1.31.2006

State of the Union Protest

We just got back from the DC protest organized by World Can't Wait. It went pretty well. I would estimate there were about 1000 people there, maybe a bit more.

One complaint was that is was pretty unorganized...it seemed like the speakers each spoke about whatever they wanted to. Since I haven't been to many protests before, maybe this is normal, but I thought this was a chance to communicate some basic ideas about how we were to go forward in the future and that didn't quite happen. It was a lot of Bush bashing, which felt great! I wish the media had been listening. We need to get a movement started.

I did get approached by a young guy that was passing out information about the protest for Saturday and he asked me to help. I gave my name and email address and should be hearing from the people at WCW tomorrow. I might end up dropping off some flyers at the courthouse tomorrow morning when I show up to pay my ticket.

Oh, and Cindy Sheehan aparently got arrrested. I'll find out more and post tomorrow.

1.29.2006

The Time is Now

In light of upcoming events and Sunday epiphanies, here's a poem for strength and widsom.

Dedicated to my dear friend David Wildes (only a real poet will do for you):

A Psalm Of Life by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Tell me not in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou are, to dust thou returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each tomorrow
Find us farther than today.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, -act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sand of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solenm main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us then be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;

Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

America's Call To Action: Stand Up and Fight!

Wow, my faith in America's future just sprang from the dead - HOPE that is. I stumbled upon a rousing call to action on Get Out Revolution's (NYC) lastest post.

THIS MOMENT IS HOT AND THE FUTURE IS ON THE LINE. There is gathering momentum from below as people increasingly recognize the full truth of what is happening: Bush IS a fascist and he has ALREADY put a great deal of what he needs in place to establish a theocratic fascist state. Things are coming to a head -- if the atrocities of the past few months go down without major uproar, Bush's State of the Union Address will be the sanctification of these crimes and the threshold from which he will launch a whole new wave.

But millions are furious and do NOT want this to go down, losing sleep over what is happening, fearing that it is too late to do anything. Yet at this point they are not organized or active on anything like the level needed. The means is here, the World Can't Wait protests on January 31 and February 4, that people need to join in on and organize for.


I'm in. Come What May. We've got to do this now people, before it's too late. My boyfriend called me a conspiracy theorist today and I take offense to that. I know when real things are happening around me; Income Inequality, Warrantless Spying, Unjustified War, and The Stupidest President in American History.

SOMEONE is controlling our tax money. Maybe not someone, but SOMETHING...Lies, Fear and Money. There is a reason we create war, a reason my company's CEO got a tax cut greater than my total income in 2005, a reason New Orleans has not been cleaned up, a reason Americans are dependant on oil, a reason to explain irratic weather. See, effects have causes and "just cause" is no longer acceptable.

Now we have a reason to fight. Tell everyone about the Protests on Tuesday night.

Add your comments if you have plans in DC or elsewhere....

1.27.2006

Where is Michael Moore?

With all this talk of the Chris Matthews controversy (MSNBC's "journalist" compares Osama bin Laden to filmmaker Michael Moore) I wonder - where is Michael Moore? Its unusal that the extreme left figure has not surfaced in quiet some time.

Last seen around election time at the end of 2004, Michael Moore and his disappearing act should give the Right a reason to worry....what's this guy up to anyway? Swimming in the money he made from Farenheit 9/11 might be a good guess, but he's most likely hard at work on his next pet project, SICKO.

IMDB says of SICKO, "This film will focus on the American healthcare system, and will look at it through an inspection of the system of mental health care." Automakers? Check. Gun Lobby? Check. Bush Administration? Check. Healthcare System and Pharmeceutical Companies? Yeah, that seems like an obvious next target.

The IMDB description was last updated on December 28, 2004. The realease is slated for 2006. What's taking so long? Aparently, Moore needs plenty of stalking time for incriminating footage. With Pharmeceutical giants already facing an admitted "image problem", many have issued notices to their workforces warning of Moore's possible appearance and intentions.

