Rory Christopher's blog thinger

Unnamed

2011-02-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

I have never been told to hate the junkie on the street
To judge her value by her smell or filth or bare feet.
And if I could choose whether she should live or die,
The choice is clear, I would choose life.

As for the bigot full of malice and anger

I still have not been told to hate him either.
And if I could choose whether he should live or die,
The choice is clear; for him, I choose life.

Being so young, I have not been told to be enraged
At the killer living in his cage.
Though the jury, judge, and law think he should die,
The choice is clear; for him, I choose life.

And the mother who chooses: “a baby is too much”

For her reputation, comfort, career, and such.
Or the Doctor helping her deal with the strife,
I still don’t hate either; for them, I choose life.

Or preachers and politicians condemning all of the above
I don’t know how to hate them, my first instinct is love.
He shouts and distorts each circumstance, saying they deserve to disappear, be locked away, or die.
But if it were my choice, I would choose life.

The truth is, I hate no one, I’m too young and new.
I’ve not been told to hate, I wouldn’t know what to do.
I’m an unborn child with a head, heart, fingers, and veins
I can kick, I can fumble, I can play and sleep.
And with my ears, I can hear my mother weep
When the doctor says “You’ll be alright; no one, today, will be dying!”
It doesn’t help, 'cause she keeps crying.
It starts. I see light. I can feel the knife!
At this point, I may be the only one; but for me, I choose life.

Excitement Roars as Canadiens Become Real Americans

2010-11-09T22:22:00.000-08:00

Ottawa: Today there is a new attitude in the Canadian Capitol as the people chant: “Yes We Can,” and “Oui, nous pouvons.”

“We wish to show unity with our new leader,” said Dominique Peridot, a Hot-dog vendor at a rally in downtown Ottawa on Saturday. “Yes we can finally be free. Yes we can use real money, not that fake funny-money we’ve been peddling all this time. Yes we can! Yes we can!”

The US Government took over the Canadian Capitol on Wednesday as a result of a bet President Obama won against Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. According to Canadian Press Secretary Sara MacIntyre, President Obama was depressed last month and drunk dialed Prime Minister Harper, lamenting that the Republicans were going to take over the House of Representatives in the upcoming election. Prime Minister Harper tried to console him by wagering the entire Canadian government; he believed the Republicans were “old news,” he said in a phone interview on Friday, “If it wasn’t for all the Absinthe I’ve been drinking lately, I wouldn’t have made such a frivolous bet; but, I’m sure President Obama will do a great job. And to be honest, I’m quite happy that we will actually be Americans now.”

“I have great hope for the people of Canada and in these exciting and unique moments we can now share our freedom with our northern neighbors.” President Obama said at the rally in Ottawa on Saturday, “I’ll see that each and ever child will have have the education he or she deserves. They will be free from the threat of terrorism, have a genuine opportunity to escape poverty, and most especially, will one day have free medical care.”

The Presidential Cabinet was ecstatic after hearing the news on Wednesday, “We may have lost The House on Tuesday” said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, “But we got Canada!”

Dear future employer,

2010-03-11T01:40:00.000-08:00

I have been unemployed for three long and pretty dull and really disheartening months. The reality is I have been looking for jobs nonstop and I have applied over and over to every vague and non-compelling job description you all post week after week. Each time I find a post worth my time, I submit a great looking résumé –customized for each job description– accompanied by a genuine and mildly witty cover letter tailored as specifically as possible to the listing. Seriously folks, I am doing a pretty good job applying quickly after you post the position, with no errors, and to your specifics.
Don’t think I am simply submitting a generic résumé, without regard to who you are and who you’re looking for. If you reveal who you are, I research your company and I even come in person to introduce myself (unless the ad says not to); but, I am almost always turned away with the directive, “go ahead and submit your CV online.” This letter is to let you know that this sucks; you can do better.
I want to help you out a little bit so you can attract you next best employee. I see that most of you are in a rut posting the same bane thing over and over; you read an ad then mimic it. Since most of the posts are pure crap, you seem to write something of the same caliber. Every ad goes like this:

Our company is a results driven, exciting and rewarding company is seeking an energetic, self starting, dynamic, team player who is highly motivated to succeed while respecting the team, the company’s ethical standards, and the bottom line. Qualifications The right person for the job has the same skill set as anyone else with a four-year degree, a pulse, and a magic genie that will some how land him or her this position since 1,000 will apply before the sun reaches it’s apex. Requirements -Really really Detail Oriented -Have an unexplained but specific type of experience -Have an IQ above room temperature -Can do exciting dynamic work without supervision -Can work in an exciting team setting -Is way computer literate -Can lift things without getting a hernia -You breath in and out all day (and night) Duties -Showing up on time -Being generally dynamic -Dressing, being, and acting professional -Doing things no one really wants to do -Do things like copying and answering phones and using a pen and gossiping -Using useful software Please contact us using the craigslist email link so we may remain anonymous and so our email service sends your resume directly into the junk mail folder with the Penis Pumps and Russian Wives and Credit Card scams.

What I do assume is you can tell I am being sarcastic; what I do not assume is that you know how to write an ad that would land me, the right person for the job, the job. See, I’m a fantastic employee, very fun, really smart, a damn good multitasker, and just awesome with computers; especially the programs you need me to use. I’m punctual, I have a BA, great with everyone, and just straight worth my paycheck. The problem is I don’t stand out because you have hundreds –if not thousands– of other people competing against me for the same position; you get overwhelmed then delete my résumé just before you take a shot of bourbon. This is bad for both of us because you need an employee that kicks ass and I need a job.

Matter of fact, the whole system has become so impersonal because of the fluffy jargon you use that no one even gives responses! I have applied for hundreds of jobs and have been called three times and emailed twice. This is not balanced. I should be getting a lot more official rejection than this!

