George W. Bush has bitten off more than he can chew...but not to worry. The worst that could happen to him is that he won't be re-elected. He is happy to let American soldiers pay the price for his idiocy. With 152 coalition troops dead, another 500 wounded, and the blood still spilling, it seems that Bush's unilateral (US forces make up 90% of coalition forces, which qualifies as unilateral) bungle will be nicely absorbed by our honorable soldiers. Those questioning the war need not even point to the fact that this war was unjustified and hypocritical; apparently Bush cannot execute any kind of war without screwing it up. Our good friend Rummy and his military genius don't seem to be enough to keep our soldiers alive or our efforts worthwhile. When I predicted that this war was a bad idea and that no good would come of it, I was hoping that I would be proven wrong. I hoped that our soldiers could come home. I hoped that we could at least get over with things quickly. But I was not so lucky...we can only hope that Bush will start paying attention and stop letting our soldiers die for his incompetence.
Check out the link below for Newsweek's slightly less angry take on the issue:


What We Should Do Now

Until next time...

To keep things interesting around here, starting some time between Wednesday and Saturday I will start posting pictures from NYC, the capitol of the world. These pictures will include cool things I see in NYC, like: bums, subways, drug dealers, buildings, man-eating pigeons, bright lights, famous people, shiny things, colleges, funny looking people, and eventually, if I'm lucky, black midgets with huge, huge afros. Not your run-of-the-mill afros. Gigantic afros. I don't think you're understanding exactly what I'm saying. The afro needs to be at least twice the size of the black midget. I want the black midget to be able to curl up in his own fricking fro and take a nap. Fuhgeddaboudit.

The Barbarian and the Plutocrat

It seems the bastardized public mockery that passes for democracy in this country has brought us to a new low. Not only has the blatant fiscal irresponsibility (a la George W. Bush) of Californian Gray Davis brought the masses clamoring for his head on a platter (figuratively speaking), but now the same ignorant masses might actually elect someone who has absolutely no clue what they are doing (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to replace him. Of course, in the public eye, this minor detail (complete incompetence) is overcome easily by the fact that Ah-nold has recruited elitist plutocrat extraordinaire and generally worthless human being Warren Buffett to run the show for him as his economic advisor. Nevermind that Buffett is a very, very evil man. What the people want is complete failure, remedied by more failure. But alas, the day of true democracy is gone. Some people (Californians) seem not to understand the idea behind government -- it's to appoint people who know what they are doing so that they can do what they're supposed to do. By far the most disturbing aspect of this whole atrocity is that it finally proves once and for all that money is what truly elects public officials in our nation. People do not vote for policies, for competence, or for anything that would reflect and understanding of government. They vote for names. They vote for whatever they have seen on the most walls, in the most commercials, etc. Arnold's only redeeming quality is that he isn't a political insider, and his presence could possibly do something to, as he states it, "return California to the people." Although this tiny plus is definitely more than cancelled out by the inevitable damage he will cause by his mere presence. California, God have mercy on your soul.

Having said that, I would now like to announce my backing of Gary Coleman as the new governor of California.

Tired of the same old full-size white guy governors? Vote Coleman.

Another posting on Revolution - text below. Once again, if you're interested in joining up, check out the link at the end of the last blog.

Methodology of Active Resistance

The institutions of our country have been thoroughly infiltrated and corrupted by elitism, anti-democracy, and anti-American practices that destroy freedom. These institutions have come to stand against freedom and equality. These institutions have also trivialized and incapacitated those structures meant to express the will of the people. As a direct result of these changes, normal means of political contribution, discourse, and progress have been attenuated and replaced by empty, spurious constructs that in reality do nothing to realize change. In order to continue the progression of society, it is necessary for a new means to become available by which the voice of the people in political change may be fortified and restored to that appropriate for a free, democratic nation. This means is active resistance.
Active resistance can be practiced in many different ways, the most important of which are noncompliance, civil disobedience, and active insurgence. Simply put, noncompliance is refusal to participate in or support those groups and institutions that stand in the way of progress, destroy democracy, or otherwise are detrimental to progress and freedom. Noncompliance means detaching oneself from the negative, isolating those forces detrimental towards progress, and removing them by 'starvation' of sorts.
Civil disobedience is the organized, systematic violation of laws, social customs, or statutes with the intention of affecting societal change. Civil disobedience is most effective when practiced by large groups, and is only truly effective when practiced nonviolently. Civil disobedience works to accentuate and draw attention to unjust laws, practices, and customs. It simultaneously counteracts both the effectiveness and validity of the law through mass-scale revolt and practical mitigation.
Active insurgence is the most radical means of practicing active resistance. Active insurgence is the restructuring of society through active rebellion and organized destruction of anything which facilitates elitism and anti-democracy. It can include the physical destruction of that which aids anti-democratic institutions, or more effectively, subtle ideological violence, societal impulsion, and physical suppression of anti-democratic impellent agents.
By the proper application of these principles, societal change can be introduced effectively and quickly. Progress can be made freely once the exercise of these principles has led to the destruction of anti-democratic forces and institutions in our nation.