I don't always agree with Moore's techniques, but I do encourage any media outlet that seeks to uncover the truth of our corrupt American systems....and the people making money from them. Good Luck to our Scruffy Filmmaker Friend.

1.23.2006

Bush Step Down - with a Bullhorn

I just rented a bullhorn from Frager's Just Ask Rental on Pennsylvania Ave. in DC. I plan to put it to use next Tuesday night during our President's State of the Union Address when Shrub will address tax cuts (they've boosted the economy), energy prices (they're not THAT bad) and the rising cost of health care (rising?really?). What about unwarranted spying, Iraq's new best friend Iran, and the White House's ties to Abramoff? Well, you'll just have to tune in and find out.

I don't have much faith that he'll actually start telling the truth - did you SEE last year's address? - so taking it to the streets with a bullhorn is my next best option. I will try to video and post here, so be sure to check back next week.

In the meantime, anyone know any noise ordinance laws for DC or VA?

Cancelled my Cable

I was just reading some political blogs and decided to cancel my cable subscription at someone's suggestion. What has cable done for me lately anyway? I usually end up huffing and puffing about politics and the lack of decent coverage in the main-stream media. Chris Matthews' assertion that Osama bin Laden and Michael Moore are one and the same about send me over the edge. I was paying $52 a month for John Stewart, Food Network, and a whole lot of right-winger, white-house bullet point crap.

American media's journalistic integrity has hit a new low and I no longer wish to support it....I hope you'll reach the same conclusion. I suggest donating your cable money to independant media and Air America. This is one small way to put your money where your mouth is.

1.21.2006

Data in the 21st Century

I just read an article about data and math applications for basically EVERYTHING we do (Why Math Will Rock The World, Busines Week).

It's somewhat scary to think that computers exist to track our shopping behaviors, work productivity, travel checkpoints, and propensity to consume. Yes, it helps business make more relevant offers and talk to us one-on-one, but the privacy concerns are endless. If the Bush Administration has been spying on us already unchecked, then it is not to far-fetched to assume they would demand access to data warehouses of any kind (if they haven't already). But it's to protect us from big bad Bin Laden, right?

I hope Americans are more protective of their privacy and rights in this country than they have proven to be thus far. 1984 was not too long ago and Orwell's predictions could still ring true in this century. If fact, I just read that Tim Robbins is planning a Holleywood version of 1984. If we can't count on Democrats to stand up for our rights, maybe actors will do.

1.19.2006

Bin Laden Video Results in 10% Bush Support Increase. Coincidence?

WTF? Everytime the Republicans seem to be in trouble (i.e. spying on americans, Abramhoff, Bushy's 94 IQ results) Karl Rove and the Pentagon find another video with Bin Laden to scare Americans. Does this seem to be perfect timing or what? Now people in South Dakota can fear for their lives and support the wrongful war and crooked Republicans in power a little bit longer.

Who wants to bet that another video or other scare tactics will surface sometime next September before elections? Is anyone catching on to this game?

We must stick to what is REALLY going on in DC - corruption, scandal, lies, fraud, & stupidity.

And besides, it's Bush's fault that Bin Ladin is still out there, the war is going poorly, and we are no more safe today from terrorism than September 11, 2001.

Fuck you George Bush. I seriously hate you and your masters (Rove, Daddy Bush and Money).

Baby Naming Advice from 3 24-year olds

Don't name your kid something typical. This is the ultimate conclusion of my recent conversation with Jason, my boyfriend, and Tony, my friend. Both of these guys are atleast 5+ years away from conceiving, but are nevertheless full of ideas regarding the first task of having a baby: naming it.

This conversation started with a Jeopardy topic "Top 10 Baby Names of 2004". This list included Matthew, Jacob, Micheal, Blah, Blah, Blah. We came up with a more creative, unique list...