What you need to do is stop using lame descriptions like “dynamic” and “team-player” and “motivated,” while also leaving out the details that are typical to every damn job listing. We all know stapling is not exciting so don’t use that word. Skiing is exciting, not data entry. Just state “this is an office job” or “expect office duties,” be straight forward about it. You will know right away if the applicant caught on. That should weed out at least half of the generics who send the same resume to VCA and they would CVS. The cover letters will all of a sudden not fit in; the CV will not match your post and, voilá, you just delete Mr. or Mrs. not-gonna-get-the-job!
How do you know that a great applicant’s email is not filtered into your trash because of the wrong subject line or because it’s from craigslist’s forwarding service? You don’t; so, you need to ask for something specific, like a particular subject line. This is a good strategy because your email program has the ability to auto filter. Say the subject line you want is “RE: Data entry” then an email with the subject “I <3 Working” can just go in the trash. You don’t want them anyway because they are not “detailed oriented” which is your first qualification, right? This filtering strategy will automatically find your detail oriented employee for you! Of course, everyone applying is detail oriented, right? As well as dynamic, exciting, willing to stay overtime, and a great team player. However, you won’t know this for sure unless you have an interview with the applicant. So why not weed out the slow folks before you get to that point? If you did this I would have met you by now.
What to do now
First, we know the job market is flooded with applicants. We also know that the vague and tedious and cliché job listings attract everyone: the dullards, the pot heads, the surfers, the liars, the musicians, and also –to my chagrin– me; because we all need jobs. We learned that being anonymous is not as good as you think. We also found out that details in the post are better than bullshit cliché descriptors since everyone is what you want them to be when they are looking for a job. And, your email can do a lot of the sorting for you.

I hope you read this with the intent to change your ways. Seriously, it must be frustrating arranging interviews only to settle for the least bad decision. I’m sure many of you get lucky since there are a lot of talented folks looking for employment; but, we all know why this place is called the Granola Bay: It’s full of fruits, flakes, and nuts. So, don’t hire any of them if you don’t have to. Post a listing that excludes the fluff and includes only necessary information about the position; and most importantly, stop being so damn impersonal.

My Heart Bleeds

2008-10-07T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am not a scientist or philosopher. I have not exhausted the depths of scientific discovery or waded into the philosophical pesterings of all the “why”s and “how”s of existence and nature and purpose. Nor am I an artist –not in any traditional sense– but I do have a sense of what is communicated in art, even bad art, an expression of one’s self, being, perception, and experience.

One of my favorite artists is Bob Dylan. He confuses me and I have found why confusion is admirable. He doesn't communicates an answer or direct interpretation of life; but rather, the confusion we all feel about war and love, beauty and suffering. Dylan, in many ways, has combined a strange string of sounds and words that seems to give a substantive realization of the pain that nurtures the human heart.

Beauty is not found in an evasion of life, but rather, an embrace of it. Recently, I had been given a bit more struggle than I cared to accept; but, as I denied any control over my life and accepted the hardness and painful situation I was in, I found that my heart hurt with something wholesome...a poetic sadness, an aching so profound that the my tears of confusion and angry soundless screams were only icons of reality, symbols of a situation far more independent of me than I will ever understand.

Burning in my soul were unanswered petitions to God, submitted under full moons and atop stained linoleum. The entire package of life weighed more than I could bear. It pressed me and hurt me, pressing me so close to the floor the very groans i uddered caused my heart to fissure and split, opening it in an unexpected seizure of newness, aching, and enlightenment.

I do not want to discredit happiness with my new-found appreciation for its opposite, happiness is beautiful; however, it is rarely memorable. Pleasure is nice, but it did nothing for my broken heart; it seemed only to split it, like a cracked windshield de-iced with hot water. It would have been my ruin if I were not wisely counseled to embrace life and the pain that comes with it.

This embrace delivered me to a very personal and irresistible conclusion about the cosmos. Not one based on philosophy or research (I’m not qualified to even write on those things) but on the fact of beauty. The confusion of Dylan or the chaos of Van Gough exemplifies a creativity that derives from am empirical source, a deliberate and conscious extraction of one’s heart. No one did not write, “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue,” Dylan did. Someone painted Starry Night, it was Van Gough!

I’m reminded of an anecdote about a man who believes he is dead. He is questioned by his doctor about being dead and what he knew about dead men. The doctor asked gently but deliberately, “Do dead men dream?” The man said, “I dream.” The doctor, dissatisfied asked, “Do dead men bleed?” The man, understanding they don’t, answered, “No, they don’t bleed.” So, the doctor pricked the man’s finger with a pin; the man retracted his hand, examined it, and responded, “I guess dead men do bleed.”

Same is for many who are in complete denial of something so obvious: we are here, humanity is a creation and an artist did it. The heart of a creator is exposed in us and around us, through and in everything. God condescended, like Chagall or Caravaggio, to a tiny brush, to expose a deep heart, filled with love and beauty. However, since many have an allegiance to a belief about nothingness, they deny the beauty of our existence, a world of grandeur manifests God’s artistry while many cleave to an abhorrence of fact, arrogantly concluding that dead men bleed.

A descriptive -ism

2008-09-03T23:39:00.000-07:00

Permissiveness, often confused with compassion or tolerance, is really a distorted version of liberality, which deserves a particular suffix, -ism.

Permissivenessism is controversial while being an obviously popular attribute to our social ethos since it is in most forms of contemporary entertainment. The controversy is not around its existence, but rather, its intensity. From the time just after the civil war, we have had what is called a “cultural revolution,” that developed into a “sexual” revolution; this turning over and upheaval of the social norms raised hell in an inconsistent, but “moral,” society. The revolution brought idioms like, “if it feels good, do it,” and “it’s all good.” The mentality motivating an “it’s all good,” attitude is what sums up the permissiveness of our ethos.

Permissivenessism is well demonstrated in the television show, Friends. Friends is funny, sexually savvy, clever, and, most of all, young. The characters are not well established and immature; they really do not get life. Each character constantly comes to grip with the immorality that prevails over any sort of tradition, embracing the newness of the American joie de vivre. Moralists are negatively portrayed, if ever in the script at all. Usually, the characters are shedding any sort of moralistic tendencies. This is the religion of Friends, permissivenessism; the catalyst to “happiness.”

If you made it this far, you must be wondering where I am going, what direction is this diatribe taking you. Here it is; permissiveness is the prelude to a few things.

Being Judgmental: This false sense of compassion makes people who are given to permissiveness to judge acutely the motives, as though they know what they are, of another's opinions and beliefs. This false liberality is, in fact, a subtle way of making up excuses for behavior that is inconsistent with an individuals moral code, usually beset upon them by his or her parents or religious leaders.
Loss of faith: this is another aspect to permissiveness; faith which involves tradition and morality, especially a traditional morality, is incompatible with immoral lifestyles, so, once the judging starts, once the moral arrogance settles in one’s mind/heart, there is no room for a substantive faith. The guidance of morality and tradition are replaced by a blind allegiance to social fads like tramp stamp tattoos and political pseudo-messiahs like Barack Obama.
Disregard of human dignity: human dignity has really become the bitch of modern liberalism. Permissiveness has disregarded the mystery of human life and its intrinsic value, stigmatizing these notions as prehistoric. As human dignity took a backseat, we have seen sexuality smother common sense and whole-heart arrogance condemn the democratic voices of the past. As a result, humanity is now considered the offspring of a semen-swill that existed millions of years ago, a purposeless accident which has infected our earth with religion, patriarchy, and capitalism.

