Canine cruelty

The recent dog fighting scandal involving Michael Vick is harrowing. What kind of society breeds such derelict disregard for animals? I'll tell you what kind of society. The kind of society that would consider the brutal rituals of football and boxing as sports and entertainment. As Alan Watts said, football and boxing are pseudo-sports.

Am I suggesting a link between American football and cruelty to animals? Absolutely. But more on that later.

I am so disheartened by the apparent prevalence of underground dog fighting. And the fact that Vick and others not only practice dog fighting but actually ELECTROCUTE some dogs is unfathomable to me. What the freaking hell?!

And the fact that some fans and teammates would SUPPORT Vick is disgusting. So what if he's a "STAR PLAYER"? He's not a STAR HUMAN, and that's what matters. I don't care if he's the Dalai Fucking Lama. Fire his ass and throw him in jail and incinerate the keys. I don't even like the conditions of jails, but dammit, make a symbol of him, and show society that animals fucking MATTER.

I need more time to digest this.

And just in case you disagree...

Food, clothing, shelter, and basic education are HUMAN RIGHTS. Not that we need official documentation of this, but just in case you're still pathetically skeptical, check out this document: Universal Declaration of Human Rights

And if you STILL doubt after reading that and attempting to absorb the idea that ALL HUMANS are deserving of having their basic needs met, then you are in need of heart surgery to instill some compassion.

And I'm dead serious.

Money for food, not bombs!

It will surprise none of the 0 people who read this blog (I can't even get my boyfriend to read it), that I am a homeless activist of sorts. I do work with a non-profit group which cooks vegetarian food and serves it to the homeless folks who populate the local parks. The group is just a few of us, and we feed the homeless every other weekend. We used to serve on a weekly basis, but work takes its toll during the week, and we just don't have the energy or time to do it every Saturday anymore. I feel badly about this, and yet I realize that in order to keep sane at work, I must rejuvenate my batteries over the weekend.

And anyway, it's not MY responsibily alone to feed the homeless - it's society's, via taxes. We as a society refuse to buy into a more socialized Democracy, and so we reap what we sow. If we bought into a system that served everyone's needs, then we wouldn't have such a problem with homelessness (which is worsening everyday). We would have jobs for everyone, or at least the vast majority, and we would have shelter and financial help for those who were temporarily out of jobs. Societies in Europe do it - why can't we?

Because in Generica we have been conditioned to think that it's everyone for themselves. This is PURE BUNK. Societies subsist on mutual cooperation. Or at least harmonious societies do. Which is why we have a discordant society. Which is why our crimes rates are the worst in the civilized world. Which is why so many are so miserable and existing on 20 types of medication. Yes, even the rich are miserable, because happiness is not about material wealth - it's about spiritual wealth. And our society is spiritually impoverished, and we take our frustrations out on the weak.

My feeling is that people who are callous toward the homeless don't want to face the brutal truth: that it could be THEM out there in the streets. It could be ANY of us. People lose jobs all the time, and not everyone has the financial means to keep afloat in times of unemployment. And with the current rash of outsourcing (hell, they're even starting to outsource JOURNALISTS and BROADCASTERS - WTF?), NONE of us are safe.

There are many reasons for homelessness*, but the main ones include: dearth of jobs, and lack of affordable housing. Here in Atlanta, we are seeing a surge in luxury loft and condo building, and a depressing lack of affordable homes. This affects ALL of us. Who among the middle class can afford a $300,000 mortgage?

Callousness toward homeless people is discouraging, at best. I can barely countenance it, actually, because I don't know why some people must adopt such lofty attitudes toward those less fortunate than themselves. Sure, there is a percentage of homeless who are drug and/or alcohol addicted, but again, why the callousness toward that? If I were homeless, I'd certainly turn to drugs to quell my depression, and there's substantial evidence to show that that drug addiction among homeless was spurred AFTER the homelessness occurred. And even if the drug addiction was a part in enabling the homelessness, I don't understand why people have to be so cruel towards people with the drug problem. We are, none of us, without fault, and so why must we be such a crassly judgemental society? Drug and alcohol addiction is rife in a society that is spiritually bereft, and so in order to heal our wounds, we must begin to work together, as a cohesive unit, for a more harmonious world.

