and eat good, before hibernation. All of the smaller animals had packed it in, and the trout were gone. He runs into one of them at the wrong time, and is killed for food.

So back to the amazing part...had he not made this mistake of wearing out his seasonal welcome into October, how long could he have done this? There was debate over whether he was right or not...Whether a Thoreauian existence in the wild could be less dangerous, and more beautiful, than you believe. I think he was on to something. Dangerous carnivores, yes. But ravenous man-eaters, no (generally speaking). In the footage of his final days, the tone of his surroundings looks vastly different than the rest of the movie. The weather and atmosphere are stark, as if to warn any one that doesn't belong there to leave.

Also, I really liked a series of scenes when he had to deal with the reality of nature. He had an optimistic and harmonious view of nature. Everything beautiful and in balance. But reality sets in when he encounters the remains of a cub. Male bears will kill cubs so the mothers stop lactating, which frees them up to be mated with again. Then, there is a drought that prevents the trout from coming upstream to eat. He finds the remains of a cub that had been eaten by other bears for food. Lastly, he finds a baby fox half-eaten by wolves. (He was 'friends' with the foxes, and they followed him around!) I share similar harmonious views and can relate to the moments when horrors of nature reveal themselves. [I am sure all of us get those Discovery-Channel-feelings every now and then.] Something so beautiful, yet so terrible. Many will chalk it up to cruel Darwinian simplicity. But for me it is much more complex, one of many themes in a life-long spiritual journey. The abundance of creation, filled with hoaxes of cruelty.

After watching the movie, you really feel close to what he was doing. And when it is all over, the story of his death becomes much more visceral and sad.

KidNation Slaughterhouse!

So on KidNation tonight, they decided to show the kids how food is made...and maybe even teach them a fact of life. They subjected the kids to a little "gather 'round the killin' log!" That is, they invited them to watch a couple chickens getting their heads chopped off. Including the headless flapping of wings and reflexive twitching.

I propose that this is not a "fact of life". Beheading a chicken to eat it is a choice. Only in the most dire circumstances may one be forced to eat meat. So I find it cruel and unusual to forcefully show this to a bunch of children. Conversely, I do think people should see how their food is made, when they are intelligent enough to make their own food choices outside of what Mommy and Daddy cook for them.

"But Wes, this is how the world eats. It is a fact of life. The chicken has to die anyways for the kid to eat it, so why not let them see it."
To that I say... Sex is a fact of life. The human race would be extinct if we didn't procreate. You wouldn't be a kid unless your Daddy and Mommy bumped uglies. So since sex is a fact of life, we should obliterate the minimum age to buy porn. From now on, kids will be allowed to rent the hottest new porno releases. Sex is a fact of life, so the kids are gonna see some sex, dammit!

Why is it different? Preposterous! The insane meat consumption in the world, with the out-of-control population, will eventually destory our natural resources. It is especially bad in this country, where it has become commonplace to eat meat for 3 meals a day. Were we ever intended to eat that much meat? The medical establishment overwhelmingly states that 30% of cancer is linked to meat-based-diets, and that not eating red meat can drastically reduce your risk of cancer (that is, red meat causes cancer). In fact, they recommend a vegetarian diet to prevent cancer. So training kids to eat meat without giving them the choice is pretty dangerous stuff. Maybe not as psychologically damaging as showing them porn. But equally damaging to their bodies, as you are conditioning their diet for life. And they are still objectifying women by age 15 anyways, MTV and beer commercials do the trick just as well as porn...

Oddly, they edited much of it out of the TV show, yet the kids got the full, real-life picture. Therefore, we are not able to handle the way food is made...but a group of 10-year-olds are.

*Disclaimer - I don't watch the show, I just flipped on it the moment it was happening. KidNation can burn in hell. Burn their flag, stomp on it, and piss the flames out.

Blog University

I know this has been repeated on local news for the last few days. But UCF blew it with the water situation at the new Bright House Stadium. The university officials that keep spewing about how they were within code and keeping under budget need to pipe down. They go on the news defending the lack of free water! The nerve! How much would it cost to put in some nice water-dispensing facilities? Maybe a big walk-through fountain, Bonnaroo-style, for people to soak in, drink, and fill their water bottles up. You could ask Bright House for another $20,000 in their 15-year naming rights contract. What are they going to do, say no?

The planners say that it would be impractical to expect 45,000 people to share water fountains. That might be true. But we are talking about the principle here. It's water! So they choose to:

a) "stay within code" and not plan ahead by installing water facilities
b) not allow people to bring in their own water for "security reasons"
c) sell 20oz. bottled water at concession stands for $3.00

A+B+C=greed. I wonder if the luxury boxes have water? Also, did they think 45,000 people would share space at the concession stands better than they would at water fountains? I suppose not, because you also have to wait 20 minutes to get your 20oz. bottle of water.

So now they are caving in and installing water fountains after the fact, now that they have felt the media heat. What did you think would happen?

We are talking about water here, right? The abundant matter that is the basis of all Earthly life, and comprises 90% of our bodies? Or does that have a price tag, too? (Not to mention we are in a state that borders almost ALL WATER.)

___________________________________________________________________

This just in, police offers are taser-gun trigger happy. Don't get me wrong, the UF student was definitely unruly. Someone else was asking a question at the microphone, and this moron cuts in front of him. I am all for free speech and questioning authority, but have a little respect for your fellow students. He sounded like a rookie leftist that just read his first Noam Chomsky book and learned the show is fixed. It goes way beyond John Kerry, bro.