The obvious conclusion to this conclusion is a sense of hopelessness. Permissivenessism is hopeless; it is a nihilistic religion, which causes duty, morality, and honor to scurry from one’s creed like Baptists at a wine tasting. Real compassion considers consequences, real liberality is a form of kindness that is not based on prejudice; it is morality lived while permissivenessism is immorality imposed.

On hypocrisy and US ignorance.

2008-08-16T16:49:00.000-07:00

...Americans have many fine qualities. A capacity to see ourselves as others see us is not high among them.

Imagine a world that never knew Ronald Reagan, where Europe had opted out of the Cold War after Moscow installed those SS-20 missiles east of the Elbe. And Europe had abandoned NATO, told us to go home and become subservient to Moscow.

How would we have reacted if Moscow had brought Western Europe into the Warsaw Pact, established bases in Mexico and Panama, put missile defense radars and rockets in Cuba, and joined with China to build pipelines to transfer Mexican and Venezuelan oil to Pacific ports for shipment to Asia? And cut us out? If there were Russian and Chinese advisers training Latin American armies, the way we are in the former Soviet republics, how would we react? Would we look with bemusement on such Russian behavior?

For a decade, some of us have warned about the folly of getting into Russia's space and getting into Russia's face. The chickens of democratic imperialism have now come home to roost – in Tbilisi.

Pat Buchanan - Full article found here: http://www.lewrockwell.com/buchanan/buchanan93.html

A Human Life: Summary

2008-07-21T11:18:00.000-07:00

January 29, 1950 Christopher Rory Hoops was born. He grew up in Southern California with four siblings and two loving parents. He was surrounded by love, books, music, and exotic plants from his father’s garden.

In his teens, Chris met the world. His good and bad relationships ultimately lead to a conversion to the Christian faith, returning him to the Lutheran and Catholic roots of his parents, seeking solace and comfort in Jesus Christ.

In his late teens, he studied constantly, absorbing as much wisdom as he could from his mentors, pastors, teachers, and parents. His late twenties we full of adventures, teaching full time, and leading many ministries while attending college.

When he was twenty-seven, he married a woman who would become the foundation of his home, the greatest gift God would bestow upon him, Gail Melinda Turner. When he was twenty-nine, his first child, Erin Christine, was born. And his second and third, Christopher Rory, Jr., and Michael Charles, were given to him when he was thirty-two and thirty-nine.

The day Michael was born, Chris was diagnosed with an undefined strand of Hepatitis and, a couple years later, it was named Hepatitis, type C. He was informed that his life must slow down and he needed to find a quiet place to live out the few years he had left. In 1991, Chris left the congregation he founded and pastured since 1980, and moved his family to the northeast corner of Washington State.

Washington had many trials for him. He lost his health and many friends, but the most profound loss was his daughter and firstborn, Erin, at age sixteen. Chris was able to receive a new liver, which blessed him with years of borrowed time. These fourteen years let him run his own book store, raise impressive gardens year after year, run a small farm, adopt three loving daughters, teach –which was his passion–, see Michael graduate high school, and Christopher’s wedding and college graduation.

Late 2001, Chris moved his family back to California, taking a teaching job for a year. A controversy over him using the Godfather Trilogy in Bible class and clear signs of his health failing lead him to a decision to move from Santa Cruz to Roseville, leaving the teaching job.

Late 2005, Chris’ health steadily declined and by late 2006, trips to the hospital became routine, scares about his passing were frequent. In winter of 2007, Chris’ health plateaued; by March of 2008 news about his kidneys subsequently removed him from the transplant list. The end was eminent.

Many people were able to visit him, and he was happy to receive their company. They talked about faith, politics, and life in general. He cried with some and laughed with many. Late June was when death’s shadow overtook him with discomfort, pain, and a helpless, nightly yearning to be with the Lord. Around 2:45 on July 17, a Thursday, Chris gave up his spirit, breathing his last with his wife by his side. He left behind a faithful, loving widow, children and siblings who love him, and countless friends who honor his memory.

Rich, Poor, Taxation, and Paris Hilton

2008-06-14T15:47:00.000-07:00

Taxing the upper class is one of those ideological, liberal clichés that never really works. The upper class are responsible for providing opportunity, stability, and reasonable dynamics to the economy which would not otherwise be achieved. Money needs to be spent to make it, this is the greatest provision of the rich, they invest their capitol because they want more of it. They want to stay rich.

Providing jobs and capitol and creativity to the business world is what the rich are about, that is why they are rich. There are people like Paris Hilton and Michael Jackson who are now a laughing stock because of their perverse wealth; however, they are rich because of the lower and middle classes. Let me explain.

The Hilton family owns hotels. Paris scrapes the creme of the top, but, the Hilton family provides jobs and an excellent dynamic to the hotel industry. Something to emulate, something to surpass. This raises the standards because now, even lower classes can often afford to stay at the Hilton which has, through the Hilton families ingenuity, forced crappy businesses, like Motel 6, to step up their game.

The rich, or in this case the Hiltons, are a reason we have better hotels and so many of the lower and middle classes have jobs in the hospitality market that allow them to step up from rags. Paris is a loser, we all know that, she unfortunately gets to reap the rewards of her family’s hard work. But, that is their cross, so to speak.

Michael Jackson is rich because of the lower class as well. He was lower class at some point, he appealed to the irreligious lobe of the social brain through his post-gospel music, his swinging and jiving. This was the Jackson 5 shtick. The people bought it, funding his success. Same with the Beetles, from which Jackson, for quite a while, literally reaped the benefits.

Getting back to the investing rich… Not all rich are like Michael Jackson and Paris Hilton. Most of them we have never heard of, will never know. Many of them invest in companies, anonymously contributing to a conglomerate success which, in turn, necessitates a bottom line. The rich only invest to maintain a reasonably profit margin. When taxes are raised, expenses are likewise raised. This raises the cost of production (service, distribution, product) while shrinking the profit margin they so disparately need in order to stay wealthy.

