Reality check

Cost of War

Hello Dalai

I just came back from seeing the Dalai Lama speak here in Atlanta. He has been offered a professorship at Emory University, and so he's been in town for that. There is an Emory-Tibetan Buddhist alliance, has been for years, and it's only recently strengthened with the DL accepting the professorship.

The talk he gave was, of course, incredibly, profoundly moving. I am still basking in his glow - he radiates pure peace, and humility. He is 1000% genuine - no act at all. His sense of humor, childlike charm, humility, peaceful persona, erudition, and pure PRESENCE of mind are deeply inspiring. I was moved to tears several times during his talk, and the audience was held enthralled by his very elegant, simple, POWERFUL message of inner peace and world peace. There's no cliche, and no pedantic agenda in his speech. He radiates warmth and hope and humility. I urge EVERYONE to see him talk if you have the chance, and barring that, rent a video of him speaking. He will transform you if you open your heart and mind to his words.

The thesis of his speech was the necessity of cultivating inner peace, and how we must disarm internally before we can disarm externally. We must dismantle internal weapons of hatred, jealousy, and anger in order to manifest peace outwardly toward other people, and countries.

He also touched on religious harmony, and the necessity of interfaith dialogue in order to strengthen one's own spiritual practice.

Years ago I was transformed by the teachings of Buddhism. I practiced Buddhism for a while somewhat formally.

Then I decided I was better off gleaning wisdom from Buddhist and other teachings on my own, away from Dharma Centers and churches the like. I am fully happy being a spiritual person in my own way.

But the Dalai Lama's speech bolsters my unwavering committment to peace and justice, and I realize that I must tenaciously practice peace within myself in order to push for external peace.

The only candidate worth a good goddamn

Holy White Supremacy, Batman! It's the 1950s all over again!

David DuKKKe (Duke of Puke?) is supporting the would-be lynchers in the Jena 6 fiasco.

FREE THE JENA 6!

Good god I'm scared of this country.

Would you pay out of pocket for this?

From True Majority and various media outlets:

Mercenaries paid with our tax dollars opened fire on Iraqi civilians over the weekend. They killed 8 people and shot 13 more.

"They are untouchable," one private soldier told the Los Angeles Times. "They've shot up other private security contractors, Iraqi military, police and civilians."

Now the Iraqi government has had enough, and has ordered Blackwater to stop work in the country. This morning the Iraqi Prime Minister demanded the U.S. use someone else to guard their VIP's.2 Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has promised an investigation, but that's not enough.

Tell Sec. of State Rice to stop using hired mercenaries as state department guards:

http://act.truemajorityaction.org/o/2/t/50/petition.jsp?petition_KEY=22

Most of Blackwater's work is guarding officials from the State Department. They are among the most high-profile mercenaries working in Iraq, but hardly the only ones. An astounding 120,000 "private security contractors" are in Iraq, 48,000 of them working as combat soldiers.3 They get paid far more than real soldiers, their deaths are not included in the official casualty counts, and they are essentially accountable to no one, according to state department officials.

This is still America. We can't hire mercenaries to fire on civilians with no accountability.

----------------------------


If your answer is no, then GET OFF YOUR FAT ASS AND DO SOMETHING! That's YOUR tax dollars at work, funding mercenaries who have NO ACCOUNTABILITY to anyone but themselves, and who kill at will with little disregard for the consequences.

Really, if you still doubt that we are living under a burgeoning totalitarian regime (one that most Democrats gleefully uphold, and will continue to uphold, because it's in their interests to do so), then you are a pathetic part of the problem. Real democracies do not countenance mercernary activity. Real democracies do not even consider courting mercenaries.

REAL democracies do not SUCK like American government does.

Blood on our hands

1.2 million Iraqi citizens have perished in the war, according to a new study, which reports that this death count exceeds that of the Rwanda genocide in 1994, when 800,000 were murdered.

In addition, more than one million Iraqis have been injured, and 48% of the millions of Iraqis who have fled their neighborhoods have crossed the borders into places like Syria.

Kidnappers and Torturers R US!

This warms my heart.