Homelessness is something that could conceivably afflict any of us. Some of the European and Scandanavian countries realize this, and take care to protect their own. Why can't we?

We can find TRILLIONS of dollars to pay for killing and maiming innocent individuals, but we can't fund a society that benevolently exists for everyone?

As Michael Moore says in "Sicko" - "These countries [France, England, Canada, Cuba] understand that it's about WE, not ME."

God bless Michael Moore, and I don't even believe in god.

*Homelessness numbers have soared since the Reagan administration, so yes, it IS ALWAYS about economics, and whether we have a system that either coddles or condemns the masses. It is about whether we have a system that cares more for CEOS, or for real everyday people. I don't care if that sounds like a pedantic liberal cliche - it's the fucking truth.

Dumbocrats 2008 Phun Kwiz

Okay, so I just updated my webzine, Clockwise Cat. Issue Two is now published and live and eager for your perusal.

So I thought that instead of writing an actual blog post here, which would suck up precious time and energy, I'd just leech from Clockwise Cat and do a copy and paste. Below, I offer you my scorching satire of the Democrats.


Okay, so it's blindingly clear that Democratic politicians are just neo-cons in flimsy disguise. Or at least most of them are - there are some decent ones sprinkled throughout the party, such as Rep. John Lewis, Sentator Ted Kennedy (okay, okay, so he killed someone - we all make mistakes), Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and a few others. But face it - the majority of Fuckocrats are spineless corporate errand-boys and girls, more concerned for the futures of Exxon than with the future of everyday peons like toi et moi.

But just to be SURE you grasp this very rudimentary point (that Fuckocrats are cravenly creeps who fellate Big Pharma and do it doggie style with Big Oil), take a few minutes to complete this Phun Kwiz. Return a completed Dumbocrats 2008 Phun Kwiz to Fleurdumal666@gmail.com and get a Phun Prize!


DUMBOCRATS 2008 PHUN KWIZ
Please read each question carefully, and select the best answer from the options provided.

1. Barrack Obama is a true progressive:

a) False
b) Absolutely not
c) Nope
d) Hell no
e) Uh uh, Paco
f) All of the above

2. Hillary Clinton is a REAL progressive:

a) True, if by progressive you mean corporate ass-licker
b) False, she is a FAKE progressive
c) True, if by progressive you mean one inch to the left of a fascist
d) Yeah, and I'm Walker, Texas Ranger
e) Progressively annoying, maybe

3. Obama wants to be President of the United States because:

a) He has the Audacity of Hope
b) He wants to be able to exclaim while standing inside the White House, "Look, it's a Reverse Oreo!"
c) He wants to be able to reiterate the empty rhetoric of his book ad nauseum
d) The midwest is boring
e) "President Obama" sounds better than "Uncle Tom"

4. Hillary wants to be President of the United States because:

a) She wants a blow job from Monica Lewinksy
b) She wants to pretend to be for universal healthcare again
c) She wants to sleep in the same bed that Tony Blair shared with Bush
d) She always wanted to be CEO of a corporation
e) She wants to prove that a female president is different from a male president - oh wait, that's right, she can't prove that, because she's not any different

5. This Kwiz is not racist because:

a) I said so
b) It's just not
c) Obama is not a nappy-headed ho
d) The creator of this kwiz refuses to concede to liberal-fascist political correctness BS and simply tells it as it is, race and gender be damned
e) A kwiz can't be racist, silly - only Don Imus can!

6. This Kwiz is not sexist because:

a) It's too sexy to be sexist
b) This kwiz is too sexy for its shirt, or pants, or underwear, even
c) Hillary sux, period
d) It hasn't mentioned the word whore - although it must be noted that Hillary and Obama are cheap sleazy whores
e) A kwiz can't be sexist, silly - only Bill O'Reilly can!

