Creations

To create... to make a creation.

Magical words, those... and all of us feel the need for it. For some of us, the very words define the human quality.

Procreate, recreate, recreation, all variables of our one need that is not based on biology. Hmm, I guess procreate qualifies as biology.

I am facing November, the 30 short days of Nanowrimo - National Novel Writing Month. Also known as the month of my birth, in which I attempt to create, to birth a novel.

Is it obvious yet I'm stuck?

So many ideas, so many of them bad. Writerboy said once that my talent lay not in creating, but in recognizing which had merit. Trust me, all my current ones stink.

Should I go back to the Three H Foundation? Should I attempt a Nobody novella? Should I throw caution to the wind and attempt something truly absurd? Should I attempt a modern fable? Should I...

Inspiration hasn't hit. All the ideas I have may sound good on the first pass, but when you lift up the boards to see what's underneath, the rot shows. I've been so mad at the world, at myself lately that the story I want to tell feels ham-fisted. Perhaps I need to read some Truman Capote to remind myself at least of the technique I want to employ, the most brevity to convey the widest of action/emotion/subtlety.

But what story do I want to tell? Who do I want to write about? What do I want to say? I work best when the characters talk to me. I stopped with Three H because I never knew Kat as a child, only as an adult. Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't have worked Kat in so soon. The story wasn't about Kat... it was about Tristan. Kat is important to Tristan but only an adult, and yes, Kat's childhood was important to the development of Kat, but was it truly important to introduce just then.

Hmm, maybe I should revisit Three H.

Go back to Tristan and what the... OH

I am stupid.

I combined two of my ideas to formulate what is currently Three H.

Three H worked as background to Tristan, as a foundation to who Tristan became.... but the story is Tristan.

I also threw in a another element from a third story of mine, the one borne of three... as Tristan. Perhaps I tried to ram three pegs into a small hole simultaneously and why I hit a brick wall for the past year.

Oh shit, does this mean I want to tell a love story of Tristan and Kat?

No, I don't think so. Tho Tristan and Kat's love for each other is important, it was never central to the theme. It was almost incidental.

Maybe Tristan as a... metaphor for ... us... and Kat's a metaphor for true freedom?

Hmm

As always, creation is a series of questions put to the task, and if the answers hold, then a tentative theme is eked out. And, there are always tons of false starts, for even if the answers hold through the first round, they might not through subsequent rounds.

Inflation, Anyone?

It's happening here in the Bay Area, what about your area?

So far, the two examples I've seen: Cases of soda pop are going up by $5 (due to delivery costs going up due to gas prices going up). So my 20 fl. oz. of Pepsi now costs $1.59 up from $1.39 a day ago. That's about a 15% increase.

Then, using my ATM card to fill up the tank today, I notice that the bank charges there went up from $.35 to $.45. No reason was given. That's close to a 30% increase.

Any more examples?

Having Lives

Sorry for the lack of posts lately, but life has a curious way of intruding into writing. A lot has been going on in my family of two.

Bratworse started school and is finding that going to Art School isn't as easy as going to college. Reason is, when you get homework for Art School, the completion isn't when you get done, but when you get it right. Therefore, if comprehension suddenly hits, you may find yourself done with the art project in an hour. But if comprehension seeps in slowly, then the homework could conceivably take up to months. Both examples are extreme. Also, her lack of background in art is such a hindrance to her but her improvements are amazing to behold. (Just think, she's basically entering college classes with a 3rd grade education - in Art).

That, coupled with her part time job is causing her to be so pressed for time that she's on the go whenever she is awake. The routine is getting old for her, fast.

As for me, well the whole Katrina mess has really got me asking the following questions:

• Why do I pay taxes and what do I expect out of paying taxes?
• If there is some sort of emergency, will I be able to ensure Bratworse's safety?
• Given that the U.S. is getting deeper and deeper into debt, and the economic forecast in the U.S. isn't rosy, should we stay in the U.S.?
• If not here, then where would a couple of lesbians live safely?

We haven't quite come to a decision yet. But I'm finding less and less incentive to stay and pay taxes to a country that considers me and Bratworse to be second or third class citizens, that lowers the prevailing wage during reconstruction but gives no-bid contracts to corporations, that puts a POLITICAL adviser in charge of reconstruction efforts guaranteeing that much money will be wasted and ending up in the pockets of people who DON'T NEED IT, that takes over a week to deliver food and water (basic needs) to people who NEED IT, etc.

Writerboy said to me last night, but you'd pay more taxes. Yeah, but I'd get a bigger bang for my buck. Right now, most of my payments to the IRS is for social security, which they're trying to take away. So tell me again, why should I pay taxes - so they can just hand my $ to Halliburton? No thank you!

