Here, here, Sav! Bible of the Devil are that seldom-found combination of being both a good band and good people. I look forward to shaking the rafters with them again.
As for your retort on my anti-meat rant... If eating meat is your thing, so be it. It's a free country. Far be for me to tell anyone what to do. But, like anything else, you should do it responsibly and you should do it yourself. That's right. If you want to eat it, kill it your damn self. That takes real strength (but not much intelligence). It's much too easy to go to the store these days and buy a pound of chuck and not even question where it came from, let alone what it used to be. Why, it looks nothing like the remains of an animal! Ingrid Newkirk, in a great sentiment, feels that "food chain" animals should be slaughtered and eviscerated and butchered before the eyes of the customer so that they know exactly what they're getting into, as well as what they are partly responsible for. But if you insist on killing an animal for food, do it responsibly. Have respect for the animal, like in the Muslim law of halal which ensures that the animal is treated very well before slaughter. Have respect for the animal and use everything, like the Plains Indians did before Wounded Knee.
But I stand firmly behind my beliefs. They are rational and logical and ethical. I don't expect to change anyone's POV, nevermind their diet. I have to at least try in getting us to shuck the myriad blankets we hide under. Reason is certainly illuminating and makes us stronger.
In the meantime, wanna a real scare but without the mess? I urge you to go to the nearest library and check out the book, "Fast Food Nation", perhaps the best muckraking expose since "The Jungle". It's all about the food industry, particularly the McDonald's diet, from the grain fields all the way to your plastic plate. You'll never eat fast food again.
As for your retort on my anti-meat rant... If eating meat is your thing, so be it. It's a free country. Far be for me to tell anyone what to do. But, like anything else, you should do it responsibly and you should do it yourself. That's right. If you want to eat it, kill it your damn self. That takes real strength (but not much intelligence). It's much too easy to go to the store these days and buy a pound of chuck and not even question where it came from, let alone what it used to be. Why, it looks nothing like the remains of an animal! Ingrid Newkirk, in a great sentiment, feels that "food chain" animals should be slaughtered and eviscerated and butchered before the eyes of the customer so that they know exactly what they're getting into, as well as what they are partly responsible for. But if you insist on killing an animal for food, do it responsibly. Have respect for the animal, like in the Muslim law of halal which ensures that the animal is treated very well before slaughter. Have respect for the animal and use everything, like the Plains Indians did before Wounded Knee.
But I stand firmly behind my beliefs. They are rational and logical and ethical. I don't expect to change anyone's POV, nevermind their diet. I have to at least try in getting us to shuck the myriad blankets we hide under. Reason is certainly illuminating and makes us stronger.
In the meantime, wanna a real scare but without the mess? I urge you to go to the nearest library and check out the book, "Fast Food Nation", perhaps the best muckraking expose since "The Jungle". It's all about the food industry, particularly the McDonald's diet, from the grain fields all the way to your plastic plate. You'll never eat fast food again.
by at 6:17 PM
Hoo Ha! WE had a blast at the Note last night with our new blood brothers in rock, Bible of the Devil. Those boys understand what rock is all about. Whoever showed up last night: Thank you. Whoever didn't, fuck you. You missed out.
And hey Lawless, although I don't agree with your "don't ever kill animals" rule, there is a lot to be learned. (I for one am glad you had some nice juicy burgers growing up, otherwise you would have been a wimp and gotten the tofu beaten out of you in grade school bucko!) This is a strange area, because it is the only time I will consider that there is any wisdom in the words of Ted Nugent. You know, "you can't grill it unless you kill it." The wisdom (although in the hands of the Nuge it becomes entirely too extreme) is that the western world is getting too isolated from their food sources. Very few of us go to the local butcher to make sure that their process is clean and safe, very few of us are willing to kill the animals that we will later eat, very few of us have the opportunity to inspect the vegetables we eat for the presence of pesticides that can harm us. Nope, we go to the supermarket, and pray that the food inspectors are doing their jobs, because who has time to check up on that shit? Not me.
But it is a stronger arguement for vegetarianism as a reaction to this. Few people that eat meat would have the nads to eat it if they were required to personally kill the animal that provided it. Certainly, even if one is allowed to see one of the assembly-line styled meat businesses in action, the kind that make those awful burgers we eat on the 4th, it would likely cause one to rethink their diet. It's an interesting concept, but I think if I stopped eating meat, I might just sieze up and croak.
I'm still seeking a compromise between tradition and logic.