7. A black and/or female president would be awesome, BUT:

a) There are no black people or females running - only white men in disguise
b) We wouldn't want to alienate our good friends Rush Limbaugh and Neal Boortz
c) It's time to give the white men a chance
d) We need to give black people and women the vote first
e) Democracy simply can't take that much equality
f) There is already a black female president, and her name is Condoleeza Rice - oh wait, that's right, she's Donald Rumsfeld in blackface and high heels

8. Dennis Kucinich is the only Democratic Presidential Candidate worth his salt because:

a) He has a hot wife
b) He's a vegan and won't waste important presidential time devouring dead animals
c) He happens to cherish the Constitution, a rather important document the other Democratic candidates haven't gotten wind of yet
d) He's a real card-carrying progressive, not some pansy-ass soft core right wing progressive poseur with his tongue up the anal canals of Big Business
e) His name is not Hillary or Obama

9. This kwiz is not propaganda because:

a) It's the truth
b) It doesn't lie
c) It was written by me
d) It has the monopoly on reality
e) A kwiz can't be propaganda, silly - only Fox News can!

10. Most Democrats:

a) Suck ass
b) Suck balls
c) Suck monkey ass
d) Suck donkey balls
e) Suck all of the above - and they LIKE it!

11. The names of the other Democratic Presidential Candidates are:

a) Huey, Duey, and Louie
b) Sleepy, Sneezy, and Grumpy
c) Greedy, Fakey, and Lamey
d) Robots have names?
d) There are OTHER Democratic Presidential Candidates? I didn't know that since the media only focuses on Barracky Hilbama

12. This Kwiz:

a) Offended me in parts, because I am a politically correct automaton unable to register irony or satire
b) Woke my fat lazy ass up to REALITY
c) Should be required to pass all grades
d) Will never end, thankfully
e) Just ended, sadly

Work sucks

Yesterday I decided that I have an aversion to work. Now, mind you, I love to do work that I CHOOSE to do, such as volunteering to help the homeless, editing and publishing a webzine, writing poetry, etc. But I have an aversion to work that I HAVE to do in order to survive, in order to eat and drink and shelter and clothe myself. Work that I MUST do in order to enjoy the work that I LOVE to do, and in order to enjoy LIFE.

It's always been glaringly apparent to me that the Work That One Must Do to Survive interferes with leisure activities such as sitting on one's ass, traveling the universe, reading, watching trashy TV (which I rarely do, but if I had more time I just might), watching movies both trashy and artsy, volunteering, bicycling, swimming, drinking wine, sleeping, etc. etc. etc. But yesterday, my aversion to work became DEAFENINGLY APPARENT. I can no longer ignore it; it's screaming in my ear.

So let's, you and I, start a REVOLUTION! Screw the half-assed revolution I mentioned a few posts ago about the Five Day Weekend (look it up, you lazy-ass). I'm talking a revolution to ABOLISH ALTOGETHER Work That One Must Do To Survive.

Who's on board?

Crappy July 4th

So I just remembered today was July 4th. Hooray. And here I am in the country which helped the Americans win freedom from the brutal Brits. Hip hip, yadda yadda.

Seriously, though, I don't think Americans really have much to celebrate anymore, if we ever did. I mean, our freedoms have been flushed down the Toilet of Tyrants, and we are now a nation that revels in third world-style neglect (see Katrina), and medieval/Middle Eastern-style torture (see Guantanomo, Abu Grahib, renditions), among many many many many many other titanic transgressions.