To put it simply, if 10 loafs of bread costs $1.00, for all 10 to be made, then sold for $3.00 each this creates an income of (10x3-10) $20.00 revenue per every ten loafs. If the cost goes up to $1.50 for the same ten loafs this will impact the revenue of the company. When looking at 10 loafs, it does not seem like much, it is a .50 cent loss. Likewise, when a company is making thousands of loafs a day, a small increase in expense will ultimately impact the business to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars a year. Artificially, through higher taxes, the cost of living goes up because it will not be just bread, it will be everything involved in the cost of living; gas, water, meat, coffee, toothpaste, etc.

Adversely, lowering taxes for the middle class in only a compensation for the harm done to the upper class trough tax hikes. This strategy obviously will not impact revenue as much as it will cost.

The best case scenario, the status quo will be maintained; the most likely scenario is the cost of living goes up. This is what Obama has promised to do: raise taxes for the rich, lower it for the middle class. What this translates to, the middle and lower class quickly become one class and the leap from burlap to cashmere will be wide and virtually insurmountable. What needs be done-what makes the most sense-is lower taxes for everyone, working toward eliminating the income tax all together. This will naturally lower the cost of living, increase productivity, open the job market, buttress the stock-market while raising the standard of living for the nation simply because cost will decrease while profit margin goes up. The dollar conversely goes further.

What lowering taxes won't do is help the banks. They depend on poverty; alas, that is a different subject.

Ron Paul on Mancow's Morning Madhouse

2008-04-16T23:39:00.000-07:00

As they say: "Live Free or Diebold"

2008-04-11T15:01:00.001-07:00

Diebold is the company that manufactures and maintains the electronic voting devices. They have been under extreme scrutiny by everyone, besides the Government, even after many mishaps this year; in states like South Caroilna and Iowa, these machines eft no paper trail and are programed and maintained and adjusted by Diebold, who's name ironically discloses their trust-worthiness.

The Onion, a fake news organization which, by every observation and standard, rocks, has the obvious truth of Diebold pinned. As is often the case with satire, the truth is more like fiction then we would like to think.

This video says it all:

My new latte art video

2008-04-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

Coffee must be prepared with care. That said, watch my latte art video that is so hard rock it will make you jittery...

Bear Stearns: RIP

2008-03-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

Obituary
March 18th, 2008

The life of Bear Stearns was prematurely taken this week when the US economy realized the effects of the diabolical schemes this loan Bank and its furiously hell-bent ilk planned and perpetrated on the lower and middle classes for almost 100 years, cooperating with the deceitfully obtuse Federal Reserve. When Bear Stearns’s value crashed, losing millions to the devaluation of the dollar, it was picked apart and cannibalized by the Fed for two dollars a share, only to be remembered as an example of rich soulless bastards getting their just deserts.

During the early years, Bear Stearns earned a nice niche for itself as a banking franchise while specializing in loans, securities, and corporate/individual credit. During the years, the company saw many successes, including the dehumanization of Americans who were stretched just a little too thin and could not pay their bills. Bear Stearns was there to assist them in their times of need by raising interest rates and keeping financial freedom far from the reach of those in the lower and middle classes.

When success was obvious, Bear Stearns never squinted as they made poor loan holders squirm. The long arm of Bear Stearns was intimately involved in the destruction and collapse of many dreams. Bear Stearns, like many investment banks, has had a diversity of clients but never failed to fuse them with the unifying factor of indentured servitude while at the same time witling away the US Economy.

Bear Stearns, R.I.P.

Kosovo and the Feds

2008-03-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

A cold December day in 1850 South Carolina seceded from the Union. Following the secession were multiple acts of aggression by the US Federal Government. When reinforcing Fort Sumter, the federal government began a new chapter in American History; they refused to let several states leave a union which no longer served their interest, including the Palmetto State's.

Following the Fed's antagonism and a battle or two in SC, many southern states also seceded from a government they found to be dangerous and degenerate. War ensued. With over 600,000 deaths, almost 1 million casualties, and unquantifiable fiscal damage to the southern states, the south lost what many consider a second War for Independence.

Kosovo faces similar struggles – though not identical in motivation – to the Antebellum South, they seek autonomy apart from a prejudice government. The US Federal government seems to have a double standard. Though a hypothetical situation, what if California were to secede... or more realistically, Texas once more attempted to leave this unrealized democracy?
Is it probable? Of course not. The federal elite, whom ever they may have been at different times over the last 150 years, have never rescinded authority. The facts are, they would refuse to let them loose of its tentacles so as not to disappointed the special interests who have an undying thirst for power; none of them can comprehend personal freedom or self rule. Once they see a sign of weakness, like in Serbia’s case with Kosovo, they latch on to the dissenting crowd with a lasting grasp, holding tight until self-destruction and finality.

Our government supports the rebellious Kosovo because it is a new nation, which will one day be a puppet of the Western Neo-Con Elite. It is in the interest of interventionist rulers like Daddy Bush and Clinton and G-Dubb, and the next one to keep dissidence and violence afoot wherever they extend an arm of power. There are many arms to this beast, many heads and legs but only one heart: exploited US taxpayers.
Multiple conflicts, like those in the West Bank, Korea, Cuba, and South America would end eventually if the US stops intervening in the affairs of other peoples. After a retrospective observance of 170 years of American international wrongdoings, I guess it would not hurt to remind Americans of the Monroe Doctrine:

In the wars of the European powers, in matters relating to themselves, we have never taken part, nor does it comport with our policy, so to do. It is only when our rights are invaded, or seriously menaced that we resent injuries, or make preparations for our defense.

The miserable reality is the beast will lose power when we, the exploited taxpayers, cannot pay the bills any longer. As we fall, the puppet nations, like South Korea, Iraq, Israel, and now Kosovo, will be able to prosper more than ever because they no longer wear the American interventionist leash. Their success will be the epilogue of our downfall as long as we refuse to remove the ruling class of the US, with their war-mongering, special interest, smoke filled room bullies who pull the strings and push the buttons of American federal policy makers.

A Short Thought on Hockey

2008-03-08T12:42:00.000-08:00

I used to loath sports I found them to be arbitrarily exciting, nothing real worth my time. When I found hockey, my opinion changed. I was in the 14th row from the ice, five days ago, when San Jose Sharks defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-4. It was a glorious match and the excitement still flows through my veins.