And hey Lawless, although I don't agree with your "don't ever kill animals" rule, there is a lot to be learned. (I for one am glad you had some nice juicy burgers growing up, otherwise you would have been a wimp and gotten the tofu beaten out of you in grade school bucko!) This is a strange area, because it is the only time I will consider that there is any wisdom in the words of Ted Nugent. You know, "you can't grill it unless you kill it." The wisdom (although in the hands of the Nuge it becomes entirely too extreme) is that the western world is getting too isolated from their food sources. Very few of us go to the local butcher to make sure that their process is clean and safe, very few of us are willing to kill the animals that we will later eat, very few of us have the opportunity to inspect the vegetables we eat for the presence of pesticides that can harm us. Nope, we go to the supermarket, and pray that the food inspectors are doing their jobs, because who has time to check up on that shit? Not me.
But it is a stronger arguement for vegetarianism as a reaction to this. Few people that eat meat would have the nads to eat it if they were required to personally kill the animal that provided it. Certainly, even if one is allowed to see one of the assembly-line styled meat businesses in action, the kind that make those awful burgers we eat on the 4th, it would likely cause one to rethink their diet. It's an interesting concept, but I think if I stopped eating meat, I might just sieze up and croak.
I'm still seeking a compromise between tradition and logic.
by at 10:27 AM
Hey, guess what? A recent study purports that America likes to fuck more than any other country in the world, with Greece coming in second place! Way to go, USA, we finally beat the Japanese in something! Just be responsible with yer libido, okay?
Guess what else? Bush did somethin' good! It's true, it's true! By renewing the ban on internet taxes we have (more or less) managed to avoid further and unnecessary taxation. So follow the Dubya administration's plea and keep America rolling by living beyond your means and buying everything in sight! The cheaper the wares the better! And don't forget to invest in the stock market so we can continue corporate welfare for a handful of the largest corporations for a few more decades! And it's (more or less) tax-free!
Guess what else? Bush did somethin' good! It's true, it's true! By renewing the ban on internet taxes we have (more or less) managed to avoid further and unnecessary taxation. So follow the Dubya administration's plea and keep America rolling by living beyond your means and buying everything in sight! The cheaper the wares the better! And don't forget to invest in the stock market so we can continue corporate welfare for a handful of the largest corporations for a few more decades! And it's (more or less) tax-free!
by at 4:57 PM
It's time for another edition of Lawless King's "AOK in the USA Today" column:
Is it me or has the whole world gone batty? Need proof? '70s scion and talkbox poster boy Peter Frampton recently became a US citizen. Why? To show support for us in light of the 9/11 attacks. I suppose the broad definition of "terrorist" that the office of the Attorney General has recently assumed could find Mr. Frampton in trouble, since the feds can't tell the difference between Frampton and the Muslim version of Cat Stevens. I say lock them both up for crimes against our ears and loitering on the public airwaves..... Can someone tell me why these nu metal bands are so angry and depressed? Man, none of them look like they endured a lick of anything tougher than too many Slurpees in their respective suburban tract. Merle Haggard would eat these kids for breakfast. They ain't political, don't even try, and they sure as hell ain't social-minded. Me, me, me and how much Daddy hurt me by not hugging me. Yuck. At least they ain't Creed and their inane neo-Jesus schtick...... Speaking of Jee-bus, did ya hear that the Southern Baptist church is considering fasting during the month of Ramadan, praying that all Muslims will convert to Christianity? I hope they're as serious and tenacious as they are ignorant and intolerant..... John Ashcroft, the states-rights lovin' uber-conservative Republican, overturned the right to die laws in Oregon, while still refusing to prosecute anyone from anti-abortion nuts like the Army of God and Operation Rescue who sent false anthrax packages to abortion clinics around the country. This man obviously cannot separate himself from his views and should be removed from office IMMEDIATELY. He is upholding only the laws that fit within his narrow parameters..... Didya hear Dubya lambast the Massachusetts bioengineering company that cloned a human embryo? He said that man should not create life just to destroy it. A great sentiment, and I agree with it, but I can't help but feel the hypocrisy when it's a skill that the United States has been honing for years. Did you know 14 billion animals were slaughtered for food in the United States alone last year? 14 billion. Most folks can't even count that high. Reminds me of something the Greek mathematician Pythagoras said, "Man will continue to harm and kill man so long as he harms and kills animals." You can't take life without consent. It's immoral and unethical. More importantly, one should NOT KILL! It's a simple precept found in the texts of every major world religion. We are doomed to be a foolish and selfish and irresponsible society so long as we turn our backs on the fur and meat industries; so ong as we allow medical research companies to conduct unnecessary animal experimentation while they are viable alternatives..... I saw the most patriotic thing the other day! A speeding single passenger Lincoln luxury SUV flying three American flags, all of which were made in China! Thanks for continuing our