From Alternet.org:

With Iraqi industry all but collapsed, one of the only local businesses booming is kidnapping. Over just three and a half months in early 2006, nearly 20,000 people were kidnapped in Iraq. The only time the international media pays attention is when a westerner is taken, but the vast majority of abductions are Iraqi professionals, grabbed as they travel to and from work. Their families either come up with tens of thousands in US dollars for the ransom money or identify their bodies at the morgue. Torture has also emerged as a thriving industry. Human rights groups have documented numerous cases of Iraqi police demanding thousands of dollars from the families of prisoners in exchange for a halt to torture. It is Iraq's own domestic version of disaster capitalism.

Demockery epiphany

I had an epiphany today as I was reading an article about Guilani and Hillary, and how each are exploiting the September 11th tragedy for political advantage. It made me sick to read how these cretins could be so cold and callow, and it made me realize that I do NOT want to partake in this MOCKERY of Democracy any longer.

Since I was 18, I have faithfully shown up at the polls on election day to vote. But for what, exactly? Our votes DON'T COUNT, thanks to the antiquated electoral college, as well as to paperless, malfunctioning, manipulated voting machines. And besides, the choice is always down to two evil morons who are loyal ONLY to big business interests, and never to the people interests. The elections are controlled by the corporate-owned media to the point that we can NEVER have a candidate who represents TRUE social democracy of the sort that benefits everyone and that evolves humane solutions to complex problems.

So I have made a pledge to myself that I will do this: I will vote for Dennis Kucinich in the Democratic primary. If he fails to get the nomination, then I will simply not vote in the actual election. And in the future, I will vote ONLY if a peaceful, reasonable candidate like Ralph Nader or Dennis Kucinich is in the running.

Otherwise, count me the fuck out.

I don't care what anyone says - it's all one big stinking lie.

How's that wacky war in Iraq doing, anyway?

With General Patreus' impending testimony to congress about "progess" in Iraq, I thought it'd be interesting to analyze just how that wacky war is going. Below, my brief interview with the Iraq War:

Me: Iraq War, nice to meet you.
Iraq War: KABOOM!
Me: Oops, are you okay?
Iraq War: Just 500 civlians dead in the latest blast, that's all. Added to the 600,000 civlians already dead, of course. But who's counting?
Me: So how's it goin' otherwise?
Iraq War: (weeping hysterically) Just watching as 4 million refugees are streaming out of the country, that's all.
Me: So what about those who stayed behind to brave the daily blasts and horrific urban warfare?
Iraq War: bzzzzzzzbzzzzzzzkeeeeeeeeeek
Me: What was that?
Iraq War: Just the Baghdad power grid failing for the 5th time today.
Me: Hey, it's hot here, and I'm thirsty. Can I have some water?
Iraq War: Sorry, no clean drinking water supplies.
Me: So where are all the children, anyway?
Iraq War: Hiding inside. They don't come out to play or go to school much these days. Too dangerous, plus many of the schools are destroyed.
Me: That's too bad. But other than that, the war is going well, right? Lots of progress, I hear.
Iraq War: KABOOM!



But hey, at least Dennis Kucinich gives a shit about peace:

Report from the Middle East


While the other leading candidates for the Presidency were spending the Labor Day weekend campaigning at picnics, barbeques, state and county fairs, and parading in front of the cameras, YOUR candidate, Dennis Kucinich, without fanfare, was quietly traveling throughout the troubled Middle East in search of real-world solutions to monumental, global challenges.

The votes we cast next year will have an impact here in the United States and around the world, and the candidate we elect must be equipped to make sound foreign policy decisions, based on first hand experience and in-person communications with other world leaders.

So, while other candidates partied and picnicked and posed, Dennis and Elizabeth traveled to a troubled, dangerous region of the world to meet with heads of state and other political leaders to find ways to solve the problems, mitigate the dangers, and find common ground for diplomatic cooperation - and PEACE.

"Strength through Peace" - the Kucinich philosophy - means direct engagement, diplomacy, adherence to international law and upholding treaties. It was in that spirit that Dennis and Elizabeth decided to visit the Middle East; to see whether political and religious leaders as well as the citizens of the region were open to the kind of positive dialogue recommended in the Baker Hamilton report. The kind of dialogue ignored and dismissed by the White House.