If you pay taxes, ask yourself why. Then ask, what am I or my community is getting out of it. (for instance, if so much money was spent on No Child Left Behind, then why is my school district still hurting for money? as is ALL school districts except for the rich neighborhoods and I'm talking like Beverly Hills type neighborhoods, not even West L.A. type neighborhoods.)

If you don't pay taxes, ask yourself why the hell not. BTW, if you don't vote, nor pay taxes, you really don't have a right to cheer or jeer about anything the government does.

Why the past paragraph? I'm finding out that out of the few people I know outside of the big cities, quite a number of them don't pay taxes.

Finally! The Perfect Game for Pretentious Geeks (like me)

Hamlet, text-adventure style.

Check it out. Really! Check it out.

Ramming Square Concepts into Round Holes

So the Christian Conservatives have a two-fer today. First comes this: apparently Conservative Christians are making a case for dead beat moms and dads by saying that March of the Penguins is the model that we should be going after.

Why do I say dead beat moms and dads? Cause if you watched the movie (which I have), the film makes it clear that after ONE breeding season, the penguins find another mate the following season, and once the baby reaches adolescence, BOTH parents abandon the young'un to fend for its own. So I guess these (and yup, you guessed it, they're all WHITE GUYS) conservatives want to make sure that when they abandon their wives and children for some trophy wife, they could hold up penguins as their idols.

That's #1.

Number two is the great orator Pat Robertson. I say great orator cause it's just amazing how he manages to get words out with a foot sticking out of it. Anyway, apparently gays and lesbians and the movie industry are indeed powers not to be reckoned with. (I know! I'm not supposed to be ending a sentence with a preposition... geddoffmyback) According to Mr. Robertson, God sent the terrorists on 9/11 and Katrina to the Gulf Coast because the Academy of Motion Pictures made Ellen DeGeneres to be the host of this years (and that year's) host.

All I got to say is, Ellen, you go girl!

More Time Please

I have discovered the juggling act of things I want to do, to things I need to do, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle, i.e. sleeping and eating, is proving most difficult. There are 168 hours in a week.
I remember high school, and slow days at work staring at the clock physically willing it to move faster, and now... now... I'm mentally willing it to move slower!

I've been enjoying myself though. The greatest of fun is being had, for the stress of deadlines and the note signaling "pencil's down" has yet to strike.

I have been pleasantly happy with all of my progress in nearly all four of my classes. I am still having trouble with Figure Drawing, I'm not exactly sure what I'm doing wrong, and that's partially why it's not getting better. I have taken on studying Anatomy to aide me.

I am in love with the technique of pulling pictures out of the paper through the use of contrast, that I am learning in my Analysis of Form class, and want to do more drawings using it.

Between work, which I am SERIOUSLY one lucky student to be working for who I am working for. If they can put up with me through my college career, they will surely receive my utmost appreciation! I really can't thank them enough, for they are giving me the flexibility I need as a student, and the job security (so far) I need as resident of the U.S.

Aside from Analysis of Form, my favorite class so far is Figure Modeling, who wouldn't enjoy playing with clay?! Which I have tonight, and plan on putting up pics of my work in progress when I get back.

Observations I've made of late:

-Agression a good thing? I noticed that when my buss driver is agressive I make it to class 5 mins early (the school's bussing schedule has them cutting it really close), when the bus driver is not agressive I walk into the class room the minute it begins or I'm late by two minutes, (for those of you who are apt to believe that two minutes is not really bad, let me tell you about that lateness/absentee policy - 2 late = 1 unexcused absence = grade dropped by one grade i.e. A to B or B to C etc.).

-Cell Phones and Driving - How can a person working in public transportation feel comfortable enough to get on their cell phone?! I do not understand, they are responsible for a lot of people! Mostly I have discovered it is when I have a driver that is on their cell phone that I am late to class.

You Decide

Which is more indecent?

A Pattern Emerges

I'm sitting here watching NFL pregame shows, and I see a pattern emerging. On Fox, about half of the commercials are about a disaster striking - hurricane, flood, etc. and how these insurance people will be there for you when disaster hits. (All together now - riiiight). The word fear was actually used.

My question about this is, can this be considered looting? I mean, they're trying to reach us when our defenses are down, the doors wide open to susceptability and they're taking advantage. Isn't that technically what looting is? So just because this is more subtle (and not so subtle in the case of gas companies), it's acceptable looting but one or two shots of someone taking a tv means all those people should grow gills or drown?

The other pattern emerging is this constant selling of the concept of one America.