dependency upon foreign oil and interests, schmuck!..... You know, I'm sick of waging war on the brown people of the world. Isn't it about time we had some white on white combat again? The colored people of the world have enough problems without the US military sticking the white-hot muzzle of an M-16 up their asses. C'mon, Germany, you're overdue! Step on it, Russia, we let you get away with literal murder during the Cold War, the least you can do is agree to fight us for oil or something!..... Lennox Lewis regained the WBA/IBF/WBF/ABC/NBC/WLUP/KOS heavyweight title by beating Hasim Rachman in what was one of the most boring bouts in recent memory. Some of the lower card fights on ESPN's Friday Night Fights (replayed on Tuesday nights) tend to be more interesting. I normally don't care for the heavyweight division-- the best bet for a good match is the middleweight and welterweight classes-- but decided to watch this for the sheer laziness of both fighters. Something has to be done about boxing and soon. I can't believe that Don King hasn't been indicted on racketeering or even monopoly charges. He poped up on People's Court not too long ago in a "man on the street" segment, waving American flags and babbling incoherently as only he can. Cream pie the jolly fucker!..... And lastly, I urge you all to firebomb a roadside billboard that offends you or society in general. It's time to take back the public domain and secure our mental environment from corporate interests.
Is it me or has the whole world gone batty? Need proof? '70s scion and talkbox poster boy Peter Frampton recently became a US citizen. Why? To show support for us in light of the 9/11 attacks. I suppose the broad definition of "terrorist" that the office of the Attorney General has recently assumed could find Mr. Frampton in trouble, since the feds can't tell the difference between Frampton and the Muslim version of Cat Stevens. I say lock them both up for crimes against our ears and loitering on the public airwaves..... Can someone tell me why these nu metal bands are so angry and depressed? Man, none of them look like they endured a lick of anything tougher than too many Slurpees in their respective suburban tract. Merle Haggard would eat these kids for breakfast. They ain't political, don't even try, and they sure as hell ain't social-minded. Me, me, me and how much Daddy hurt me by not hugging me. Yuck. At least they ain't Creed and their inane neo-Jesus schtick...... Speaking of Jee-bus, did ya hear that the Southern Baptist church is considering fasting during the month of Ramadan, praying that all Muslims will convert to Christianity? I hope they're as serious and tenacious as they are ignorant and intolerant..... John Ashcroft, the states-rights lovin' uber-conservative Republican, overturned the right to die laws in Oregon, while still refusing to prosecute anyone from anti-abortion nuts like the Army of God and Operation Rescue who sent false anthrax packages to abortion clinics around the country. This man obviously cannot separate himself from his views and should be removed from office IMMEDIATELY. He is upholding only the laws that fit within his narrow parameters..... Didya hear Dubya lambast the Massachusetts bioengineering company that cloned a human embryo? He said that man should not create life just to destroy it. A great sentiment, and I agree with it, but I can't help but feel the hypocrisy when it's a skill that the United States has been honing for years. Did you know 14 billion animals were slaughtered for food in the United States alone last year? 14 billion. Most folks can't even count that high. Reminds me of something the Greek mathematician Pythagoras said, "Man will continue to harm and kill man so long as he harms and kills animals." You can't take life without consent. It's immoral and unethical. More importantly, one should NOT KILL! It's a simple precept found in the texts of every major world religion. We are doomed to be a foolish and selfish and irresponsible society so long as we turn our backs on the fur and meat industries; so ong as we allow medical research companies to conduct unnecessary animal experimentation while they are viable alternatives..... I saw the most patriotic thing the other day! A speeding single passenger Lincoln luxury SUV flying three American flags, all of which were made in China! Thanks for continuing our dependency upon foreign oil and interests, schmuck!..... You know, I'm sick of waging war on the brown people of the world. Isn't it about time we had some white on white combat again? The colored people of the world have enough problems without the US military sticking the white-hot muzzle of an M-16 up their asses. C'mon, Germany, you're overdue! Step on it, Russia, we let you get away with literal murder during the Cold War, the least you can do is agree to fight us for oil or something!..... Lennox Lewis regained the WBA/IBF/WBF/ABC/NBC/WLUP/KOS heavyweight title by beating Hasim Rachman in what was one of the most boring bouts in recent memory. Some of the lower card fights on ESPN's Friday Night Fights (replayed on Tuesday nights) tend to be more interesting. I normally don't care for the heavyweight division-- the best bet for a good match is the middleweight and welterweight classes-- but decided to watch this for the sheer laziness of both fighters. Something has to be done about boxing and soon. I can't believe that Don King hasn't been indicted on racketeering or even monopoly charges. He poped up on People's Court not too long ago in a "man on the street" segment, waving American flags and babbling incoherently as only he can. Cream pie the jolly fucker!..... And lastly, I urge you all to firebomb a roadside billboard that offends you or society in general. It's time to take back the public domain and secure our mental environment from corporate interests.