Read the rest of the story here.

Lambasting Bush, Family Guy style

If you're a regular reader of my webzine, Clockwise Cat, then you know I am a huge fan of satire. Satire's stinging sardonic style (seems I'm a bit drunk on alliteration, eh?) is the perfect antidote to suicidal tendencies. In other words, if you're so mired in misery that you're tending toward self-homicide, satire might just lift you out of your funk by showing you the comedy in tragedy. True, the comedy is of the bitter variety rather than the pabulum sort, but still.

So anyway, one of my favorite satirical TV shows is Family Guy. It can get a bit crass at times (and sometimes the satirical sexism backfires - more about that later), but mostly it's just hilarious humor that mocks the inanity of society and life.

In this montage of clips, Family Guy makes vicious fun of Commander-in-Thief Bush. Granted, he's an easy target, but then, he deserves it, the fascist fuck.

Sexism ain't sexy

I was re-reading some of my earlier posts (well, *someone's* gotta read my posts), and I got stuck on my post about sexism against women in ancient Greece.

Sexism against women exists still, to this day, and if you don't believe me, fuck off.

Seriously, sexism is still rampant, even in the western world, and of course in the eastern world.

Look for upcoming posts about sexism against women - and even a few about sexism against men, which is an egregious offense all its own.

Disaster, Inc. Part IV

And from the ACLU :

On Katrina's Second Anniversary, Ongoing Civil and Human Rights Violations on the Gulf Coast Still Reported

A new report by the ACLU, Broken Promises: Two Years After Katrina, exposes numerous civil rights violations that have occurred in Louisiana and Mississippi since the storm, including reports of heightened racially motivated police activity, housing discrimination, and prisoner abuse.

"Politicians made promises, but they failed to fix the problems that Katrina's fury made painfully clear,” said Anthony D. Romero, Executive Director of the ACLU. “The government must be held accountable for its mistakes rather than allowed to perpetuate the systemic racism and discrimination that only added strength to the storm."

The report highlights the ongoing abuses since the storm, including:

Violence and neglect run rampant behind the walls of the jails. Some conditions in the Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) have even worsened since last year. The House of Detention, the largest of four jail buildings reopened since the storm, is severely overcrowded and conditions are squalid. Prisoners are forced to sleep on the floor without mattresses for weeks at a time in areas where up to 18 prisoners are held in cells designed for 10 people. There is no air-conditioning in most of the overcrowded facility despite excessive heat. These inhumane and dangerous conditions are exacerbated by severe understaffing at the jail.

Medical and mental health services at the jails are grossly inadequate. There reportedly have been several recent outbreaks of "staph" infections, a highly contagious and potentially fatal disease caused by filth and unsanitary conditions, and efforts to provide treatment are deficient.

Prisoners who are identified as needing mental health care after being taken into custody have been sent to a unit where they are strapped down to a bed in five-point restraints. The ACLU has received reports of prisoners being left there, largely unsupervised, for days at a time without any breaks, even to use the restroom.

In light of the findings in the report, Congress should pass legislation to address post-Katrina injustices, including racial profiling, voter disenfranchisement, and the dearth of health care facilities and low-income housing. The Department of Justice should investigate severe problems at OPP, the New Orleans jail system where prisoners were abandoned during the storm.

Disaster, Inc. Part III

This, too, gives me hope.

Brave New Films has made a short but heartbreaking video about the ongoing disaster, When the Saints Go Marching In.

At the conclusion of the film, it urges us to support The Gulf Coast Recovery Act. Sign the petition to do so.

And here is a brief letter written by Brave New Films:

Dear Friends,

Tomorrow marks the two year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and still there are tens of thousands of families without homes. 30,000 families are scattered across the country in FEMA apartments, 13,000 are in trailers, and hardly any of the 77,000 rental units destroyed in New Orleans have been rebuilt.