For those people who simply cannot fathom that our nation's pre-emminent throne has been usurped by one with a Fetish for Fascism, who simply cannot wrap their infant brains around the idea that even AMERICA is susceptible to totalitarian takeover, I refer you to the Sinclair Lewis novel, It Can't Happen Here. Granted, I never did finish the tome, finding it too weighted down by stilted dialogue and campy names (it WAS written in the 30s, after all)*, and so that fact alone might disqualify my recommedation. But even if you don't end up reading the book, at least be AWARE of it, as it is a cautionary tale about how our beloved nation could indeed slide down that sloppy slippery slope toward sadistic rule. In other words, this ain't the first time that fascism has tickled its tentacles into our government, and it won't be the last. However, it's my understanding that W and Co.'s wayward wicked ways are indeed the WORST incarnation of American Fascism yet. And of course, there is oodles of evidence to back up that titillating theory.

So anyway. American Democracy may not be dead, but it's certainly been tortured Gitmo-style into submission. It's been sleep-deprived and starved to resemble a supermodel with an anorexia agenda. It's a skeletal Democracy featuring bulging eyes and a propensity for bewildered babbling.

Oh, and by the way, Greek Democracy in its original form was somewhat of a sham as well, in case you'd forgotten: The ancient Greeks owned slaves and treated their women like shit** - sort of like how certain Americans owned slaves and treated their women like caca too. And sort of like how certain Americans still enslave black people through institionalized poverty, and still countenance the maltreatment of women through the proliferation of misogynistic pornography, and through enabling men to be paid higher salaries, and be in charge of Most Things, etc.


*However, I am a HUGE fan of the other acclaimed Sinclair Lewis novel, Babbit. It's an elegant tirade against the pitiable complacency of living a bland, corporatized existence.

**Yeah yeah, the Greeks featured women prominently in its patheon, blah blah blah. But still: women were relegated to secondary status in ancient Greece, period. Screw any country that does that, at any time, anywhere. Parity or perish, is what I say. No nation worth its salt backburners its women, ever. Of course, we women are to blame too, sometimes, for succumbing to our own maltreatment. We should fight against the bastards of bigotry, always.

Man with Stupid Nickname Goes Free

Now I am here in France. Yes, I am shamelessly bourgeois, traversing the earth and scribbling about it in blase fashion.

Anyscrew, I learned today that Bush commuted Scooter Libby's sentence. This is an OUTRAGE. A man with such an inane name should be tortured for life by Syrian prison guards.

Oh yeah, and Scooter not only possessed an idiotic moniker, but he did bad stuff too.

Greeceyness and heinous Cheney

So the heat wave has subsided for now. Cool. No, really, it is rather cool - temps in the 70s and 80s.

Have I mentioned how lovely Greece is? Because, you know, it's possibly one of the prettiest damn countries on the planet. The beautiful blend of azure Aegean Sea and shimmering skies is incomparable. And the architecture, when it's striking, is staggeringly so. I say "when" because sometimes the architecture can be downright dour. In fact, I would say the least appealing aspects of Greece are as unsavory as the appealing aspects are savory. Greece seems to be a country of polarities.

But no matter some of the aesthetic blights - the point is, when Greece is gorgeous, it's breathtaking and heartbreaking.

But this blog is not really meant to be a travel blog, or a general discussion blog; this blog is tailored toward political discourse, in case you haven't noticed.

And yet, I haven't really much to say regarding socio-political topics, perhaps because I haven't been keeping up with the news in the past week. This is probably a good thing, since I'm inclined toward deep depression when I'm submerged in the latest headlines.

I did, however, catch vague wind of some Dick Cheney evil-doings. Of course, Dick Cheney is the embodiment of evil, so are we really surprised about this?

Seriously, Dick Cheney looks and acts like a zombified corporate robot. His face is frozen in a snide sneer, and he talks like he's been programmed by vampires from Planet Halliburton.

Perhaps that because Dick Cheney IS a zombified corporate robot programmed by vampires from Planet Halliburton.

I'd rather bathe in the furnace of Hades while gulping a glass of freshly poured sun

I've lived in central Texas, Sevilla, and Atlanta, and have traveled to the deserts of Phoenix, and even to the Yucatan, and I DO believe Greece is the hottest place I have EVER been! Of course, I say that whenever the weather anywhere seems especially sweltering, but DAMN if I am not a veritable swimming pool of sweat by the end of the day here in the birthplace of beloved canvas-splatterer, Domenicos Theotokopoulos.