by at 11:10 AM
"We are on the inevitable path to war with Iraq."
So says Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector. Ritter personally oversaw the destruction of Iraq's chem/bio/nuclear arsenal years ago--yet the US and UK have insisted on a regime of unduly punitive economic sanctions ever since. The sanctions have failed to achieve any of their purported objectives: after 10 years, the population of Iraq is devastated with poverty and disease, while Hussein is more powerful than ever--and rapidly becoming a sympathetic figure to the third world.
The Bush junta is still obsessed with Hussein, and will stop at nothing to take him out. The War on Terrorism will be a mere pretext.
Just remember, folks: You heard it here first.
So says Scott Ritter, former UN weapons inspector. Ritter personally oversaw the destruction of Iraq's chem/bio/nuclear arsenal years ago--yet the US and UK have insisted on a regime of unduly punitive economic sanctions ever since. The sanctions have failed to achieve any of their purported objectives: after 10 years, the population of Iraq is devastated with poverty and disease, while Hussein is more powerful than ever--and rapidly becoming a sympathetic figure to the third world.
The Bush junta is still obsessed with Hussein, and will stop at nothing to take him out. The War on Terrorism will be a mere pretext.
Just remember, folks: You heard it here first.
by at 3:13 PM
We are officially in a recession here in America: Via Salon, Graceland lays off 50 employees!
GADZOOKS! YOWZA! Considering Graceland is just a large house and a larger gift shop, those are some MAJOR cutbacks!
What can this mean? Will this mean that the Jungle Room will have a layer of dust on the green carpet? That visitors will only be able to get peanut butter + banana sandwiches between 11am and 3 pm instead of from 8 am to 7pm? Will the caretakers have to wheel out more bullet-shattered television sets to increase visitors?
What they SHOULD do is cut off Lisa Marie's line of credit, and make her get a fucking job! I mean, seriously, what has she ever done with her life, other than marry Michael Jackson for 30 minutes? And try to convince us with a straight face that Jackson had any interest sticking it in something of the opposite sex and of legal age? Why is Lisa Marie famous? (And why is Tom Arnold famous?)
Little did Elvis know that his "Memphis Mafia" of estate moochers would continue well past his, uh, "departure from the world of the known." Unfortunately, all those people getting laid off actually EARNED paychecks, so I feel bad for them.
Why am I concerned with this? BECAUSE KNIFE OF SIMPSON PLAYS IN TWO DAYS, THAT'S WHY! COME SEE US!
GADZOOKS! YOWZA! Considering Graceland is just a large house and a larger gift shop, those are some MAJOR cutbacks!
What can this mean? Will this mean that the Jungle Room will have a layer of dust on the green carpet? That visitors will only be able to get peanut butter + banana sandwiches between 11am and 3 pm instead of from 8 am to 7pm? Will the caretakers have to wheel out more bullet-shattered television sets to increase visitors?
What they SHOULD do is cut off Lisa Marie's line of credit, and make her get a fucking job! I mean, seriously, what has she ever done with her life, other than marry Michael Jackson for 30 minutes? And try to convince us with a straight face that Jackson had any interest sticking it in something of the opposite sex and of legal age? Why is Lisa Marie famous? (And why is Tom Arnold famous?)
Little did Elvis know that his "Memphis Mafia" of estate moochers would continue well past his, uh, "departure from the world of the known." Unfortunately, all those people getting laid off actually EARNED paychecks, so I feel bad for them.
Why am I concerned with this? BECAUSE KNIFE OF SIMPSON PLAYS IN TWO DAYS, THAT'S WHY! COME SEE US!
by at 3:37 PM
Have you read Bill Safire's latest column?