During the making of this video, we heard the heartbreaking stories of good people unable to return home. We have heard the story of the Aguilar family who lost their home to the storm and only received $4,000 in payments from their insurance company. We have met Mr. Washington, an 87-year-old man and former carpenter, who owned three homes prior to the storm. He is still living in a FEMA trailer today. And we've met Julie, who could have returned to her job and normal life, if the government had opened up the public housing units that she had lived in prior to the storm.

Disaster, Inc. Part II

The heartening part of it all - if there IS a slice of optimism to be discerned amidst the devastation - is that there are a few groups who are clamoring for change in the way that the Katrina aftermath is being handled.

From Campaign for America's Future:

Conservatism Disconnected

The Gulf Coast is still struggling to rebuild and recover, while conservative policies ensure that critical infrastructure and services will continue to be neglected. Write your local paper and inform your community how conservatism is eroding America’s foundations.

Seventeen days after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, and fifteen days after he ended his vacation, President Bush addressed the nation from New Orleans. He urged the displaced to call a toll-free number “and we will work to bring your family back together.”

Call that number today and you’ll find the line disconnected. Sadly, not surprising.

As we approach the second anniversary of the brutal storm, we still have hundreds of thousands of displaced Americans who have still not been able to rejoin their families in New Orleans -- and many others unable to get help with housing or jobs. White House promises made to them were broken, and it’s up to us to hold accountable those who failed to keep their word.

That’s what this week's observance of the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina must be about, if we are to not only rebuild the Gulf Coast, but also rebuild all of America.

Because this is not simply about assailing the incompetence of President Bush and his band of hacks. This is about how the conservative ideology is eroding the foundations of our great country.

From our bridges to our mines to our beloved home of jazz, conservative hatred of responsible government has led to crumbling institutions that have cut short the lives of too many. Unless we speak out and identify the problem, we won’t be able to implement solutions that will restore our infrastructure and revitalize our cities.

At Campaign for America’s Future, we’re doing our part during this week of solemn remembrance.

We’ve released a new video dramatically showing how Washington conservatives are disconnected from the harsh reality that Katrina’s victims are still living.

All week at our blog The Big Con, we’re chronicling how conservatism is at the root of what still ails the Gulf Coast.

And we’ve set up a web page where you can easily send letters to the editor and relay the facts to your community.

After Katrina, a leading congressman said the plan was to bring “conservative, free-market ideas to the Gulf Coast.” They did, and we’ve seen the results.

Less affordable housing. Fewer schools. Less water. Fewer buses. Less medical care. Fewer African-Americans that can come home and exercise their right to vote.

A disaster-relief agency that has served as a dumping-ground for political cronies.

And lots of no-bid contracts and wasted taxpayer dollars.

We cannot allow conservatism to continue to plague New Orleans and the rest of America. Let’s make our voices heard this week, and help get our nation back on solid ground.

Sincerely,


Roger Hickey, Co-Director
Campaign for America’s Future

Disaster, Inc.

Have I even written about the Katrina disaster yet? If not, mea culpa, and I am deeply chagrined. The way the Katrina aftermath was handled is one of the many fiascos (among the whole huge bewildering mass) that Bush, Cheney, et al. should be impeached (and incinerated) for, and one of the many tragic situations that should be dominating the media, but which sadly and outrageously is not.

Anyway, the Katrina situation is STILL raging, because the government, fascist sick government that it is, is refusing to grant lower income people their RIGHT TO RETURN to New Orleans, and instead are using money that is RIGHTFULLY the victims' to remake the city into a Vegas-style tourist trap. It's happening along the Gulf Coast, too - instead of helping to house people, they are buidling casinos to lure in the tourists. Poor folk be damned - as usual.

It's yet another example of how America is being re-fashioned into a Haiti-like nightmare of huge income disparities. America is third-world-izing right before our very eyes. If you are in any doubt whatsoever, you are not paying attention, and have a lot of catching up to do. Get crackin'.

And none of us are safe from the egregious greed shown by the tyrants and corporations who control our country; middle class folks are already being financially impacted, and even the richest among us will eventually pay, spiritually and emotionally, for the sickening sins of the corporate totalitarians.

Watch a heart-wrenching video about it here:

Voices from the Gulf

And here is the excellent site of a movement that advocates for Katrina victims' rights, among other civil rights:

Color of Change

This just in:

The world is still fucked up. Boo world!