Anyways, the guy gets escorted out and keeps pulling away from the officers, flailing his arms about. Do they have a right to grab him and pull him out forcefully? Well, they were already hellbent on kicking him out. So would he have left if they asked politely? Probably not.

But this is where the cops went wrong.

At that point, in the back of the auditorium, a trained police officer knew this guy wasn't armed. So where is the threat? Why use a weapon? His resistance was obviously because he wanted to make a stand for free speech. (When cops start grabbing at your arms when all you are doing is speaking into a microphone, that gets into fascist territory. I understand his disdain.) So once the guy lost his cool and made a scene, you decide to drag his ass out of there. If he becomes difficult, you take him down to the ground, handcuff him, and carry him out. In the context of this story, I can live with that.

However, since the widespread use of taser guns, cops are way to eager to use them (including innocent bears). It has become the Showtime Rotisserie Oven of crowd control. Drunk vagrant resisting arrest? Shock him! It's as easy as 1...2...3! Police officers, including the ones in this video, use it as a threat. Why did he need to be tased? I have seen officers subdue criminals on Cops in much more difficult situations. Even life-threatening. Why can't they just tackle guys the old-fashioned way? The perp might get a forearm/face/concrete sandwich, but you don't have to torture them.

He definitely screamed like a little girl.
___________________________________

Orenthal Simpson picked the wrong time to rob a hotel room. Over sports memorabilia? What an idiot. You write a book basically confessing that you murdered your wife (and let's not forget that civil court essentially found him guilty). Then, right when it gets released, you decide to plan a robbery? The entire country is talking about you, disgusted by you, and convinced that you walked away from a murder scene. No one is on your side. Now you have to face 11 charges of robbery and kidnapping, with a possibly life sentence. Lock this fool up.

Mountaintop Removal

Here is a video on mountaintop removal and the destruction of the Appalachian Mountains. This is mass destruction of America's environment "right in our backyard" (other than subdivisions and stripmalls). But it gets the "out of sight, out of mind" treatment. You can't be patriotic and love America if you support this in any way. Passivity=Support. So there is a link to a major petition at the bottom, with the intention of saving the regions water supply.




This link will take you to the Bill Moyers Journal video report on the issue.

Say No to the Blowing Up of Appalachia

The Bush administration has already relaxed Clean Water Act safeguards that protected Appalachian mountain streams from mountaintop removal mining and "King Coal." Now, the administration is trying to weaken the "buffer zone rule," a Reagan-era protection that prohibits coal-mining activities from disturbing areas within 100 feet of streams.

If this new rule goes forward, coal companies will be allowed to dump massive amounts of waste directly into streams, destroying them completely. Already, nearly 2,000 miles of mountain streams in Appalachia have been permanently buried by mountaintop removal waste. Destroying thousands of miles of mountain streams is more than irresponsible; it is immoral.

The Bush administration has prepared a draft environmental impact study it claims looks at alternatives to the elimination of the buffer zone, but the administration failed to even consider enforcing the existing law as an option!

Now is your chance to say "No" to this latest attempt to weaken or eliminate the buffer zone rule that has protected streams from coal mining activities for decades!

Tell the administration to stop trying to diminish the buffer zone rule and start enforcing it!
You can sign the petition here.

Support whose troops?

Your favorite taxpayer-funded, private militia are murdering Iraqi civilians. You know, the Blackwater soldiers that have all the protective armor, advanced weaponry, and bullet-proof Hummers our troops are supposed to have.

What I enjoy most about this story is that maybe it will revitalize the reporting of a long-running theme in Iraq. [Oh, nevermind. I forgot our "liberal" media is owned by corporate conglomerates that want to keep your thumb up your ass.] That theme is the hundreds of billions of dollars being made in the private sector from the war, much of it being taxpayer-funded government contracts. Relative to this fortune, it would take chump change to properly protect our armed forces. But in reality, this is why the war was started (and oil!). Forget terrorism, WMDs, and Saddam. That is just a smokescreen so we could all be fleeced by the Military-Industrial Complex. No, not my opinion. Fact. People put "Support The Troops" stickers on their cars, but deny themselves the information on how those troops are treated by the government that employs them.

The story:
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1662586,00.html?imw=Y

The facts in entertainment form (they also have lots of links to more facts):
http://iraqforsale.org/

In this blogger's humble opinion, these goverment-contracted private soldiers are a glimpse into a very scary future. I can see our government-run armed forces (Army, Navy) being gradually downsized, while the private sector begins to own and train America's armed forces. That is the first step toward a New World Order. This is why I can't understand how regular Americans can blindly adopt the right-wing belief in less government. In the 21st century, less government means more business. It is a scale. Weight taken off one side makes the other side that much heavier. Despite the corruption in our government, at least they have to answer to somebody. [That is supposed to be us.]

Florida Native, Clueless No More!...and the L.O.C. is my mistress.

Or maybe I just didn't care about architecture when I was 10...or 18...or 23...
I just discovered that the largest collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture in the world is located in Lakeland, FL. It makes up much of the campus of Florida Southern College, in the form of 9 pieces. Together they are called Child of the Sun. We will be sure to make a trip when classes aren't in session! (More blog at the bottom)














As I mentioned, I stumbled across this yesterday. But after making another, even more awesome discovery...
The Library Of Congress Prints & Photographs website! This is the sort of thing that makes me want to spray perfume on my tax dollars. Yeah, that's Drakkar, baby. I will make you breatkfast in the morning.