Seizing Dictatorial Powers
Maybe the whole world is going insane.
Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
íT is the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur,óyou íre straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain. -- Emily Dickinson
Seizing Dictatorial Powers
Maybe the whole world is going insane.
Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
íT is the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur,óyou íre straightway dangerous,
And handled with a chain. -- Emily Dickinson
by at 3:50 PM
"The end cannot justify the means for the simple and obvious reason that the means
employed determine the nature of the ends produced." --Aldous Huxley
The FBI has been authorized to surveil communications between accused terrorists and their lawyers. Torture of suspects is being considered as an expedient.
I can't believe A.G. Ash is taking legal counsel from Niccolo Machiavelli.
Is that the best we can do as a country: governance by cheap sentiments and cliches centuries outworn? Why are our leaders at the beck and call of cardboard courtiers and their fawning stultiloquence? Think of several you've heard before:
"On the surface, selling arms to a country that sponsors terrorism, of course, clearly, you'd have to argue it's wrong, but it's the exception sometimes that proves the rule." --GHW Bush (notice how well that strategy has played out.)
"A rising tide lifts all boats." (as long as you own one.) The banal creed of the supply-sider.
"An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth."
If we settle for totalitarian, fascistic means, we will be forced to live with their inexorable results.
employed determine the nature of the ends produced." --Aldous Huxley
The FBI has been authorized to surveil communications between accused terrorists and their lawyers. Torture of suspects is being considered as an expedient.
I can't believe A.G. Ash is taking legal counsel from Niccolo Machiavelli.
Is that the best we can do as a country: governance by cheap sentiments and cliches centuries outworn? Why are our leaders at the beck and call of cardboard courtiers and their fawning stultiloquence? Think of several you've heard before:
"On the surface, selling arms to a country that sponsors terrorism, of course, clearly, you'd have to argue it's wrong, but it's the exception sometimes that proves the rule." --GHW Bush (notice how well that strategy has played out.)
"A rising tide lifts all boats." (as long as you own one.) The banal creed of the supply-sider.
"An eye for an eye; a tooth for a tooth."
If we settle for totalitarian, fascistic means, we will be forced to live with their inexorable results.
by at 4:56 PM
the world has gone nuts.
i was at lunch reading the newspaper when this headline caught my eye:
putin, starting u.s. trip,
PREDICTS MISSILE ACCORD?
i can't believe vladimir putin is going to walk into the white house, and hang out at your president's ranch, and broker a reasonable missile accord that won't bite us in the ass someday.
is this the same vladimir putin that bush threatened to dismantle the abm with or without the consent of the russian government last spring? didn't he and dubya tussle to see who could throw more spies from their country last spring?
and now we're going to have a missile accord after a few photo ops and a good ol' fashion texas bar-b-cue? no shit! they're heading to dubya's crawford, texas ranch, where your president will entertain vladimir with a texas bar-b-cue and country music. they'll probably talk about missiles while wiping the grease off their faces after eating a pound of pulled pork, while listening to vince gill butcher "the ballad of ira hayes."
perhaps i'm just skeptical, but dubya better keep an eye on that putin fella. he does have an intelligence background, which probably means he's sly. perhaps he sees a nation too focussed on this war, and trying to convince the rest world this is a war worth fighting, take advantage of it and pull a fast one on us.
i'm not sure what these results may lead too, but it's far too fishy to let pass under the radar in these days. perhaps i should contact my peope in washington to keep a 24-hour surveillence on that putin fella.
i'm too busy watching my own back.
i hear sirens. adios!
i was at lunch reading the newspaper when this headline caught my eye:
putin, starting u.s. trip,
PREDICTS MISSILE ACCORD?
i can't believe vladimir putin is going to walk into the white house, and hang out at your president's ranch, and broker a reasonable missile accord that won't bite us in the ass someday.
is this the same vladimir putin that bush threatened to dismantle the abm with or without the consent of the russian government last spring? didn't he and dubya tussle to see who could throw more spies from their country last spring?
and now we're going to have a missile accord after a few photo ops and a good ol' fashion texas bar-b-cue? no shit! they're heading to dubya's crawford, texas ranch, where your president will entertain vladimir with a texas bar-b-cue and country music. they'll probably talk about missiles while wiping the grease off their faces after eating a pound of pulled pork, while listening to vince gill butcher "the ballad of ira hayes."
perhaps i'm just skeptical, but dubya better keep an eye on that putin fella. he does have an intelligence background, which probably means he's sly. perhaps he sees a nation too focussed on this war, and trying to convince the rest world this is a war worth fighting, take advantage of it and pull a fast one on us.
i'm not sure what these results may lead too, but it's far too fishy to let pass under the radar in these days. perhaps i should contact my peope in washington to keep a 24-hour surveillence on that putin fella.
i'm too busy watching my own back.
i hear sirens. adios!
by at 11:29 PM
Rusty brings some BURNING sarcasm on that last one! The "sarcasm detector" is off the charts!