I'm to lazy/busy to write a post, but here are two images that encapsulate what I'm thinking/fuming about lately

YES new taxes!

The bridge collapse in Minneapolis (not to mention the levee failure in New Orleans) perfectly illustrates why conservative rule DOES NOT WORK. The conservative mantra is always "no new taxes," implying that any new taxes are anathema to the health of society and the economy. But precisely the OPPOSITE is true. A healthy society thrives on taxes in order to maintain roads, schools, healthcare and so on. Social Democracy is the ONLY way to smoothly and sanely run society. Socialism because taxes exist for the common good, and Democracy because personal freedom is paramount.

People in America are so conditioned to think that taxes are an abominable evil. No other country in the Western world is so violently opposed to taxes - indeed, people in places like England, France, Spain, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Switzerland embrace taxes because they know that privatization of public services is ultimately much more costly and less reliable.

So I ask you: where would most kids other than those from affluent families attend schools if not for tax-funded public education institutions?* You might say, "but our public schools suck!" Well, first of all, they do not wholesale suck, because there are some great things going on in public schools. And secondly, if they do suck in any way, that's due to the fact of them being UNDERFUNDED, because we'd prefer to spend more on bombing babies than educating them. Did you know that the Iraq War is costing $2 TRILLION? Yes, OUR taxes are going toward annihilating a country. So even though the conservatives CLAIM to abhor taxes, the fact of the matter is, they LOVE them, because how else would they subsidize their nihilistic agenda? What would YOU rather pay to watch - the intellectual nurturing of a child, or the blasting off of her limbs? Because the latter is exactly what is happening in Iraq.

Anyway, a while back, the governor of Minnesota refused to sign onto a bill that would increase taxes for maintaining roads and bridges, and has ended up paying a hefty price anyway. Six people have died. He has blood on his hands. Arrest him and sequester him, because he has not protected the well-being of his subjects.

According to this article, Bridge Collapse Spotlights America's Deferred Maintenance "the nation is spending only about two-thirds as much as it should be to keep dams, levees, highways, and bridges safe."

So now do you feel safer knowing that daily, new terrorists are being created in Iraq, using YOUR tax dollars, while our infrastructure is crumbling all around us? Look for more Katrina- and Minnesota-style fiascos to happen if the current trend of defunding public services continues.

*Besides, in a true social democracy, people would not own such egregious wealth as some do now, and we would not have such vulgar class disparities.

And on that note...

Watch this invigorating piece of agit-prop:

Agit-Pop on behalf of Stop the Iraqi Oil Law

Iraq TRAGEDY, and we are ALL to blame

If there were not such a pathetic media blackout of Iraq war coverage, more people would be upset about what's going on in OUR NAME. As it is, we can sit in complacent comfort in our own homes, ecstatically ignorant about the devastating suffering endured by millions of Iraqis at the hands of a totalitarian American government WE are too lazy to topple.

From AlterNet's War on Iraq:

*80% of Iraqis lack access to sanitation, 70% lack regular access to clean water and 60% lack access to the public food distribution system… As a result of these multiple public health failings, diarrhea and respiratory infections now account for two-thirds of the deaths of children under 5… According to a 2006 national survey conducted by UNICEF, 21% of Iraqi children are chronically malnourished.

*And then there's the poorly covered refugee crisis -- probably the worst on the planet at this moment -- gripping the country. Almost 4 million Iraqis have had to leave their homes, according to Refugees International.

*Iraq is producing one of the -- if not the -- most severe refugee crisis on the planet, a crisis without a name and without significant attention.

*Let's start with the numbers, inadequate as they are. The latest UN figures concerning the refugee crisis in Iraq indicate that between 1-1.2 million Iraqis have fled across the border into Syria; about 750,000 have crossed into Jordan (increasing its modest population of 5.5 million by 14%); at least another 150,000 have made it to Lebanon; over 150,000 have emigrated to Egypt; and -- these figures are the trickiest of all -- over 1.9 million are now estimated to have been internally displaced by civil war and sectarian cleansing within Iraq.