Hope you enjoyed, until next time...

For all who might be interested, I am now starting a revolutionary group of sorts (currently hosted on Yahoo), generically called "Revolution" for now. I have written some general introductory material for it, and I will now present it for your consideration. These express some of my thoughts on change and progress in our society as well as the status of economic inequality and political elitism in our nation. Enjoy. If, after reading this, you think you might be interested in helping to make this group into something more than my pet project, feel free to join up...the website will be given at the end of this blog.

First, my general introduction to the group:

Today in America, the wealthiest 1% of the population control over 40% of assets. America's middle classes are shrinking as a growing number of Americans live at or near the poverty line. The wealthy, political elite, both liberal and conservative, have undermined the economic equality that once characterized America as a prosperous, free nation. The rich have become more and more rich, while the poor have become poorer. The middle classes have slumped while elitist coffers were filled and lower classes bulged with over-worked, underpaid Americans. The average wage of Americans has fallen drastically since the 1950's. Today, most families cannot survive without two working adults. What is needed to reverse these trends of decline, of decadence, and of exploitation is change. Drastic and immediate change. Revolution. This change will not be brought about by pundits, cynics, or politicians. It will rise up from the people themselves. It will not result from a change in political policy, or the victory of one elitist political party over another. What is necessary for change, for progress, is for the people themselves to rise up and cast off the parasites of society, those who would horde wealth while watching the people suffer. Now is the time for the people of our great nation to rise up and give new life to the American dream of freedom and equality. This change will not be brought about by organized protest, by picketing, or by the empty existant means of political contribution. Neither will this change be brought about by violence or by unjust assault on the innocent. It will be brought about by aggressive civil disobedience, by active insurgence of the masses, by noncompliance, and by the progressive restructuring of society through living democracy. Welcome to the world as it will be. Welcome to Revolution.

Secondly, my first writing in the group:

Welcome to Revolution_. This is a very new group, but it will center around the use of "Guerilla Tactics" to affect social, political and economic change. As mentioned on the home page of this group, these tactics include civil disobedience, active insurgence and insubordination by the masses, as well as many other methods that introduce societal volatility in order to cast aside that which might stand in the way of progress. These methods are very different from violence. Violent revolution is a thing of the past. In the 21st century, volatility replaces violence. Economic stagnation and injustice must be fought with insurgence, with disruption. Political noncompliance destroys legitimacy of government. Disobedience counteracts disinformation. The 21st century is the century of hyperinformation, of the projection of society as its own mirror. Opinion, conjecture, and speculation have taken life, becoming forces in and of themselves. In order for society to move forward, it is only necessary for the suggestion of progress to gain sufficient momentum to breach the boundaries between idea and action. Socio-economic and political change are no longer brought about by physical violence, but by ideological violence, by the destabilization of our fragile system, and by restructuring through democratic, involved processes.

Well there we are...either the beginning of a revolution, or one more unheard rant in cyberspace. Either way, I'm happy.
And the website:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Revolution_/

If you plan on writing this down or anything, please do note the underscore following the "n" in revolution...it is part of the name of the group and part of the address...

Until next time.

Two interesting things, those more conservative-minded readers might find these to be leaning slightly left (because they oppose the Bush administration's actions on some level) but they are good, informative, and I agree wholeheartedly with them. The lesson in general: It's time for a whole lot of change.

A definite must-read.

If you have time, it's worth the read.

Until next time....and don't forget to check out the other part of my recent blog additions, found directly south of here.

Guess what? It's August. Guess what happens in August? New York!
Hit it Frank.



Start spreadin' the news
He's leaving in 17 days
He wants to be a part of it
New York, New York

Those vagabond shoes
Are longing to stray
Right through the very heart of it
New York, New York

If he can make it there
He'll make it anywhere
It's up to you
New York, New York

Let's have a little ambient photography -










Well I think I'm sufficiently over-excited now...until the next time I meander this way with the intention of writing...