They say there is a heat wave undulating its way across Greece, which would explain the occasional power outages here at the hotel.

No sign of Greek Democracy, by the way; I haven't really been looking, truth be told, as the sizzling sun has fried my eyeballs off. But you know, Greek Democracy is probably just hiding somewhere within a salty slab of feta cheese. After I've sampled all the sumptuous slabs, I'll let you know if my tastebuds should happen upon it.*

Last I heard, American Democracy was stuffed like a crumpled-up People magazine in between the cushions of the White House couch, alongside the sticky pennies and crusty food crumbs.

Of course, were I in one of my more mercurial moods, I would say Democracy has been crudely masticated by the jutting jaws of tryants - but I'm not really in that kind of mood.

My mood is, shall we say, rather SUNNY today. Blame the horrid humidity; it has dizzified my senses, inverted my otherwise irascible demeanor onto its flippant flipside, girlish giddiness.

*Not to suggest Democracy is CHEESY, cuz it ain't

Greece is the word, is the time, is the place, is the motion

Anyone ever been to Greece? I haven't been since I was 17. Should be a fun trip. It's the birthplace of Democracy, or so they say. Remember Democracy?

I'll let you know if Democracy is still thriving there, or if it's a dying art form like it is here.

PS When someone in Greece asks me a question, should I merely shrug my shoulders, decorate my face with a comically quizzical look, and say, "It's all Greek to me?" Should I exclaim as I expire in the sun, "Oh my GODS, Greece is hot as Hades' ass!"

More fun Greek geekiness to come.

Comment, MOFOS!

Okay, there seems to be an echo in here. An echo of my OWN VOICE bouncing off of the cyber-walls.

So comment, why doncha, to let me know you're listening.

So much for merriment

The last post illustrates not only the dangerous duality of my personality, but also how impossible it is for thinking humans to ever take too much giddy delight in life, given how horrific it can be. Indeed, yesterday I was speaking with my fellow homeless activist compatriots about this very topic. I was musing about the fact that sometimes when I meditate deeply on the tragic problems facing the world, I feel suicidal.* And one of my pals mentioned that the Existentialists grappled with this very concern. In other words, in the face of all that's darkly tragic about life, why NOT commit suicide? What's holding us back, exactly?

Existentialism is a philosophy that offers up many answers - and yet these answers are not explicit, but rather they lie embedded in the many questions that arise throughout our lives. Also, it's crucial to consider that there are many misperceptions about Existentialism - it's not as dark and dour as some make it out to be. Rather, it's a complex construct of very pragmatic ideas about a life well lived.

So how 'bout them clowns?

*Now don't go worryin' that I'm gonna go off myself any day now - I'm speaking philosophically about suicide.

Manic ravings

Okay, I realize I am absolutely MANIC about socio-political concerns, but that's because it's SO important that we CARE about what happens in our world. I am APPALLED by the goings on in Darfur, and Guantanomo, and Iraq, and Afghanistan, and everywhere, really. Human rights and animal rights and preserving the sanctity of the environment are SO crucial. And this crap about America being this great hub of freedom and justice, blah fucking blah - it's pure hogwash, pure unadulterated BULLSHIT. Bush and Co's litany of freakish violations of human rights here and elsewhere is sordid and sick. And hell, Bush isn't the first president to egregiously exploit human's innate rights - from Clinton backwards presidents have been doing this shit in OUR names. Bush is simply the WORST violator of said rights, indeed the most blatant and dictatorial American politician. He's like Mussolini meat wrapped inside a Franco pita seasoned with abundant sprinklings of Stalin and Hitler. Yes, I said HITLER. Deal with it - Bush and his puppeteers rip pages directly from the Nazi playbook.