You see what's happening here. The powers that be are afraid. They have to keep selling the concept of one America because it's becoming more and more apparent that there are two Americas. It's not black and white. It's not even poor and rich.

It's the indecent vs. the real Americans.

The indecent can dicker around for four days debating whether the local government needs to ask for help first before giving it.

The indecent can pull 100 firefighters who're prepared to save people, and instead use them for a photo shoot.

The indecent can use our fear of terrorists to justify a war to prove Daddy was wrong.

The indecent can take advantage of a bad situation and make it worse by jacking up gas prices when every one else is digging deep to help out.

The indecent can refuse help from other countries just they're afraid of looking weak.

The indecent can put a despised-by-all man into the U.N. under the metaphorical cover of darkness because he didn't like the rules anymore.

The indecent can go eat cake and strum a guitar while thousands stewed in putricity.

The indecent can sell a house for an outrageous price and buy a house for extremely cheap and therefore bypassing a bunch of campaign contributions reporting nonsense.

The indecent can try and sell out our children's futures by saying we should give them "intelligent design" thereby ensuring they won't be intelligent.

The indecent can smear an honored veteran who continues to give despite losing limbs.

The indecent can uphold someone who's a C student, who never finished his duty as a National Guard, who failed at every job he was handed INCLUDING the present one.

What we have here really transcends race, and class. Because unless you're the super-rich, which is about 1% of the population, you are only there for their exploitation.

What we have here, clear and simple, are sociopaths running the country.

Definition of Scapegoat

Per Dictionary.com, a scapegoat is:

scape·goat
n.

1. One that is made to bear the blame of others.
2. Bible. A live goat over whose head Aaron confessed all the sins of the children of Israel on the Day of Atonement. The goat, symbolically bearing their sins, was then sent into the wilderness.

No, Mr. Brown. You are NOT being asked to bear the blame of others. ONLY YOURSELF and your lack of action.

Trust me, the accountability is only beginning.

I was speaking to my co-worker about a similar event that happened in the Philippines. I said, "With 30 years of governmental upheaval in the Phillipines, there is NO expectation of infrastructure within the government to handle such a problem." He agreed and said that Japan and Korea helped the most, bringing in cranes and bulldozers to dig bodies out of the mud. I asked if they had pumps to drain the flooding and he said, no, they had to wait for 10 days for the water to recede before digging out bodies.

So, America the Great. America the Powerful. Do we have the pumps and cranes and bulldozers and manpower? I believe the answer to that is yes. Did we have the heart and soul for such a daunting task? Again, I believe the answer to that is yes. We are hearing many many stories of people jumping into their cars to help out, specialists even.

Were they allowed to help? Umm, I think the answer to that is fairly obvious isn't it?

So, why weren't they allowed to help out? Why weren't other countries allowed to pitch in? So far, all roads lead to Rome, or rather, the presidency. We, the American public has to hold Bush accountable for all the budget cuts, all the lack of preparation, all the TALK AND NO ACTION, all the cronyism that led to this PREVENTABLE deaths.

Unless of course, you're a bigot and you're personally profiting from this mess. Then these deaths/flooding were a welcome way to get rid of low-income housing, like this representative of our government says.

Welcome to America where if you're white and rich, you can get away with such odious statements, but if you're a rapper and say what you believe is the truth, you get censored.

Filed under Politics & B.S.

[addendum] HOW THE HELL CAN IT BE CONSIDERED AS SCAPEGOATING WHEN THIS GUY BROWN GETS TO GO BACK TO WASHINGTON TO HIS AIR-CONDITIONED OFFICE AND DO NOTHING! He's not getting replaced. He's just been pulled off this ONE job so he doesn't continue to curb the effort to save people bring water and food to people dig out the dead rejuvenize the falling polls of the presidency. Some scapegoat. Hey BUSH! I'LL TAKE THE BLAME FOR YOU IF I GET A $100,000 A YEAR JOB AND GET TO DO NOTHING. NO PROBLEM. IN FACT, TONS OF PEOPLE IN THE ASTRODOME WOULD LOVE TO GET THIS JOB. CHOOSE THEM.

DISGUSTING!

Fair is Fair

The other day, I ripped into Howard Kurtz for his opening line. I must admit that after reading his column, he did go in and explain that that was what the conservatives were saying but still, to have an opening sentence like that... was just sleazy.

However, in my eyes, he redeemed himself today. In response to a quote from the Conservative Voice,

"'This is a terrible situation and we need to have compassion. The truth is black people died not because of President Bush or racism, they died because of their unhealthy dependence on the government and the incompetence of Mayor Ray Nagin and Governor Kathleen Blanco,' said Rev. Peterson."