There's so much to talk about. Firstly, walking into work this morning, I was greeted with the news of a downed plane in Queens. This is truly frightening news, as I had a funny feeling last night that something was going to happen. I actually had some trouble sleeping thinking about it. Truly, if you take airplanes regularly, you must be concerned about this for a number of different reasons. At this point we have two possible scenarios. 1) This plane crash was the work of terrorists. OR 2) This plane crash was due to a malfunction in the plane, possibly due to shoddy maintenence. Neither one of those scenarios makes me feel any better. Time will tell who or what is behind this.
And, before I've even sent a response this morning, we got some feedback on the website! Thank you (you know who you are.) Actually, this piece of feedback is driving me a little batty. While our political content and opinions were praised, it also came as an eye-opener that, indeed, many of these opinions could be dangerous in our current climate of squelching dissenting voices in this country. I'm a fairly paranoid person to begin with, so I'm really taking this to heart.
But, it's important not to get too scared, because that's just what our leaders want us to do: Shut up, let them drive, and be happy. I'd once again like to thank Blogger and the Blogspot site for even allowing us to express ourselves on the internet for free. This started out as a diary of the beginnings of a rock and roll band. If I were to actually put my thoughts to pen and paper, the content would probably be the same. I have strong opinions and so do my friends, and if we wish for our opinions to be posted in a public forum, we have the right to do that, or at least we used to. Maybe we are a little crazy, but this is how we feel.
So you won't see any difference in the political content here. Granted, when news stories are linked here, they come with the slant of how we're reacting to the information that slips through the cracks and gets to us. We're by no means a news source, but anyone who reads this should remember that there are people out there who have these thoughts. Lots of us. Don't be afraid, because we all have to be willing to fight for the right to speak our minds. If we don't have that, we might as well throw out the Bill of RIghts and bring the King of England back over here, you know?
More on this later, if I get time.
There's so much to talk about. Firstly, walking into work this morning, I was greeted with the news of a downed plane in Queens. This is truly frightening news, as I had a funny feeling last night that something was going to happen. I actually had some trouble sleeping thinking about it. Truly, if you take airplanes regularly, you must be concerned about this for a number of different reasons. At this point we have two possible scenarios. 1) This plane crash was the work of terrorists. OR 2) This plane crash was due to a malfunction in the plane, possibly due to shoddy maintenence. Neither one of those scenarios makes me feel any better. Time will tell who or what is behind this.
And, before I've even sent a response this morning, we got some feedback on the website! Thank you (you know who you are.) Actually, this piece of feedback is driving me a little batty. While our political content and opinions were praised, it also came as an eye-opener that, indeed, many of these opinions could be dangerous in our current climate of squelching dissenting voices in this country. I'm a fairly paranoid person to begin with, so I'm really taking this to heart.
But, it's important not to get too scared, because that's just what our leaders want us to do: Shut up, let them drive, and be happy. I'd once again like to thank Blogger and the Blogspot site for even allowing us to express ourselves on the internet for free. This started out as a diary of the beginnings of a rock and roll band. If I were to actually put my thoughts to pen and paper, the content would probably be the same. I have strong opinions and so do my friends, and if we wish for our opinions to be posted in a public forum, we have the right to do that, or at least we used to. Maybe we are a little crazy, but this is how we feel.
So you won't see any difference in the political content here. Granted, when news stories are linked here, they come with the slant of how we're reacting to the information that slips through the cracks and gets to us. We're by no means a news source, but anyone who reads this should remember that there are people out there who have these thoughts. Lots of us. Don't be afraid, because we all have to be willing to fight for the right to speak our minds. If we don't have that, we might as well throw out the Bill of RIghts and bring the King of England back over here, you know?