Much of the site is a historical photograph archive of places and buildings across America. I haven't even seen enough to tell you more. When looking around, the site seems endless. What I enjoy are photos of very old, and very cool, American structures. 17th and 18th century. Even more cool are the black & white photographs of them. If you enjoy old black & white photos like me, this is a candy store. But these are nothing if the scans aren't good. They have that, too! Big, clear, high-res. You can blow them up bigger than the ones I have above. If it is your sort of thing, enjoy!

Andrew Thompson

Andrew Thompson video on the MySpace front page!? Pretty cool. The man is too creative to be unknown for much longer. His exceptional first album is even out of print and hard to find. Naturally, the new video is getting put down by a bunch of dumbass high schoolers with bad grammar, shaggy hair, and sideways hats. They seem to be too cool for everything. Here is the new one...

Andrew Thompson - In This Town

Add to My Profile | More Videos

But this one is still better!....

Andrew Thompson - We're In Business

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They should have just left "I, Robot" on the shelf and put this out in theaters. It gets right to the point!

Keyser Söze

So Howard K. Stern and Larry Birkhead could be lovers? When I first heard this, I thought...greatest movie-plot-in-real-life of all time? I was in that office at the end of The Usual Suspects, with the whole scheme written all over the room.

So Anna Nicole "falls in love" and marries almost-dead billionaire J. Howard Marshall. The Marshall family hates her from the beginning. They know that once he dies, she is going to try and steal their inheritence from under them. So they have this old connection to a young lawyer named Howard K. Stern, and send him in to legally represent and befriend her. If she wins in court and receives the estate, they have someone on the inside. So she then wins the estate...

For over 10 years Stern plays the mole, gaining Anna Nicole's trust. He plays her games all along, but secretly gets her addicted to pills over time. They can't kill her off just yet, because the estate would go to her son, Daniel Smith. Stern brings in his attractive lover, Larry Birkhead, to have an affair with Anna Nicole...with the goal of having a child. If something were to happen to her, the inheritence would go to the new child (and Birkhead, Stern, and ultimately back to the Marshall family). Just as if Anna Nicole never entered their father's life. But first, they have to remove Daniel Smith from the picture, so they then conspire to kill him with success. Anna Nicole is so "distraught" that she overdoses on pills and dies (with a little help from some "friends").

What a genius plot. This could already be detailed in Rita Cosby's book, but it was fun to think up nonetheless. Who is playing Verbal Kint?

George Carlin, Truthspeaker

Did he just say that?

This core set of beliefs which I hold dearly and try to express when necessary, I express sometimes in a disorganized fashion (including this blog). But it is TNT when George Carlin spits the fire. I nearly wet myself.

This needs to be universally accepted by everyone in this country. If you DON'T believe it, then what IS reality and please explain it to me. Seriously. (Even though you are still wrong.)

There is no Democrat or Republican.
There is no Hillary or Barack.
There is no democracy.
There is no choice when the system is homogenized to benefit the few.

Warning: contains the usual George Carlin bad language.

College Hunks...Hauling Junk?

No, it is not a pornography site that comes with a package of 10 other sites free.

http://www.1800junkusa.com/

It is this business, whose trucks I see around the UCF area, where college "hunks"...um... haul your junk. (I'll be you didn't guess that already.) Although the website really does look like one of those "other" sites at first glance, with the font/header and all. Not that I would know.

Well, they won't haul my junk. And if Julie called them, and I came home from class as she watched them lift boxes, as she held our daughter, well...I would probably have a talk with her. After all, I am a college hunk and perfectly capable of hauling junk.

I have always been interested in new inventions and business ideas, wondering...has everything been done? Aside from advancements in technology, it takes some real creativity to think up new ideas in 2007. When I first saw this one a while back, it was one of those "D'oh! Why didn't I think of that?" Here is another one: DOGGIE STEPS! "Hey, let's make portable stairs so aging dogs and cats can easily get onto a bed or into cars!" In this day and age, and 6.5 billion people in the world, no one had thought of this!? No one was having to pick their dog up to put them on the bed, every night, and thought...is there another way?! Simply genius.

But anyways, college dudes hauling away junk...great idea. Sure, only half of the college population (i.e.- females) and 1 out of 10 college males will call you for your services. But there is a great chance that you will get ALL of those people, which is more than any business can ever expect to get from one demographic.

On a side note, I think it would be funny if you called them and instead of a "college hunk", you get the prototypical "truck"-worker (delivery, moving, etc). Some mid-30's recovering crystal meth addict (yet looks 50), stinky and sweaty, looks like he was rolling around in dirt, and looks like he is casing your house. "Um, are you in college?" (Probably not a good idea to question his hunkness.) "What? Um, yeah...uh...business." If only they would legalize crystal meth, he could make a fortune on the prototype for his "dual-chamber, polymer-gel-grip pipe" that prevents finger-burns and ergonomical to promote carpel-tunnel syndrome.

The MySpace Conversion

As some readers of this blog might know, I have blogging for a little over a year now on MySpace. Recently, I decided to move most of my blogs over to Blogger. Although I will post blogs simultaneously on both.

There are lots of reasons. First, Blogger is easier to navigate. Even if no one else reads my old blogs, I like reading my own writing. This lets me get to old ones fast. Second, Blogger has a lot more options for me. Third, Blogger seems to be a little more 'concrete'. It is the most popular blogging site on the 'net. So I can count on all of my writing not disappearing or some other freakish MySpace occurance. MySpace continues to be the buggiest site I have come across. And to think it is one of the most visited sites in the world!