Top Baby Names of 2012 (predicted):

  • Maxamillion - your kid will sound like a million bucks and probably cost five times that much. I heard Max is getting popular, so this option may be passe by 2012.
  • Violet - This is Tony's romantic suggestion for a female offspring - which he does not plan to ever have.
  • Blotter. PCU is still cool in the future.
  • Isabella - I think we're behind the curve on this one.
  • Neo - No, we're not kidding. After WW3 is started by George W. Bush's 4th consecutive Presidential win (he'll change the rules in 2007 after cheating to keep Repubs in Congress) everyone will be dying for anything new.
  • Balthazar - future leader.
  • Tabernus - not sure what they're going for here.
  • Avian - as in the flu that gets cured in 2010.
  • Infinity.

Good Night future mommies and daddies, and Good Luck.

1.18.2006

The #1 Drug Problem in America?



Are you kidding me? The Bush Administration continues to stand by it's assertion that marijuana is the #1 drug problem in America. It's not surprising that the leaders of our Federal government have NO IDEA or atleast won't admit what actual risks this country faces (it's not the bird flu or killer bees either Georgie).

Today's New York Times featured an article (Hospitals Say Meth Cases Are Rising, and Hurt Care, Kate Zernike) about the increasing rates of methamphetamine-related problems that are affecting our hospitals and children.
"Though a relatively small number of total emergency room visits are for illicit drugs, the hospitals said methamphetamine was by far the leading drug problem.
Forty-seven percent of hospitals, and 57 percent in the Northwest, said methamphetamine caused more emergency room visits than any other drug, while 16 percent cited marijuana, 15 percent cocaine and 1 percent heroin."


So FACTS point to a rising Meth problem in America with serious effects, yet I continue to see those commericals on t.v. that accuse pot smokers of killing kids on bikes, leaving little brothers on baseball fields in the dark, and teenage pregrnancy. The justice system continues to incarcerate people for pot-related offenses when this government money (i.e. our taxes) should be spend on solutions to REAL RISKS.

But in the end, this is what everything comes down to: MONEY. The government can't make money off of meth-users because they are strung out, can't hold down jobs and just do not have money. They are costing our systems (hospitals and child services) increasingly more, but the government does not necessarily have to increase it's funding for these services. It's MUCH easier to set the #1 priority on marijuana and collect $500 possession fees from rich kids at Phish concerts, aging hippies who are against the WAR, and young black men who are trying to make some money in a society that has not exactly given them every opportunity to do otherwise. I can't help feeling that this will catch up to us.

Let's hope for a Congress win in 2006, impeachment hearings on the basis of EVERYTHING the Bush Administration has done thus far, and a new President who values fact over money.

1.17.2006

First Post and Possibly the Last

I decided to start a blog. I cannot be sure this is a good idea until I move forward with it, so yeah, here it is.

Let's brainstorm. My blog could include:

Political Rants. I am intelligent and female, therefore liberal. My friends are tired of me emailing DC travesties. I spoke to some republican dude at the bar on Saturday night and almost spit Red Bull Vodka on his face. I need a better outlet, even if no one is listening.

Travel information. I'm planning a big trip to Asia and Australia in two months. This could present some interesting situations. I was thinking of incorporating videos.

Decontruction of Celebrity and Boomer Bullshit. I've expressed particular hatred for these two groups lately, but really, it could be anyone.

Shopping. As I've only been working about a year and a half since graduation, I do not have a lot of money. This does not keep me from looking at websites and craigslist everyday. Maybe I could link to things I think are particulary cool and worthy of blog mention.

Social Responsibility Issues. I find myself, like many other people my age, highly hypocritical. I'll discuss ways we can start to be a bit more thoughtful with our money and action.

Pop Culture. Similar to celebrities, but so much more. For example, I don't think our Generation Y has a literary voice in the world. Discuss.

Business. I'm looking into a web-based business, but the process has been drawn out because it's hard to start anything. As my father's favorite motivational speaker says, "You don't have to get it right, just get going". I can track progress to Eat Daily (www.eatdaily.com) on this website.

This may not be completely original (I tried to choose the least popular template at least), but what is original? I may be angry. Or confused. And I'm a terrible speller. But maybe I can do AdSense and make some money. Or get my head together so I'm not feeling as useless to society as I already do. Either one will be a success as far as I am concerned.