More on this later, if I get time.
by at 11:47 AM
benjamin franklin said "he who is willing to sacrifice liberty to preserve freedom deserve neither." vermont's republican senator actually used this quote on the senate floor, just before he voted in favor of the usa patriot act. what a fascist.
our presidnet is a fascist, too. lawless gave us some good proof of that. you beat me to the punch you bastard!
not only is george, sr.'s name peppered all over those documents, but other fellas like chief of staff andrew card and secretary of state colin powell, relating to their involvement with iran-contra. powell was even indicted by a grand jury for his role in iran-contra, and then received a presidential pardon from george sr.
but each them was a patriot in their own right. hey, they were just fighting the communists, who were inches away from grasping control of all central and south america's wealth and power. soon they would be in mexico, and then the good ol' us of a! praise allah all those government do-gooders were selling weapons to known terrorists to stop the totalitarian chain reaction, which would have eventually strangled our american liberties with the icy grip of communism!
dubya should release those documents, so we know whose staute we should erect as an honor for saving us from the oppressive red menace systematically sweeping through central america with hurricane-force winds. yes, the freedom of information can be too dangerous in the wrong hands, but in this case, i believe that information would helpful in determining who our national heroes really are. america loves its heroes and they should step forward and be given the gracres and honors they deserve, so others can learn from their selfish deeds and allow future generations to follow in their noble footsteps...
our presidnet is a fascist, too. lawless gave us some good proof of that. you beat me to the punch you bastard!
not only is george, sr.'s name peppered all over those documents, but other fellas like chief of staff andrew card and secretary of state colin powell, relating to their involvement with iran-contra. powell was even indicted by a grand jury for his role in iran-contra, and then received a presidential pardon from george sr.
but each them was a patriot in their own right. hey, they were just fighting the communists, who were inches away from grasping control of all central and south america's wealth and power. soon they would be in mexico, and then the good ol' us of a! praise allah all those government do-gooders were selling weapons to known terrorists to stop the totalitarian chain reaction, which would have eventually strangled our american liberties with the icy grip of communism!
dubya should release those documents, so we know whose staute we should erect as an honor for saving us from the oppressive red menace systematically sweeping through central america with hurricane-force winds. yes, the freedom of information can be too dangerous in the wrong hands, but in this case, i believe that information would helpful in determining who our national heroes really are. america loves its heroes and they should step forward and be given the gracres and honors they deserve, so others can learn from their selfish deeds and allow future generations to follow in their noble footsteps...
by at 3:32 PM
I''m really digging all of the political content I'm finding over in Danny's Booze Cabinet. He's made some good points lately + even read my mind on his last post, with all of this USA PATRIOT business. (I spent yesterday downloading the Stern show from 9/11. What an eye opener.) If you noticed, as with Danny's page, we here at KOS used to write about music a lot more than we do now. It certainly is hard to stay focused on writing about music when there are so many other things going on right now. I'd like to get back to music, but every time I boot up the Blogger, I can't help but think that people need to be aware that these things are happening, even if no one really reads this piece of shit.
I know I'm misquoting this, but I tend to believe that "Those who will sacrifice freedom to preserve order, deserve neither."
Here are some terrorist targets, right here in our own nation. Something tells me these terrorists won't be carpet bombed. They're not poor enough.
I know I'm misquoting this, but I tend to believe that "Those who will sacrifice freedom to preserve order, deserve neither."
Here are some terrorist targets, right here in our own nation. Something tells me these terrorists won't be carpet bombed. They're not poor enough.
by at 11:17 AM
Hey, look who joined the party? Congratulations, Sav, on introducing yourself to the growing group of people who have shucked the blindfolds of nationalism (or, to a lesser degree, patriotism) and are seriously beginning to question what in the hell is going on over there in Afghanistan, let alone Washington DC. Yes, many people are becoming skeptical of what this country's largest and most powerful conglomerates-- from the glory-hording celebrity clusterfucks and their funny fundraising schemes on up to the highest reaches of our federal government-- are doing with their vast resources while feigning detached nobility. People are wondering, "Hey, where exactly did my donation of money or blood go to?" "How come we've been in Afghanistan for several weeks and have nothing to show for it outside of a handful of bombed-out Red Cross warehouses and some nifty footage of smart bombs exploding?" And the question of all questions: "Where is the damning evidence that Osama bin Laden and Afghanistan were behind the attacks of 9/11?" Inquiring minds want to know and they want to know now. Circumstantial evidence and pat-on-the-back assurances will only go so far these days.