Congress Keeps its best

2008-03-05T16:58:00.000-08:00

Ron Paul kept his congressional seat. I thought you all should know. He won with about 70% of the votes in his favor. the neo-con, Chris Pedan, who opposed him hadn't a chance. Obviously, the establishment thought they could sink their puss-dripping, gingivitises-cloaked teeth into the home district of the taxpayer's white knight; they're sorely mistaken.

If the 14th district of Texas has anything to do with it, the warmonger beast of psychopathic earth funking will not, I repeat, WILL NOT take him away from us.
Ron Paul, the true patriot, conservative, and legislative hero opposes and always has opposed:

Restricting the internet
The Iraq war
Any tax increase
Any corporate welfare check
Environmentally disruptive legislation
The Nazi-esc, fascist, media regimes who manipulate and infect and decay the gray matter of dream-filled American cerebrum.
Protecting the evil, maniacal credit agency bastards who rob us of financial freedom by promising big dreams of spending bliss while delivering an unbearable yoke of consumerism sadness and chattel-slavery ungodliness.
The racist war on drugs
The abortion monopoly and its federally funded eugenics-based hegemony of death
And the suck-you-dry, kill-the-middle-class, and-kick-em-while-their-down, god-damned IRS.

Thank God almighty and the Saints Ron Paul continues to fight for us, against the machine. And thank Ron Paul while your at it!

Definitely not, not Maybe

2008-03-04T23:25:00.000-08:00

I drank beer today. Not unusual considering its one of my favorite byproducts of microscopic organisms farting and crapping out otherwise unlikable resources like wheat and water. Things that really are no good without some sort of alteration. In this case, fairly major ones.
I had these beers early in the day, which is the best time to drink, you know, to get an early start on a happy ending to my day off. But, they were consumed after watching a movie: Definitely, Maybe.
I saw this movie with another man. I was consequently accused of being “gay.” I found this accusation humorous considering my secondary, though decisive, motives for watching the film. How it was “gay” to see this movie with another dude is beyond me. It seems gay in a way, I guess. But it was a heterosexual film, with good actors, a good story, and many attractive women. Again, how is this gay?
“Gay” involves various physical activities I have never engaged in, a sexual preference that does not reflect my own, and a sense of style and manor equal to or better than Clinton Kelly’s (something which I have never been accused of having).
So, why is it not "gay" to see this film with a guy and not a gal? I really have no suitable answer. A lot of people think it is. I am convinced otherwise. I don't know why, but its not.

On Immunization and Freedom

2008-02-26T12:41:00.000-08:00

Health and freedom seem to be the ultimate end of any function of the government. Without life and good health, how can we be free, seek happiness or raise a family. Thus, the ultimate and deepest implications of immunization are societal as well as scientific. Small Pocks, HPV, German Measles, all take their toll on society because they are so contagious; their significant danger is the purpose for immunization and litigating a requirement for them may be a safe and easy way to end the curse of many preventable diseases.
The controversy does not center on whether they work or not. Vaccination works. The odd increase in disabilities and ailments over the last 100 years is what causes so much tumult, in the public square, at the mention of vaccines. ADD, auto-immune, and neurological disorders have been on a steady rise as the commonplace usage of vaccines have risen. Many nations who do not have common vaccines have other problems, however; they deal with measles and whooping cough, problems much worse, often fatal, and significantly more dismal then the possible side effects of immunization.
However, there is another element often overlooked. Though epidemics are frightening and deadly and possibly apocalyptic, they do not surmount the threat of unbridled power. Power is a disease which makes a healthy society sick and infused with death. Power can be wielded in such a way that a human life is but a cluster of digits representing a heartbeat. When the rights over a human person is stripped from an individual at birth, the sickness, like an epidemic, spreads ever more rapidly.
Within the Nazi German rule, in less than 20 years, we saw Eugenics eradicating an entire continent of particular races, dysfunctions, lifestyles, and creeds. Similarly, after the Russian empire fell to the bloody Bolsheviks, the deadly epidemic of power started with one family and ended 80 years later with a nuclear explosion in Chernobyl. Certainly, the bigger issue is not biological or microscopic or scientific; the issue is personal.
Yes, epidemics arrive without notice and they kill and scar humanity. However deadly they may be, personal freedom to choose what enters one’s own body, or the bodies of his or her children, is eminently more important. Personal liberty, beginning with rights over one’s own body, is the first step toward fettering power that descends like a plague within moments.

Open the Box

2008-02-25T21:49:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted a website that just did all the work for you. You log in, then with a swivel of the mouse and tap of the keyboard, you get what you want, no searching and squinting and irking. Maybe you didn’t even know such a site could, would, or should exist. It does; at least for music anyway.

There is a place so perfect, so simple, so personal, it evokes a pandemonium of inner glee once you understand its ease and simplicity. It is like having greatness before you, wonderfully presented in the glow of your screen; a digital display of online perfection. Looking upon this site, you won’t help but feel moved and cherished; as if someone out there knows you are an individual who has a song or artist or sound that is a part of you, an extension of who you are. That someone goes unhailed and unthanked, bus has left behind what many have stumbled upon: Pandora dot com.

The Story of Coffee: A Tragedy?

2008-02-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

The most commonplace product seems to live what can easily be considered an exciting existence. Particularly underappreciated as a globally desired product, the intriguing story of coffee is widely unknown. Most coffee beans are hand picked, dried, and nurtured for months, before they are sorted, selected, and sewn into rough, humble, burlap bags, all by hand. They are heaved, from mountaintops and valleys, onto the back of workers who carry them to local markets. At these markets, they earn pennies for their labor, while the beans make their journeys around the globe.

There is a sad ending, however, to the life of a coffee bean because many brewers –particularly in the US- abuse, ignore, and overlook the nature of coffee. Its delicate disposition, cultivated through months of toil and observance, respect and care, goes unnoticed as each bean is smashed and torn and destroyed; plucked from its should-be actualization of perfection and perverted into a caffeine infused, wannabe-sink-water foulness.

There is an alternative ending, one of beauty and unhurried dedication. This real life parable of the meek coffee bean is accomplished by the few, the attentive, the devout. An exultant and perfect end, with delight and pleasure in each sip, is fulfilled by those who, to put it simply, take their time. Any coffee shop, barista, or consumer can produce the alternative ending. Learning the proper pulling, grinding, and steaming technique will save the beans from inexcusable abuse, providing their story the ending it clearly deserves, complex, exciting, and rarely told.