To celebrate my copying-and-pasting of my past blogs, I put one of my favorite blogs up as "new". You can see it below, called "Anti-anti" It is almost a year old, but I felt it deserved revisiting.

Welcome to my mother-bloggin' Blogger blog.

Anti-anti

Originally written November 2, 2006

"u seem to be anti-alot of things these days."

A friend of mine spoke these words to me about a month ago, and I promised to write a blog about it. I thought it was an interesting comment and could make for a very interesting blog. It is also refreshing to hear another person's honest perspective on your own beliefs. It came up during one of the many debates on the message board in our fantasy football league. I try not to get involved in as many these days because I like to etch my words into something 'concrete' here on the blogs. I've written some long, essay-worthy arguments only to have them disappear into Yahoo heaven like a fart.wav in the wind.

It is a simple statement, but difficult to take on. It was hard picking a place to start. So I will first paint it with a very broad brush. It all starts with my leftist friend, Jesus. My world should be modeled after his teachings. As in the red font in the bible (Should it be blue?). I believe they should be applied to all economic, social, political, agricultural, and just plain moral issues in the world. That right there means you are anti-just about everything in the new millenium. The irony of it all? I was anti-WWJD bracelets back in high school! Now, my whole ethos is based on that acronym. [I thought they were too much of a flashy, religious diamond ring for my humble, traditionalist Christian ways. So my 1995 self was anti-my 2006 self! Of course, 2006 Wes turns the other cheek to 1995 Wes. Even though he can be a stubborn asshole. And was lazy.] It must be said that many of Jesus' teachings can be summed up with The Golden Rule. Something so basic it should be followed by the world's religions, atheists, and agnostics. Millions of people reach the same conclusion on issues that I do. They do so using many different beliefs and personal experiences. This is just one of the ways I reach that same conclusion.

With a broad backstroke of the brush, I say that contemporary society increasingly conflicts with the WWJD mentality. As the population grows, the majority cares less about their fellow man. They become more materialistic, self-interested, and follow the daily routine of a consumer. This whirlwind gets stronger with unchecked capitalism. Fact: This system in itself has no interest in mankind unless it is attached to a dollar sign. Any good deeds by a corporation are simply advertising in the form of P.R to make more money. I don't have to explain it all, because I think the consumer cycle is quite obvious. But with the passage of time, its' affect on mankind may not be so obvious. The wave will grow with the number of people that ride it. I personally choose not to contribute to the tsunami. You get to choose which side you are on. Just because there are less people that would agree with me, doesn't necessarily make me the anti-everything rebel. There are just more people on the other side.

Now back to the anti. When the majority of the world around me goes against the tenents of my belief system, I have no choice in being "anti-alot of things". Linguistically, for me to be anti- one side of things...it means the rest are anti- my side of things. For example, I am anti-Bovine Growth Hormones in cows. I insist on drinking organic milk. Therefore, I could say that everyone on the other side is anti-normal milk, or anti-nature. I would hate to be called anti-nature. But as Radiohead said, you did it to yourself.

There are also lots of little brush strokes all over the canvas. So it is more complicated than my previous 2 broad strokes. It takes them all to paint the entire picture. This blog post is definitely not anti-metaphor.

The "these days" portion of the comment also holds some merit. I have increasingly grown further anti- over the last 4 years (or so). It didn't come from nowhere. I have always been left-of-center and left-brained [but not left-handed]. It is the drive behind it that has grown over the years. The biggest motivator over the last 4 years has been reading. I have always been well-read, but never really read. If that makes any sense? Prior to my recent renaissance (that would be an undeveloped, Early 14th century Renaissance.), I never read with the same ferocity and volume.

Speaking of '1995 Wes', I wish I could smack him around. If I had the same motivation back then, I would be 10 years ahead of where I am now. That is a mighty fine prospect. But the past is the past, and in 10 years at age 38, I will be happy I started caring when I did. Even if the rest of the world has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Some Anti-

Anti-poverty Anti-anti-welfare Anti-processed foods Anti-genetically engineered foods Anti-corporate farms Anti-animal cruelty Anti-racism Anti-denial that racism still exists Anti-union busting Anti-red state Anti-blue state Anti-passive Anti-corporate corruption Anti-corporate Anti-beastiality (except chickens) Anti-ignorance Anti-hopelessly naive Anti-right wing fundamentalist Christians Anti-right wing fundamentalist Muslims Anti-any right wing fundamentalist Anti-hate Anti-violence Anti-fascist Anti-war Anti-evil Anti-college social organizations falsely masked under the guise of 'community service' Anti-giant corporate sports marketing machine Anti-Wes unsuccessfully trying to kick sports altogether Anti-marketing system that keeps people watching sports and consuming to numb them of the reality around them Anti-people that don't watch The Office Anti-Goliath Anti-you being anti this blog post Anti-Desperate Housewives Anti-emo guys that wear girl jeans Anti-people that sing at concerts Anti-unfair marijuana laws Anti-corporate prison-building machine Anti-those that don't question authority Anti-those that don't question history as it is written by rich white men Anti-pencils with hard erasers that don't erase Anti-out-of-state girls in lingerie that keep sending me friend requests Anti-dark at 6pm Anti-anti

Tracking my Anti-

As you can see, I didn't really jive with things from the get-go.

"Up the anti" - J.J.

Mozillin'

For anyone that uses Mozilla Firefox, I just found a great add-on that filters out all ads and banners from websites. Even MySpace.

You can find it here...
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/recommended

It is called Adblock Plus, toward the bottom of the page.