Hey, guess what executive order Dubya passed over the American public? As of Nov 1, 2001, a sitting or former President can block and veto the release of their presidential papers, reinterpreting the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which allowed the records of our highest leader to become public domain after a grace period of 12 years. That's right, the public domain sphere has shrunk yet again. 68,000 pages of records of Ronald Reagan were slated to beocme PD next year but now they will more than likely not see the light of day. And guess what President came after Reagan? Why, it's George, Senior! Hmmm, I wonder what secrets his administration held that will now remain secret? And how many of his lackies currently pulling the strings of his son's cabinet could have been implicated in some of our more nefarious schemes (remember the Gulf "War"?).
Oh well, as for me I'm heading up to Canada for a few days. I wonder what their interpretation of our daily news will be like?
Hey, guess what executive order Dubya passed over the American public? As of Nov 1, 2001, a sitting or former President can block and veto the release of their presidential papers, reinterpreting the Presidential Records Act of 1978, which allowed the records of our highest leader to become public domain after a grace period of 12 years. That's right, the public domain sphere has shrunk yet again. 68,000 pages of records of Ronald Reagan were slated to beocme PD next year but now they will more than likely not see the light of day. And guess what President came after Reagan? Why, it's George, Senior! Hmmm, I wonder what secrets his administration held that will now remain secret? And how many of his lackies currently pulling the strings of his son's cabinet could have been implicated in some of our more nefarious schemes (remember the Gulf "War"?).
Oh well, as for me I'm heading up to Canada for a few days. I wonder what their interpretation of our daily news will be like?
by at 7:32 PM
I want to be able to come here and write about the war situation. But I can't do that. I just realized today that we know nothing about what's going on. Nothing. We can't be trusted, apparently, with any of this knowledge. The Taliban and the US Government are like photo-negatives of the same bullshit propaganda. If we're going to risk bombing the poorest Islamic country during Ramadan, possibly uniting the radical factions into taking us arms against us, I'd really like to know how it's going. What's happening? What's the goal, bin Laden or the Taliban?
Again, I lament: Why did you have to get that blow-job, Mr. Clinton? Why did you give in to the temptation of some nutty-ass portly intern? Because you know, when you did, millions of Americans who come home from work every night who DON'T sucumb to temptation and cheat on their loved ones were alienated. You had to be rejected. And Al Gore had to be rejected out of association with you. While I'm not your biggest fan Mr. Clinton, and I don't approve of the way that you were found out, you let us all down. Why was that election even close enough for Bush to steal?
Now look at what we're left with. Look at the way these boneheads left over from 1988 are running this place into the ground, less than a year after they took office. I'm angrier than ever because I don't know what to do about this.
Again, I lament: Why did you have to get that blow-job, Mr. Clinton? Why did you give in to the temptation of some nutty-ass portly intern? Because you know, when you did, millions of Americans who come home from work every night who DON'T sucumb to temptation and cheat on their loved ones were alienated. You had to be rejected. And Al Gore had to be rejected out of association with you. While I'm not your biggest fan Mr. Clinton, and I don't approve of the way that you were found out, you let us all down. Why was that election even close enough for Bush to steal?
Now look at what we're left with. Look at the way these boneheads left over from 1988 are running this place into the ground, less than a year after they took office. I'm angrier than ever because I don't know what to do about this.
by at 5:04 PM
One year ago tonight, our eight-year national nightmare of peace, prosperity and democracy came to an end. Do not let this memorial pass by unnoticed.
by at 5:03 PM
HOLYFUCKINGSHIT!!!! You think that guy's NFL pension would be enough!
by at 4:48 PM
Just as I warned you about on Friday: See what can happen if Bush gets his way?
by at 12:39 PM
Wait just a cotton pickin' moment here: I thought we were at war! SO much for that period of "unprecedented cooperation" between branches of government. So, we're going to leave airport security up to the private sector: I thought we just tried that. Republicans are afraid of creating more government employees, but they have no problem tossing billions at failed airlines. That certainly shows you the stockholder is more important to this administration than the citizen.
And this is Bush's big idea to get me on a plane: we're going to leave airport security staffing and training to a company headed by his cronies? This illustrates that 1. Republicans are bastards and 2. I'll never get to go to Europe now because I'm certainly not flying anywhere!
And this is Bush's big idea to get me on a plane: we're going to leave airport security staffing and training to a company headed by his cronies? This illustrates that 1. Republicans are bastards and 2. I'll never get to go to Europe now because I'm certainly not flying anywhere!
by at 9:57 AM