If you disagree that Bush is a Christo-fascist zombie freak, you are living under a boulder inside a cave located on a remote planet in another universe within another dimension.

CLOWNING around

Check 'em out.

There are fun clowns, political clowns, and an evil clown.

Which is YOUR favorite? My fave is the evil clown.










































By the way, I HATE Clowns .

"God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh"

Good GOD my blog has become dour and depressing. We need to lighten it up with some lampooning levity! I tend to have a polarized personality anyway - light and dark in equal doses. I'm not clinically bi-polar, mind you (and I certainly don't denigrate those who are - mental illness is NOT something I cavalierly mock), but my natural disposition does tend toward encompassing elements of both comedy and tragedy. But I guess that would describe most of us; it's just in some of us this feature is more pronounced.

Anyway. One of the reasons I would like to infuse the blog with a more mirthful mood is because last night I was looking at some of the writing I have done for Democracy Means You. I had forgotten just how much satire I had composed for the site (look for articles by Alison Ross), and I had forgotten that some of it was not half bad. I'm no Voltaire, but I'm no George W. Dumbass either.

So following up on this, I decided my webzine, Clockwise Cat - you HAVE read my webzine, right? - needed to have a section for satire. In fact, DUH - of course it needs to contain satire. Satire is ONLY the most elevated form of art and political dissent. What I love about satire is how it melds serious purpose with outrageous comedy and wicked sarcasm. And satire is one of the best ways to navigate traumatic times such as ours.*

So, writers and artists, submit your salacious satire to the Cat! In the meantime, look for this space to explode with malicious mirth!

*One of my favorite modern-day satirists is Steven Colbert. I don't have cable TV, however, so I don't get to see him as often as I'd like. However, I recently learned his show is available on iTunes. Snap!

Crisis of conscience

Speaking of homeless people, in Darfur, 2.5 million people are displaced as a result of civil strife. An additional 400,000 have been brutally massacred.

And yet we sit here with our iPods and our laptops, sipping lattes and smoothies, while a harrowing genocide is taking place.

Put your laptop and conscience to good use:

Ten Things You Can Do to Stop Genocide

Atlanta's mayor hates the poor and homeless

Yes, you read that right: Shirley Franklin, Atlanta's mayor, hates the poor and homeless. Otherwise, why would she allow public housing to be mowed down in favor of building luxury condos and the misleading "mixed use" communities, which only profit the developers, while dumping the impoverished out into the streets?

Because she's as fascist as the "white male Christian"* zombie freaks who've hijacked our country, that's why.

You made her mayor**, but Shirley has NOT made us proud.

More about the poor, homeless, and affordable housing in the days to come. Stay tuned. In the meantime, feast on this:

Activists Mobilize to Save Atlanta Public Housing

*Bill O'Reilly being SUCH the epitome of this specious species

**I did not; I voted for Gloria Tinubu

Admonishing you to CARE

In my last post, I took a rather admonishing tone toward you, beloved reader.

It's your right to dissent from my implorings, of course.

So, if you choose to ignore the plight of hapless people (i.e., Guatanamo detainees), that's your petty prerogative.

Seriously, I wish more Americans truly cared about the atrocities going on in our names. The Gitmo detainees may be termed "enemy combatants," but they are people first, deserving of humane consideration.

(Besides, Bush's wacked "War on Terror" is fascist belligerence, and it's American soldiers who are unwittingly fulfilling the role of crass combatants. All others are simply fighting for freedom from the American government's bellicose grip.)

Anyway, ignore my admonishing tone and focus on my message: CARE ABOUT YOUR WORLD.

Torture shames us all

Amnesty International's Denounce Torture blog has recently caught my eye. The human rights organization, arguably THE saint of our times, aims to shut down the evil Guantanamo Bay.

I am ashamed to inhabit a country that so overtly promotes torture.

You should be, too.

Profanity's provincial past

Following up on my last post, I thought you'd be interested to know a little about the History of Profanity .