Now I can use the internet without hearing "CONGRATULATIONS! YOU'VE BEEN SELECTED TO WIN A FREE XBOX 360/IPOD/IPHONE!" Please stab me in the ear with a spork. (Speaking of spork, Julie had someone in the hospital that swallowed a spork. WHAT!?)

I love you, Mozilla.

If you don't use Firefox, millions of other people highly recommend it. My friends used it long before I did, as I was stubbornly stuck on Explorer for a little too long. It is the best "internet thing" I have discovered since Torrents. (I still love you more, Torrents!)

Why all of Wal-Mart's meat weighs the same

If you haven't noticed, take a look next time you are in your friendly neighborhood Supercenter.

Here are three well-informed blogs by a Daily Kos contributor.

Wal-Meat, Part 1

Wal-Meat, Part 2

Wal-Meat, Part 3

Fantasy Football-less Afternoon Delight

I recently posted this in a fantasy baseball league. I started explaining why I chose not to do fantasy football this year, then it got out of hand! So it probably has a better place here, where I can love it and caress it. Oh, sweet, sweet blog...
_________________________________________

Football gives me the creeps these days. Too much fantasy crack flashbacks. I shudder when there is a game on TV.
I have these recurring dreams that include a T-Rex. Not all the time, but at least a couple times a year. Every time I see a T-Rex, say if I were to watch Jurassic Park, there is that connection. It can be pretty scary. That beast once snorted by body over, while I remained as still as possible so his motion-sensitive vision wouldn't see me. His breath smells of rotting flesh. Seems real.
A more pleasant example...When you dream about someone and see them the next day. It is like you were hanging out all night in real life. Sorta like that.
But instead of a dream, it is football seasons past. Players that made my team suck last year are like little demons that terrorize my television. GET THEM OFF, NOW!

But after a good deal of pre-season analysis and games, it is just getting to the point of annoying. And there wouldn't be Wes without the anti-. Sports does a great job of 'manufacturing consent'. It is why this country has become a bunch of infantile pansies that allow themselves to be stepped on every day. They allow their rights and country to be stripped away from them. People are getting slapped around by their pimp, then turn around and give him a blowjob.
Because they would rather look the other way, watch sports, and buy [stuff]. "I LIVE FOR THIS, MAN!"
Fantasy football only perpetuates this. What better way to keep the masses hooked on a sport, in which many would only passively follow.

Back in 2005, I had "Sunday guilt"...I just couldn't pull myself away from the games and the StatTracker. [Then there was Sunday night. And Monday night. And Tuesday through Saturday updates.] I knew I was wasting away days of my life that I would never get back... on pure garbage. Last year, I said I wouldn't do it again. I caved in and joined a league. Then I found out I was right, and shouldn't have caved. So this year, the decision was easy. Convictions are part of it. There is also a baby girl and a hellish school schedule that will leave me with little time for things like leisure-reading on my own.

Fantasy baseball is a much more difficult battle...

No one asked for this, I just started writing and couldn't stop! I am gonna go put this on my blog where it belongs. This is like George W. Bush being the keynote at a GLAAD convention.

I am not trying to make myself out to be better. However, if I could have the magical power to make everyone choose the other path (something other than mindless entertainment), I would snap my fingers and make it happen. Mindless entertainment is OK in small doses. But a continual cycle of sports seasons that never ends?

So am I personally better? No. Is the path I chose better? Yes.

Watching porn all day might be entertaining for someone, but I think we would all agree that it is unhealthy. Is there a difference? Hmmmmm....

KidNation!

This is what would happen in the real KidNation, without producers and camera crews. William Golding told us so.

Blog Bouillabaisse

1. Lots of new Claire pics. Some on MySpace. Even more over at the DropShots. She is six weeks old today. Less than 4 more weeks in the brace [if our prayers are answered and she is fixed and ready to do her best Prefontaine].

2. Today I learned what primogeniture means. The first born son inherits everything. In 17th century England, that often meant Son 2 went off to the "new world" while Son 1 stayed in England with the stuff. Sorry Wyatt. Just remember, don't use your water source as a toilet.

3. Why does Papa John's, and other pizza delivery joints, always advertise 20oz. Coke products. Two 20oz. and a Large 1-topping for $14.99! ...or Add 2 20oz. for $2.50! Do any of you ever buy these? Not only is a 20oz. bottle the WORST tasting Coke you can buy, it is marked up 300%! Is 20oz. even enough tasty cola to supplement a pizza or two? Mine would be gone after 2 slices. In fact, I have a hard time doing business with any food joint that sells small-bottled beverages.

4. All these bad products from China, yet no one is questioning the fact that everything in our houses is from China. We need stricter standards! No, how about DON'T IMPORT FOOD FROM CHINA! I understand there are certain items that have been imported for many years. That is fine. But basic things that just 10 years ago were mostly grown in the U.S.A.? What about importing the worst ingredients in dog food from China? The stuff that has no nutritional value. The filler. Why should there be any ingredients in dog food necessary to import from China? Maybe Michael Vick shouldn't be so vilified, we should look at the shit we are putting in our animal's bodies...and our own.
Don't get me started on the toys. The CEO of Mattel issued an apology. That is nice and all, but the toys aren't made at Santa's workshop. Their ultimate goal is to have these toys made as cheaply as possible. They don't give a damn about working conditions or product safety...just do it cheap and meet the minimum. Companies don't love you or your children. If they did, they wouldn't have moved to China. They know they can do whatever they want and still get our money (another blog on this later). If something bad happens, just apologize and do some damage control. Then the majority of Americans think you are responsible, forgive you, and go buy more of your shit. Suckers.