Does not being able to afford a car amount to unhealthy dependence on government? (emphasis mine)

This question, in conjunction with what Americablog found this morning on the WH website

(b) The wage rates imposed by section 3142 of title 40, United States Code, increase the cost to the Federal Government of providing Federal assistance to these areas.

(c) Suspension of the subchapter IV of chapter 31 of title 40, United States Code, 40 U.S.C. 3141-3148, and the operation of related acts to the extent they depend upon the Secretary of Labor's determinations under section 3142 of title 40, United States Code, will result in greater assistance to these devastated communities and will permit the employment of thousands of additional individuals.
...
And, as to such contracts to be performed in such jurisdictions, I do hereby suspend, until otherwise provided, the provisions of any Executive Order, proclamation, rule, regulation, or other directive providing for the payment of wages, which provisions are dependent upon determinations by the Secretary of Labor under section 3142 of title 40, United States Code

kind of stacks the odds against poor people doesn't it?

In case you didn't want to understand that legal gobblety-gook, translated into plain english means that the Federal Government just said bye-bye to State Government's minimum wage. So if you work in a state that has a higher minimum wage than the Federal Government's, too frickin' bad. You're getting a wage cut.

So tell me, this isn't class warfare? Who the hell benefits from such wage cuts? And tell me, what are the gas prices in YOUR town? About half of what the federal minimum wage is, huh?

Being Envious of the Darndest Things

As a child, I missed a lot of school. Somehow or another, I was the subject of envy with most of my classmates. OOoooh look at resignedidealist, she gets to skip school again. I remember coming back to school and realizing I was being ostracized for circumstances beyond my control. Furthermore, the envy was about the apparent freedom I had.

Well, this is what I did when I wasn't going to school. I was wheezing in the night, unable to catch my breath. I was throwing up every bit of mucus my lungs could dredge up as well as any bit of food that lingered along the path of the hurl. I was bent over, scared that I would die, scared that my family would abandon me for I was so much trouble, scared that being sick again would mean further ostracizing at school. Oh yeah baby, let me enjoy that again. NOT!

But no one realized my misery. All they saw was, I get to skip school again. (BTW, my sister still thinks my childhood was wonderful.)

Fast forward to today. There are some of you *gasping* that the Federal Gov't is handing out $2,000 to each displaced person.

For those of you who think $2,000 is too much (I'm suddenly reminded of the scene in Sense & Sensibility where the half-brother gets convinced by his money/title-grubbing wife to lower the amount of allowance for his step-mother and half-sisters), let me just ask you this. If YOU stood in filth for three to four days, if YOU had gone without food and water for three to four days, if YOU had been packed in like sardines with murders and rapes going on around you (a 7-year old girl was found in a room of dead people in the Superdome - her throat had been cut), does $2,000 seem enough?

End Times

Just read on Boingboing a reader response that said basically, reason why people (as in BushCo) are dragging their feet is cause it's the End Times - y'know, floods, disasters all visiting the earth so why bother doing anything about it. And this is supposed to justify what didn't happen.

So let me get this right. The Christian attitude is, "I'm about to go to Heaven so fuck you all?" or "It's the end of the world and I'm going to Heaven, nanny nanny boo boo, you get to rot in a literal shit-hole"?

I guess "And Good will to men" only applies in Christmas Carols.

Man, I can just see Jesus shivering with pride at you all.

Filed under DISGUSTED!

Sometimes, There's Truth in Television

Heroes DESPITE Our Government

Just so that we have *some* light at the end of the tunnel. (Oh, the best one is the last one)

• One woman and a horse trailer + one man with a race car trailer = 10 tons of food
• 20 years old and resourceful
• Pushing a boat through putricity to save lives
• 3 students and a Hyundai do more than gov't did in the first few days
• A torch singer who describes in detail what she had to do to save people
• Doctors who got past red tape to do actual good
• Navy helicopter pilots who saved over 100 lives but got disciplined for not following orders
• EMS people in town for a convention
• OH YEAH, the true 43rd President of the U.S.
• A 6 year old leading babies

Thanks to Pandagon btw for the idea.

And this is what our country is reduced to. Even a 6 year old showed more leadership qualities than our Dear Leader and his cronies.

Let's See How YOU Do

I am someone acutely aware of crowds. Perhaps that's cause I'm 5' 1" and being surrounded by people pressing up against me usually means my cheek in someone's back, or my nose being hit by an elbow.

Reading this article about the Thin Veneer of Civilization has driven home the point to me (one that I was already aware of) that it really doesn't take much to turn people into a "me against the world" mentality. In this article, he cites an example of being stuck overnight in an airport and having one or two seats open up. Ever been in that situation? I have. And until I figured out that I really didn't like who I was, I was one of those pushing and elbowing others to beat them to the front.