*These numbers are staggering in a population estimated in the pre-invasion years at only 26 million. At a bare minimum, in other words, at least one out of every seven Iraqis has had to flee his or her home due to the violence and chaos set off by the Bush administration's invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Zenteresting

If a blog post was made but no one was there to read it, does the blog post really exist?

What is the sound of one blog blogging?

If the Dalai Lama were to write a blog post, would it say nothing?

And if it said nothing, would it say "nothing," or would it literally be a blank page?

And if it were literally a blank page, would that count as SOMETHING, since it's a page of white color?

What does nothing look like, anyway?

I suspect it looks like oblivion.

What does oblivion look like, you ask?

Why, it looks like pre-darkness.

What does pre-darkness look like, you wonder?

Why, it looks like post-illumination.

What does post-illumination resemble?

For that, you are going to need to look in the mirror before you were conceived.

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 .

Profane pronouncements are not always pretty or proper

I admit it: I have a foul mouth.

But instead of being chagrined by that fact, I revel in it. I love trashy talk. It gives me verbal purpose. When my boyfriend and I first began dating, he said, "You curse like a sailor, but I love it." And it's a good thing that he loves it, because I wasn't about to curb my cursing for him. Besides, he's not exactly saintly in his own speech.

That said, I do think cursing has its place. Of course it's not always "proper" to lace one's speech with profanity. Sometimes you have to formalize your speech, and forego the"fuck yous" and shelve the "shits" and banish the "bitches and bastards," and so on.

Furthermore, it's not always necessary to curse, and yet some people think it is. They think it gives them more "aggression credibility" if they pepper their pronouncements with profanity. Indeed, one of my least favorite columnists in our local weekly rag feels the need to toss in curse words every fifth sentence or so. It's annoying, and one of the reasons I dislike her column.*

And then I realized that I have used a lot of profanity in my blog so far. The thing is, I don't use profanity disingenuously. It comes from the gut; it's a visceral thing with me. I don't do it to be "cool." I do it because it flows naturally from my tongue, and anything that comes from my tongue comes first from my gut. There's no cerebral interference here; my gut does all my talking, while my brain often looks on in horror.

So the point of all this is to say that I am going to strive to be more cautious about cursing in my blog, because I realize that it can come across as disingenuous. It's not that I am worried about offending people with my potty mouth, it's that I don't want my profanity to be misconstrued. I don't want people thinking I feel that I MUST curse to get my point across. Very often profanity can UNDERMINE what we are trying to say, and I don't want that. Words and ideas are sacred, and can be tainted by profanity if it's misused.

On the other hand, cursing can enhance something being said, especially when the cursing in used in colorful or comic contexts.



*The other reason I dislike her column is that it sucks.

The Democrats are a bunch of pussies and pricks

The proof is in the pudding.

Fuck 'em.

I can die now

I have seen Roger Waters perform Dark Side of the Moon.

Feisty femmes rule

There is a music forum I frequent.

And on this music forum exist some specimens of the male persuasion who loathe me and my aggressively opinionated ways.

Some men are stuck in an evolutionary time-warp. They cannot abide women who are as assertive as men, if not moreso, because it threatens their gossamer egos.

Thank god (or should I say, thank Sappho) for men like my brother and boyfriend who not only like women who are feisty and forceful, but who actually seek them out.

Feisty femmes rule, and the males who hate them suck.

Thank Nietzsche it's Friday

Nietzsche said: God is dead.

God said: Nietzsche's dead.

Both are correct, of course, except that really, can something die which never existed in the first place?

But I think Nietszche was referring to the CONCEPT of god, rather than any sort of genuine divine presence . It's been a while since I read good ol' Nee-cha, but I'm pretty sure he was referring to the conceputal Holy Father, invented by humans to help assuage anxiety and navigate ineffable mysteries, and discarded by us when the utility of his existence expired. In other words, we didn't NEED god anymore, so we made him disappear.

In any event, I'd like to personally thank Nietzsche for illuminating the idea of a deceased deity.

Rock on Nietzsche. I hoist a sweating goblet of Pinot Grigio in your honor!