Bears, stand up and unite!

Check out this tough-guy cop tazing a bear. This is one ferocious bear, obviously on the warpath for human flesh [or maybe just our uneaten food on the way to landfills].

In return, bears should taze his children. Ah yes, verberating through the cool night sky...the howl of children being tazed.

Shocking Bears

For the last few days, this bear had been wandering a local neighborhood [which happens to be in our part of town, two miles down Dead Rd]. This is a relatively undeveloped area, with lots of woods still making their final stands before developers burn it down.

The bear reappeared today, and the cops were on the scene. They ended up shooting the bear with a taser gun, which killed it.

http://www.wftv.com/news/13901862/detail.html

What do they do in rural areas of America, where this is commonplace? Do they call the cops out to shoot a bear, because their kids have to play outside? Do they call Animal Control to move it somewhere "safe", as if it were by mistake it ended up where it did?

Is this acceptable treatment because you live in the sprawl of "Orlando", that bears are supposed to be rare? That bears must leave ASAP before we are forced to move it or kill it? Bears are only cute for so long, until they start affecting our American way of life, right? Put them in parks and zoos so we can watch them at our convenience. "Bears don't have to go to work and pay off debt! I have to take my 10-year-old son to football practice and my 8-year-old daughter to cheerleading practice. Isn't she cute in that cheerleading skirt? She will make a fine sexual object for high school jocks! Anyways, I don't have time to be trapped inside by a killer bear. Actually, when does bear-hunting season start? I want to supplement my 10-year-old son's football with some killing. I don't want him growing up some non-violent queer. Well, we better get going to church now..."

Back to bears. This isn't a grizzly bear, it isn't going to tear some child's throat out after a frustrating day of salmon-hunting. And what about the 4 people that were in the garage that the bear entered? The ones the cop decided he needed to "protect"? Were they really in danger at the hands of this small black bear?

I like how the story refers to it as a "small bear". Did you mean to say adolescent? Because I highly doubt this is the Muggsy Bogues of bears. And while sleuths of bears don't have geneologists to keep track of their heritage, they do have regional families and generations to go with. So while you may not kill off the species with this behavior, you may kill off a family line. Way to go, cops.
Is this where some guy in jean shorts starts talking about population management? This philosophy says we don't cut back on development. We just keep burning down the forests and building houses and strip malls. Orlando needs another AMSCOT. In the meantime, we have to kill a percentage of the animals that call these forests home because they get in our way. After all, God didn't know what he was doing when he gave animals penises and vaginas to have babies with. We must correct that mistake!

This makes me think of an idea that Jim Philips of 104.1 always speaks of, and that is baby liscenses. If we subject animals to this kind of population control...then maybe we should administer thorough tests to filter out unfit parents. If you aren't fit, you can't have babies. Of course, I don't believe in this because God has given all life the gift of reproduction [even if you still have Bush/Cheney '04 stickers on your SUVs]. And once that gift has been used, and when babies, puppies, and cubs aren't cute anymore...it doesn't mean you throw it out in the form of capital punishment, war, and food processing.
Oh! And alligator hunting season starts today! That is the next best thing to snake hunting season. The Palatka Snake Festival is always a blast. Snake-blood shots. Snake-dogs. Snake-burgers. Snake-hats. Snake-beer. Snake funnel cake.

I hate Orlando and can't wait to finish school so we can blow this joint.

Fuzzy Math - Power of 10 again

According to the show...

40% of women have rejected a man's marriage proposal? Almost half of the women in America have delivered that crushing blow to a man's heart?

Either I am WAY out of touch, or they are making stuff up. Maybe I watch too many movies?

Nature Bouillabaisse

1. Thanks to Gina for sending me this...
This I Believe - "A Reverence for All Life"


2. For the non-YouTube internet whores that haven't seen this yet. Awesome. (Thanks to Joe for telling me about it.)



3. From the "Planet Earth" series. I gotta say, if there is something out there that can do this to an ant...there has to be something that can do it to humans....scaaaarrry.

Power of 10 - Feminism is not a dirty word.

So, there is this new show Power of 10 on CBS hosted by Drew Carey. They poll Americans, and contestants have to guess what percentage an answer was given.

Tonight one of the questions asked American women if they considered themselves a feminist. I thought, surely that would be close to 50%. Wrong.
Only 29% of women polled considered themselves a feminist. 29%?!

Here is what Merriam-Webster says:

Main Entry: fem·i·nism
Pronunciation: 'fe-m&-"ni-z'm
Function: noun
1 : the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes
2 : organized activity on behalf of women's rights and interests

So 71% of women separate themselves from these two definitions. However, you don't have to organize and join N.O.W. to believe that sexes should be equal...thus considering yourself a feminist.

71% of women do not believe that women should have equal pay to their male counterparts? Because equal pay is a feminist goal. So long as you like making less because you are inferior...

Maybe these women should have their voting rights taken away, because feminists fought for that right, too. Oh, no? You still want to vote? OK, that's fine. But maybe you should start calling yourself a feminist.

The Christian right and Fox News have done a good job making the word "feminism" to mean "butch lesbian". That you have to shave your head, ride a motorcycle, wear a tanktop, and kick some ass. One of the results of this successful stereotyping, is that most people don't want to represent these polarizing images. So they "go with the flow" through their life, not giving a shit about anything.