The tragedy that is “coffee” must end. There needs to be a happy finality to the tale, not morose or depressing, scandalizing the sweat and sorrow dedicated to each bean. Rather preferable is a conclusion that is fulfilling and gratifying, reverently delicious.

Café Finesse

2008-02-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

A "gentleman's drink," "hood," whatever you want to call it, is a meticulous matrimony of espresso and steamed milk, knit together to become what is commonly known as a cappuccino. The cappuccino stands as one of the most misunderstood experiences available almost nowhere but offered everywhere. I cannot count the times I have ordered a cappuccino only to receive a mound of foam with abandoned espresso lamenting its extraction on the bottom. It is the wet kitten of coffee.

The cappuccino is more than just espresso and milk. It is not only espresso and foam either. The ceremonial blending of the elements is as tender and sensitive and romantic as a first kiss. The cappuccino is not a coffee drink, it is the coffee drink. It is not espresso but a perfection of it. Ordering a cappuccino "to go," as they say expecting a paper cup, is somewhat of a culinary indiscretion, but carelessly serving steamed milk, foam and espresso is a barefaced disregard for the drink altogether.

What is understood as a cappuccino and actually is a cappuccino are two different drinks. If one were to walk into that earth-toned brew butcher found on every corner from here to Uzbekistan, ordering a cappuccino is as easy as a snap of the finger; getting one is not. So, what is a cappuccino if not that nasty plop of foam and sour sludge? All this will mean very little to one who has never been behind the counter, while meaning much to a barista attempting to be a portafilter savant. So, I will write to the barista directly.

The grind will determine the quality of each pull depending on the roast, temperature, humidity, grinder, and age of the bean. The tightness of the pack and texture of the grind are the most important dynamics of the pulling process and fortunately the easiest to adjust once you’ve mastered the required finesse

Imagine a sponge sitting outside; it's dry and shriveled up. Now imagine the same sponge with water poured onto it. It expands. The same thing happens to coffee but in a smaller and more profound way. Opening a door or a change in weather can alter the espresso pull drastically, so you must remember: the coffee needs to be ground correctly to insure perfection in your shots. Silky, brownish reddish colored syrupiness will slowly reveal itself when done right. Remember, if it does not take patience, it is going too fast and will be a bitter disappointment.

Now, for where most baristas get lazy, the milk. So many shops can have a textbook shot but fail on the milk. The right pitcher is part of it: one with a pointed spout and round body is the correct shape —though not too big or small. It should hold about twice as much milk as necessary. Now, if you steam your milk more than once, stop reading, find the nearest bus to Arizona, go to the Grand Canyon, jump off.

Assuming you have the right amount of milk in the pitcher, the next step is to place the fully submerged steam wand about a half-inch from the side of the pitcher, turn it on and get a spin in the milk. (Note: longer steam wands are better.) If the milk is bubbling and not spinning, just tilt and adjust the position of the pitcher. Once you have figured out the rotation of the milk, let some air in by ever-so-gently exposing the tip of the wand, then resubmerge keeping the rotation in the milk. You will notice the sound change. Small, tight, barely shapeable foam is what you want, so this all needs to be done while the milk is still cool, otherwise the foam will be sad and non-existent.

During the steaming process, your shot(s) should be pulling. Multi-tasking is key to proper drink making and if you cannot do both, then stick to making drip until you get it. Once it reaches the appropriate temperature, you should pour the milky masterpiece into the espresso (some do it backwards, ignore them). You want to pour fast enough to keep the foam and milk united but slow down two-thirds to the top. Move the stream to the front edge and pour onto the edge of the cup —making a crescent moon shape— and gently shake the pitcher side to side. This will cause the milk to emerge through the crema; when this happens, pull backwards repeating the motion. When full, slow down and pour the milk past the front of the glass. This will knit the waves into one of the many latte art shapes, a leaf.

Note to the consumer: if your cappuccino is not made with such care, tranquility, obvious passion, then find another shop. Once you have had a real masterpiece, once the art of coffee has been revealed to you, the sub-standard mess of caffeinated sludge just will not do. Your tastes, through exposure and experience, will be illumined, only demanding the best out of a competitive industry offering a misunderstood, maltreated, and abused product generally known as coffee.

Mike "FairTax" Huckabee

2008-01-24T14:44:00.000-08:00

All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities. That means people below the poverty line won't be taxed at all. We'll be taxed on what we decide to buy, not what we happen to earn. We won't be taxed on what we choose to save or the interest those savings earn. The tax will apply only to new goods, so we can reduce our taxes further by buying a used car or computer.

This segment is from Mike Huckabee’s campaign website, a portion of his “FairTax” tax reform plan. I read this surprised and impress. It seems like a more than reasonable attempt to revert to a constitutional taxation process. Excise taxes, or what is commonly called consumption tax, is what the constitution outlines as a fair way to tax. Only the earnings one spends is taxed says the founders.

I read it again, “All of us will get a monthly rebate.” At this point I was inevitably forced to squirm with a joyful disbelief. It must be a dream, one of the most electable Republican candidates, a favorite of conservatives nation-wide, wants to give me money. Hell, I was almost convinced to cast a Huckabee vote just then!

For fun I read it again and saw this, “All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities.”

That's great! It's like one of those half awake/half asleep post martini consumption dreams, something more real then fake, like a Salvador Dali painting inspired by jazz; I was almost inspired to dance… almost.

Then the big wave of disappointment hit me, something I have not felt since I became aware of my social security number; the government will have to know a lot about me to give me this money. I like getting money. I also like my privacy . How will they know what I buy in order to give me a rebate? This sounds more like a give/take scenario where the taking is bigger than the giving. Let me explain.

I will get some money back. Probably not enough to matter, but the government will know what groceries I buy, what electronics I need for school, where I purchase underwear (how often) and then pay me diddles for the control gained through knowledge. This sounds like a tax plan complimentary to the Real ID Act. It will not just lure but pay us to accept it, to love it, to smile with a giggle behind our teeth waiting for the next tax season.

Real ID Hits the News

The simple but sad truth is this, if we have the Real ID accompanied by the FairTax, the government will always know -because they have some pretty kick-ass databases- how much money we have, where we are, what we buy and who we buy it with. This encroachment on personal privacy is an extreme abuse of power. For this reason (though, not this reason alone), I cannot vote for Governor Mike Huckabee.

Ron Paul on the Real ID

If you are not convinced about what constitutional taxation really is, if you think your income should be dibbed up to the government then you need to watch this.