Electoral Follies, Part One

If I had $100 for every progressive person who said, "I agree with everything Dennis Kucinich says, but he's not electable, so I'm not voting for him," I could send that money to Kucinich and BAM! He'd be electable!

America's electoral system is a sick sorry sham, because it promotes ONLY those who have the massive moolah required to even be considered. And the conspiring media suppresses information about REAL Democratic and progressive leaders, like Kucinich, or makes mockeries of them, like Ralph Nader, which creates the pervasive misperception that only corporate charlatans like Obama or Hillary Clinton are viable candidates.

Thank Buddha It's Friday

If there were a Judeo-Christian god, he would be too much of an asshole to create Fridays - after all, if he did exist, then the fact that he would allow the human race to procreate is proof enough of his malevolence.

Buddha, on the other hand, was one cool cat. Granted, he likely didn't exist either, and is just an archetype for people to pattern their lives after. And, true, Buddha is not a deity in the traditional sense, so even if he did exist, it's not like he created the world or anything.

But anyway, none of that matters, because Buddha WOULD create Fridays if he were one of those cool creation-deities like the Judeo-Christian god, or allah .

Buddha would be ALL OVER Fridays. Because Friday is the end of the work week, and Buddha promoted the Middle Way, which could be interpreted as a balance between work and play. And Fridays, at least Friday nights, are all about PLAY.

Fuck Mondays. It's all about Friday. And Saturday. And Sunday.

Come to think of it, fuck Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday too.

I'm not sure the Buddha would approve of doing away with the work week altogether, but I do know he would have no problem reveling in leisurely frivolity, the likes of which one seeks on weekends.

Speaking of doing away with the five-day work week, there is a group, Five Day Weekend, which promotes just that.

It's movements like this that prompt me ask myself, What Would Buddha Do?

Viva La Revolution!

My French boyfriend said my post about Frogs and Flags was a superficial analysis of the French situation. He didn't vote for Sarkozy, mind you - he votes Trotskyist whenever possible. But he thinks I didn't delve deeply enough into the situation.

But I'll be a benevolent blogger and leave the astute political analysis to Bill O'Reilly and Fox News. I'm just here to create a frivolous diversion to all the profoundly intellectual news coverage that pervades the airwaves.

You know, that dangerously liberal media we all hear so much about. It's a Commie Conspiracy and it'll have us all peeing PINK!

Outsource this

I have a novel idea: Outsource CEOs. Fire every executive, and leave them with no retirement package or any tangible benefits whatsoever. Then give their jobs to workers in India for $2 an hour.

It's all part of globalization, we'll tell them, as they weep into their styrofoam coffee cups full of peddled change.

Frogs and flags

You know what? Fuck fascism. French President-elect Nicolas Sarkozy is promising to usher in a new era for France, one wherein the frogs will relish their Frenchy-ness anew. In other words, he wants to bring back Napoleon-style Nationalism. Ooooh, cool - we need more flag-flapping freaks in the world, just like the ones who inundate the sanitized suburbs of Generica.

Whatthefuckever.

We love to stir meaningless debate and it shows

According to the Atlanta Urinal Constipation , there's a controversy brewing over Delta's new logo. Because, of course, it matters what the hell a plane LOOKS like, as opposed to how well it, oh, I dunno - IS BEING MAINTAINED.

Because, you see, Delta's maintenance is being outsourced to, um, ANOTHER COUNTRY in order for the oh-so-beleagured company to save money. Poor Delta execs just weren't swimming in enough loot - after all, that extra mansion has a hefty mortgage!

Hopefully the next time you fly Delta the plane won't fall apart mid-air.

Just a happy thought for the day.

We love to outsource and it shows

So Delta Airlines emerged from bankruptcy, and set out to spend millions on a new logo and paint job for its planes to herald the company's rebirth.

So let me get this straight: Delta couldn't afford to keep thousands of workers such as the ever-important maintenance crew, and treated other employees to severe paycuts, and yet it can slap down thick stacks of greenbacks for some new hues and a slick hollow phrase?

I have a proposal for a new logo, and I donate it to the airlines absolutely free of charge:




Hey, I'll even throw in a gallon of paint to help get them started.