[8/8/7 addition - An example of this "not giving a _ about anything", would be people's reaction when they see thousands and thousands of protesters taking to the streets, especially at WTO and G8 summits. They always seem to garner to most protest, and rightfully so! The people in those images have been successfully framed as "angry protesters that you have nothing in common with". Because the media won't explain to you why they are pissed, just that they are pissed. So from my witness, most people scoff at images of protest on TV. Sort of a "why do they care so much" attitude, instead of asking why they are so pissed off...and dare ask, should I be pissed off? Unless, of course, you already love globalization. To each his own.]

So that means roughly 2 out of 3 women that are reading this do not consider themselves a feminist. So I ask, what is it that doesn't make you a feminist?

By the way, the contestant answered it correctly within 10.

Dear Ann Coulter,

Classic.

Unicron vs. The Sicko

This all-too-fun conversation with my brother-in-law was started as comments in my SiCKO blog. It was just too good to have it relegated to "old blog comments" wasteland where no one would see it. Have fun!

________________________________________________

Posted by brett on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at 8:50 AM:
How can anyone take him seriously.....?

He's a propaghandist who distorst the truth.

His so called "documentaries" are always riddled with falsehoods and sometimes even outright lies. Even the mightly left wing bastien that is CNN has challenged several of his "facts" in this movie. That should be the first clue that this guy is a lying propaghandist - when the left wing media questions you!!!

(no i'm not conditioned - anyone with a 7th grade education can google his facts and prove that many of them are wrong and that he is spinning them in ways they should not be spun)

Wes... seriously...bro.... if you buy this guys load of crap - hook, line, and sinker, then you may be living in a fantasy land..... How's the weather?

Let's take his premises for sicko that socialized health care should be in play and come to a conclusion....

Taxes - Socialized health care countries pay approx 50% or more of their income to taxes to support these systems. (oops I'm sorry his country of choice - CUBA - doesnt pay taxes - they just pay with their blood and freedom by a dictator who jails and kills anyone who opposses him) - do u really want this?

Red tape - socialized health care is strife with red tape and nothing can get done in this system in a timely manner - can u imagine having a pregnancy in this system????

length of wait - in Europe where these systems are prevelant it can take you 6 mo's or more to get needed care. A mammogram can take this long just to be scheduled. To check this fact just ask anyone who has lived in the UK for a majority of their life and they will confirm this.

the government - do u really think the government can efficiently run a health care system? we cant keep illegal mexicans out of the country, how can the goverment treat 300 million americans in an efficent manner?

if you disagree with these 4 statements then you need to open your eyes to whats really going on. is our health care system perfect? no. is socialized medicine perfect? no no no no. its worse. could the government step in with subsidise to help the less fortunate attain health care? absolutely - and this is what we should be working towards.

Good to know that your $15 will go to help Michael Moore kick up his feet in the huge mansion he lives in.

____________________________________________________________
Posted by Wes & Claire on Wednesday, July 18, 2007 at 12:07 PM:
I'll get around to reading and responding to this sometime. But I can generally turn on Sean Hannity to get this cut and paste talking-point opinion. You're Michael Moore analysis is garbage. His movie isn't the manifesto toward social medicine...it is the packaged, entertaining argument for the masses to get people thinking. SiCKO isn't the first time I have heard the word "social medicine". And Wolf Blitzer and his pharmaceutical sponsors got tore up by Moore.

No, Mr. Hannity, I don't live in a fantasy land. No, wait...I AM in fantasy land. Because reality is full of greedy... [Vulgar analogy edited from this blog, for the kids. But a really good vulgar analogy. Don't bother looking, I deleted the original, too. =)]

Oh yeah, about your "liberal media" theory. That is garbage, too. Is our goverment divided up between two opposing parties with two separate belief systems? That is also garbage. That is YOUR fantasy land. It is a game of ping-pong, and we are the cats moving our heads back and forth, in awe of the moving ball. The reality is that the media is owned, our government is owned, and you are owned. There is no liberal or conservative, only who has the money. Why are the Democrats getting all the biggest corporate donors now? Because the corps know a Democrat will win...so the buy off begins now.

So again, you can be on the side of money...or you can be on the side of people.


______________________________________________
Posted by brett on Friday, July 20, 2007 at 5:40 PM:
Wes your seriously out of whack with the real world bro.

These endless hours of PBS watching have brainwashed you to the point of no return. You seriously need to get cable back in the ole homestead. Your losing your sack without Sportcenter. The internet and the vast blogs are turning u into one paranoid conspiracy laden dude.

Yes - the gov is divided into 2 sides... have u not been paying attention? Let me know where the 3rd, 4th, 5th sides are when you can find them. There is always a slight middle ground but even those on the middle lean one way. And the rest of the country just doesnt care and goes along with the flow. (ie the losers that dont vote)

Both sides have the money - and a lot of it - this doesnt mean everyone is owned - (generalizations will get u into trouble my man)... so by the way who owns your truly?

Corp donors always give big to both sides - its usually almost 50/50 so they hedge their bets, the buyoff isnt beginning now, its been going on for ages. (you really are a rook at these political tirades but your getting better.)

Anyone who can claim a Michael Moore movie is anything other than a propagandist piece of film designed to further his agenda and stuff his pockets with money (hmm...maybe u should take your own advice about the money, greed, etc) is misguided indeed.

Moore doesnt tear anyone up..... ....he spews hate, lies, and vitriol to those he disagrees with. And he always looks like an ass in the processes. This man is a piss poor role model for anyone - let alone for u.