My Video and a Ron Paul Masterpiece

2008-01-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

I spent my blog time on this video below, so give it a look see. But also watch the second one.

This Ron Paul promo is awesome

Counting Votes

2008-01-22T08:06:00.001-08:00

If our votes are counted by a private corporation, then the vote can go to the highest bidder. You know, the US spend millions trying to create a pen that would write in space when the Russians used a pencil. Can't the system that has worked in the past, though not as "advanced," be the safest way to ensure accurate counting of the vote?

Assuming the Diebold machines cost less than the paper ballots, we can still assume that the loss of democracy is a greater price we will pay. It's a price far greater than the inconvenience of accuracy.

A Dak Decision for Russia

2008-01-18T16:36:00.000-08:00

Under the guise the anti-extremism law, Russia has chosen to give the title "extremist" to the group, Voice of Beslan. This group consists of mothers of children killed in the Beslan incident in 2004. They criticize the Kremlin for their handling of the terrorist swarm that attacked the school leaving over 300 dead, the majority of whom were children, and have now been deemed extremists for their criticisms.

The full article can be found here. Though Russia is improving and has made significant strides in respecting and acknowledging human/civil rights; this is a dark stain and a sad moment in their progressing as nation as well as Putin's reputaiton as a benevolent leader.

More democracy, please

2008-01-16T14:22:00.000-08:00

"We need more democracy," was the final plea of President Bush as he tapered off his tour of the middle east. First, he praised the leader of Egypt who is known for extreme hostility toward opposition since the 80's, and then called for more "democracy."

How can Bush praise him, then ask him to change? Obviously President Hosni Mubarak is doing something right if he is getting a personal visit from the US President as well as accolades about the civil and national progress under his reign.

Bush also met with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia (below) whose human rights violations can be summed up in the picture to the right. What exactly is it about these dictators -- who have little to do with the American ideal-- that give Bush the loving tingles of adoration deserving a personal visit, or even a business deal involving laser guided missile technology priced above $120m.

I think that Bush is hoping to inaugurate some sort of happy-go-lucky friendship with not-so-friendly neighbors of Iran, or to quote the BBC, to "bolster the Saudis in the face of Iran." Do I need to mention that Russian President Vladimir Putin is quite hospitable to the Iranian leadership? This tenuous relationship could further impede any progress in our diplomacy with Russia who has a rising economy and advancing military.

In spite of a strained relationship, the Saudi and Iranian powers are still allied with one another. If we give them things that go boom and they remain allied while strengthening ties with Russia, we could very well be funding our own militant opposition...again.

It is very obvious, after reviewing the situations in Iraq, Israel, Pakistan, Afghanistan and so on, that the Bush administration is actively pursuing “democracy,” whatever that means.

From Bad to Worse

2008-01-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

Six terrible experiences

Aftermath of cheese grits from the Waffle House
Playing with this snake
Using Vista OS
Experiencing the Candiru fish in the in the Amazon (video here)
Watching 28 Weeks Later
Listening to Chris Cornell’s version of Ave Maria (much worse than the Candiru fish I am sure)

Paul and Biden give Neocons a SmackLazy Friday Video Blog

2008-01-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

All Rudy: Noun + Verb + 9/11

Fox Text Poll Results

By rebelghost | January 10, 2008

According to a Text Poll conducted by Fox News on who won the Myrtle Beach South Carolina Debate

Poll Winner Ron Paul received 32%

2nd place Fred Thompson received 22%

Mike Huckabee placed third at 18%

A Ten list of Great Pieces of Media

2008-01-10T17:25:00.000-08:00

CD: Across the Wire - Counting Crows
Movie: The Royal Tannenbaums- Wes Anderson
Book: Oxymoronica - Dr. Mardy Grothe
Website: Pandora Radio
Book: Christ the Eternal Tao - Hiromonk Damascene
CD: Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
TV Show: Arrested Development (Seasons 1,2,3) - Ron Howard
Column: Dave Barry - Miami Herold
Mac Application: Caffeine - Lighthead
Book: Heretics/Orthodoxy - G. K. Chesterton

Honorable Mention:
CD: Sackoth n' Ashes - Sixteen horsepower

The New Republic

2008-01-08T13:39:00.000-08:00

According to Angry White Man, an articulate attempt at a very cheap smear by The New Republic (Motto: Sticking it to the truth for quite some time), Dr. Ron Paul is, or at least was, a racist.

America's political tone of voice, especially concerning issues of race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation changed dramatically over the last thirty years.

If anything, Paul was writing to the libertarian mind in the parlance of the time. The libertarians of the 70's and 80's were not pursuing speech sensitivity training, but rather constitutional government. They wanted to prevent expensive illegal wars, fascism, and usury; not poor adjective selection.

The Paul we see now is the same Paul as back then. But like any reasonable man, he has evolved to meet the logical sensibilities his position has demanded of him, while avoiding the political and philosophical nonsense of today. The rhetoric is actually quite tedious and often counter-productive, encouraging silly articles like James Kirchick's recent smear.

Nothing about Dr. Ron Paul even insinuates that he has a bit of racism in his character. He has faithfully served a diverse population, and has been respectful in his rhetoric while keeping a constitutional and kind philosophy towards government and personal behavior.

More than I can say about this man
or this man
or this man
or this man.

What we have in Ron Paul is a self-motivated man who changes for the better.

The Coffee Clown

2008-01-07T16:36:00.000-08:00

According to this video, McDonald's is vying for a place in the gourmet coffee market. Given that I work in the gourmet coffee market, I cannot help but see this as a drastic distortion of a very delicate and under appreciated art form generalized by the word coffee. (Left: McDonald's being honest)

“Poor Man’s Crack,” or “Mud,” or “Joe” is as American as chaps and the obesity epidemic. Many know of the Boston Tea Party but few have been taught about the Seattle Coffee Soiree, where everyone dressed up like Indians, similar to the Boston event, but were more efficient from all the caffeine. This unfortunately led to a decrease in stability because everyone crashed afterwards. Waking up with awful headaches, the people started fighting with those wearing the color red leading to a scuffle with the British while planting the seeds for the USA’s long hatred for Communism.