I truly feel sorry for u if you honestly believe this way.

As grimes said to homer........... "if u lived in any other country but this one you'd have been dead long ago"....... to which bart replied.... "he's got u there dad"


_______________________________________________________
Posted by Wes & Claire on Friday, July 20, 2007 at 11:59 AM:
Ha. Thanks for the condolences and am glad you feel sorry for me. I am a sad soul with no cable. But I also feel sorry for you. Your proclaimed cable-reliance, and putting down those that choose to go without, pretty much debunks anything you say. For anyone that thinks cable keeps you in the real world (what I would call your "fantasy land") is a sad, sad being. You need TV shows for something to do at night. That's fine. TIVO makes a great companion. And don't even get me started on Sportscenter.

I am an idiot for blogging or something? "Vast blogs"? It's called writing. Just because it is on the internet makes it a blog, I suppose. Would it be called a blog in a newspaper? It has a little more merit than "huge Sportscenter fan". Or "I heart Dan Patrick".

"Yes - the gov is divided into 2 sides... have u not been paying attention? Let me know where the 3rd, 4th, 5th sides are when you can find them."
Man, I at least thought you would have a clue as to what I am talking about. Maybe a strong disagreement, but at least a clue. That isn't to say it is complex. It's not like I thought it up. I am talking about 1 side. Not "3rd, 4th, 5th sides." The two-party system ultimately works together for the common goal of profit and protecting big business's legal obligation to maximize profit at the expense of the public.
Issues like immigration don't get decided on (as you said) because it ultimately is not in the interest of their true constituents. In fact, corporate and economical reliance on illegal immigrants is something they will ultimately protect. Mexicans aren't going anywhere. Immigration is a ping-pong ball. The two-party system has been a big success for a long time for the single purpose of making you think you have a choice. Why are 3rd party candidates always blocked from late-season debates? If you think that this Democrat/Republican tag-team is a conspiracy, then you should cut back on the Sportscenter. Or the cable. Or whatever commercial-filled bliss you use to waste the time. That includes the "liberal" media.

"Both sides have the money - and a lot of it - this doesnt mean everyone is owned - (generalizations will get u into trouble my man)... so by the way who owns your truly?"
Well, Sportscenter, for one. Consumers that eat crap foods are owned (thus leading to bad health and feeding your precious health-care industry. A vicious, profitable cycle indeed.). Consumers that buy lots of stuff they don't need are owned, especially since most products have built-in obsolescence which requires said consumer to come back for more. How is that for some generalizations? No trouble here, my man. I just generalized you three times. I know you won't like hearing it, but you are easily generalizable.

"Corp donors always give big to both sides - its usually almost 50/50 so they hedge their bets, the buyoff isnt beginning now, its been going on for ages."
50/50 my ass. I will give you props if you support that data instead of spewing crap. Republicans have always been the biggest corporate moneymakers in Washington. Company A will always give money to both parties, but never 50/50. Yes, the Democrat presidential buyoff is beginning now. I had to say it again to get it through your big head. Of course both parties have always taken money from the same corporation, that doesn't even require opening a book. However, they aren't giving the same amount of money to Mitt Romney than they are to Hillary. They are giving most of it to Democrats for a reason.

(hmm...maybe u should take your own advice about the money, greed, etc)
I hope that was to Michael Moore. Because if it was to me, you obviously know nothing about me.

No need to argue Michael Moore any more. He has been polarizing folks for 18 years...moreso since Fahrenheit. If you love Fox News and their super awesome red, white, and blue graphics, that's cool. You like pretty lights and cool sounds. Sportscenter has similar flashy objects. Way cool! Yeah! Wait...isn't Fox News the biggest Propagandist on television? Shame, shame. That, or you read other propaganda like FreeRepublic.com or the like. Did you misspell "propaghandist" because you listen to Propaghandi? I hope not, because that would be the biggest contradiction of all time. Why do you listen to punk rock anyway? I don't see the connection.

You're talking-down style is amusing. I am glad you think that I am somehow less-read than you and a "rook". It doesn't work though, and you are wrong. Your opinion isn't anything new. In fact, it is pretty shallow, pretty status quo, and pretty arrogant. I don't know if you thought your responses were cute little smarty-pants quibs or something, but you should have expected this response.

-Calling someone a loser because they don't vote is pretty lame, too. I have never missed an election, but I wouldn't go there. You should read what abolitionist and my fellow-Christian William Lloyd Garrison wrote about why he and his comrades didn't vote. Good stuff. If he is a loser, then I can't even fathom what kind of terrible human-being I am.

One great thing I thought of in these tirades... The progression of personal socio-political thought is an amazing thing. As in, looking about at a younger Wes, say 18 years old. That Wes had a similar ethos than I do now, just less mature. I find it fascinating that you can always learn and grow your brain into something bigger and stronger. Like Unicron devouring planet after planet. Unicron was always a bad mofo, but gets even badder with every planet he consumes. After all, he could consume planets ever since his conception. I have hope that everyone adopts this attitude. A different kind of consumer! A consumer of information, void of Babylon's distractions. Just thinking about what 10 more years will bring has me even more hungry.
But what really made me think of this, is that I have said hello and goodbye to opinions like yours long ago (the "Hello" was like passing a gimpy stranger on the sidewalk, not over a cup of coffee). It's like you are stuck in headline-land. Your cable hasn't taught you anything over the years. You just aren't right. Despite what you think. That goes for any response, as well.
That, and you write "you" as "u". Do you dot your i's with hearts, too?



You were once this planet.