This historical tale will not be found in history books because of its very vague and unverifiable nature. What we do know is the coffee boom or “Starbucks Craze” started in Seattle, Washington (what is affectionately known as the “Why-do-they-only-have-one-kind-of-tree State.” This “craze” spread all over the West Coast, From top to bottom everyone was buzzing around to get a bigger buzz on gourmet delicious coffee or what it’s more expensive name was, espresso. (Left: Artist depiction of the craze)

Coffee has finally been realized in its finest and most pretentious form, an ounce-sized portion of steam pulled acidic bliss that tastes slightly better than leftovers from an oil change. Espresso (known by lower IQ folks as “expresso”) is the ultimate caffeinated beverage. It combines the flavors of pure Arabic oil and fermented lemon peels with steamed milk, creating a drink that can justifiably be priced at about $3.55.

The true heroes are Jerry Baldwin, Zev Siegal and Gordon Bowker, the founders of the popular coffee shop, Starbucks, who named it after the infamous whale hunter Starbuck. During the Great Depression, Sir Gaylord Starbuck had been trying to produce coffee faster (hence the confusion of expresso vs. espresso) and for a larger price. He never succeeded in this venture, as he died a complete failure apart from one accomplishment, the live capture of an albino whale in Washington’s Puget Sound. (Right: Sir Gaylord Starbuck)

As you can see, coffee has a rich and sad history. One that should be actually researched. McDonald's has no right to distort this amazing beverage into the same type of falseness that is their burgers or chicken wings. I am sure that once espresso has been sent through the McDonald's machine, the beauty and sacred specialness that is America’s drug of choice will be nothing but another commonplace luxury that will some how make us fatter.

A New Virtue

2008-01-02T19:15:00.000-08:00

There is a pseudo-virtue that I cannot help but see as necessary to make it through a successful workday. I don’t know what to call it except a collective mindset. Many tasks at any job can be done by one person but they are often time consuming and messy. If another person steps in the job runs smoother; we know this ad idiom, "two heads are better than one."

The ethic is not complicated but it contradicts a very American sentiment, individualism. Where I work, if one person fails to do something, everyone fails. If one person succeeds, likewise, everyone succeeds. Though not commonly perceived, such is life outside of work.

Independent of whether the society adapts the collective mindset, any single individual can have one making society a better place. I cannot consider this pseudo-ethic as a sane dictum of governance, I am a libertarian after all; though it would undoubtedly be pleasantly enculturated if each person took it upon him or herself to look after each other.

Shadows of a Romanov

2008-01-01T19:29:00.000-08:00

Much speculation about President Putin has plagued the media for a few years now. Putin was chosen as Time Magazine’s “Person of the Year” and is often featured on the front page of publications worldwide. While regularly compared to Russia’s great leaders of the last one hundred years, the Russian President has been vilified as the next Stalin by many as they ignore what may in fact be an unfamiliar patriotism: pragmatic and devout. Writers, with tilted heads and curious pens, hypothesize as to his ambitions, hostilities, and credibility; they attempt to solve the strange riddle that is President Putin.

Modern Russia has more than one hundred years of history; consequently, the riddle won’t be solved apart from a historical perspective. Though a Stalinist hue may refract on occasion, Putin’s authoritarian genius has a stride and manner that resembles more closely his personal hero, Peter the Great.

By the end of the 20th century, Russia had crumbled. Her President, the gangster turned patriot Boris Yeltsin, couldn’t help but do wrong in spite of his passionate vision for a strong and proud nation. Through years of drunken cameos and sloppy leadership, he made Russia a jester in the international court.

Putin has a rare solemnity about him, a cast-iron composure with no signs of incapability or personal weakness. If he really were the next Stalin, he certainly could be a ruthless despot. Nonetheless, the shadow that follows him is not one of purges and famine but rather one of order and progress. While Russia is stepping away from Soviet style governance she has not, for the first time since the fall of the Berlin wall, felt obliged to curtsy whenever Western leaders care to dance.

Putin’s demeanor exhibits a remembrance of the nightmare that was Russia for the last one hundred years. It’s as though Putin is taking all the prima facie steps, missed by Tsar Nicholas the last Romanov, which would have stabilized the Russia he lead from the same Kremlin—one hundred years ago—before disorder turned into revolution.

Since his inauguration, he has maintained a high rate of approval for what have been an anything but clumsy two terms as president. In stride with his success, Putin has restrained the trend of his predecessors by avoiding a national incorporation of American-style democracy and freedom. Layered in Putin’s personality are two notable characteristics: patriotic zeal and charmless fortitude. He is deliberate, though enigmatic, and soberly rigid as he maintains a courteous fellowship with other leaders.

It was an obvious time for change when Putin accepted the reigns from Yeltsin and, in December of ’99, a desperately discouraged Russia welcomed her new leader while bidding farewell to an embarrassing, unpopular regime. Putin’s political savoir-faire coupled with personal discipline contrasted with the charlatans who ruled before him. He proved an unexpected success as President.

As such, Putin’s administration has become a signpost of Russia’s history, fettering internal corruption and courting non-western powers consequently fashioning a new image, one of success and respectability.

Dark Horse of the Apocalypse

2007-12-24T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here I am, my second blog entry. What I have to say, I am not sure, I have so much to say but nothing to talk about. I watched I Am Legend the other day; in spite of video-game type CGI, the film was pretty decent. I cannot say it was memorable, as far as an apocalyptic film goes, it rose just above mediocre. Children of Men is far more entertaining, deep, and plot driven. If one were to spend two hours, the latter would be better time spent, especially considering the production quality.

Speaking of the apocalypse, the presidential race is heating up quickly. Apparently, Mike Huckabee has something to offer as a presidential candidate. I did not know the GOP is so interested in perpetuating the Bush foreign policy that they are willing to support a pseudo-clone of the current commander-in-chief our nation so dearly admires.

Ron Paul receives little-to-no attention from the media compared to other candidates but he has the money and grass roots attention (including a privately funded blimp) strong enough to survive, granting a legitimate concern to the mainstream candidates as he rises in the online polls nationwide. One can only hope that our democratic system actually offers what we call a Dark Horse.

Protoblog

2007-12-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

I was informed by a writer friend of mine that if I wanted to be of any consequence to this crazy world then I need a blog. I always figured blogs were for people who believe that they have more important things to say then they truly do. After about 22 minutes of intense deliberation and about five ounces of Laphroaig scotch, an epiphanal cord struck my consciousness causing me to recognize that blogging was for me.

With all sincerity (probably from the high-class buzz), I hope this will be my worst blog, as it is my first.

To warn any readers who subject themselves to this periodical oeuvre I must say, expect on occasion incongruous tense, grammatical misdeed, and contrived word manifested in times of creativity and languor for which I give no apologies.