Those of you who cannot see yourselves as looters or shooters, just remember the Pirates of the Caribbean ride - Abandon Hope, All Ye Who Enter Here. That was New Orleans these past 10 days.

Imagine if you will, being without food or water for 3 days and infrequently seeing helicopters above you. Each helicopter that passes, your heart lifts cause you're sure *this* time, there will be food and water. Yet, each time was a false alarm. At which point do you then turn your anger at the helicopter?

Imagine if you will, watching people around you die off slowly, day by day.

Everytime you say, they chose to stay, let them rot, I'm thinking, you know, there's a better choice for my tax dollars. Why should I continue to sink my hard earned dollars into a government that has no problem veto'ing MY right to marry? Why should I continue to sink my hard earned dollars into a government that LETS PEOPLE DROWN, or FORCES PEOPLE IN A DESPERATE SITUATION INTO A BARBED-WIRED COMPOUND?

The government keeps telling me that not to expect my social security to be there. So basically, I'm paying social security for the U.S. to invade other countries.

I'm seriously thinking about the Netherlands. At least there, I know Bratworse will be looked after if I die. At least there, they seem to have a government that cares, albeit a tad too much.

Are You Next?

Last week, black people
This week, gay people

Are you next?

Finally Figured Out What Bush Meant By...

I'm satisfied with the response; I'm not satisfied with all the results.

He's not satisfied with all the media focusing on the response!

What IS This Shit????

Howard Kurtz returns to the Washington Post from his vacation with an opening line that just.... UGH!

For liberals, this has been the perfect storm.

WTF???

Oh yes, Howie. We have been waiting in the sidelines for just an occasion. We wanted the deaths of thousands to prove our point that the WH is incompetent.

Actually, Howie, I accuse the MEDIA of having this be the perfect storm. We liberals have been screaming ourselves hoarse for 5 years now about the incompetency and unaccountability of this administration. It took the DEATH OF A CITY, OF SENIOR CITIZENS AND BABIES to wake your asses up!

Sheesh!

And No, I'm not linking to it until I finish reading it. If the opening line makes me so angry, why should I lead you to it?

Another One to Try on the IRS

Hmm, let's see. Bush is going to lead an investigation himself as to why people went without water or food for 6 days.

Let's try this. Send in tax report 6 days late. First give the excuse to IRS that no one told me to send it. Then say that I delayed it cause I was afraid the tax report would get looted. Then, after I send it, tell the IRS that I will lead an investigation myself as to why I sent in the tax report late.

Think it'll fly? Why not? It seems to be working for the (not my) president of the U.S.

Packed and Ready to Go!

<---- 'nuff said

Maybe These Guys Should Be In Charge

Hmm, three COLLEGE aged students, one two-wheeled drive Hyundai (A HYUNDAI, so these guys weren't just idealistic, they were gas-friendly!) were able to make TWO trips into New Orleans and rescue folks.

How many people did you take out of the flooded areas, Mr. Chertoff, Mr. Brown and Mr. Bush? How many did you take out, Mr. Cheney, Mr. Rumsfeld and Ms. Rice?

Not only didn't you take any people out, George Bush, THEY HAD TO SUSPEND HELICOPTER TRAVEL WHILE YOU WERE IN TOWN WHICH MEANT ALL DELIVERIES HAD TO BE SUSPENDED!

Hey people, remember that old poem about the Nazis, the first they came for the Jews one. Remember this. First they came for the gays. Now it's the black people. What makes YOU think you're one of them?

The Grand Lake Blogging

I've been meaning to put these up for awhile now. When we drove by today they were in the middle of putting up another line, I'll have to get a shot of it tomorrow.

Figure Drawing Practice

I was practicing my figure drawing. My little figures do not look much like people at all right now. Practice, practice, practice... Hey, but isn't my drafting table cool???

School started last week! I am a student of the artistic kind!

I couldn't believe it when I got the acceptance letter from the bank saying: "your loan application has been accepted." Nevermind the acceptance letters from the schools. This will probably be the only time I will be relieved and elated to hear from a bank.

Blinded by excitement and running full speed I hit a wall when I was told that I was suppose to have coin for supplies. The refund from the loan has not been disbursed to me, and my first class was 01-Sept-05 . I panicked to idealist, who suggested reallocating the funds we do have (I'm still wondering why I didn't think of that).

Off we went to the art supply store, to be declined by every form of payment offerred (we had just changed banks). The impact hit hard and was fatal to my tear ducts. Through the glaze of the onset of a mini-depression a knight arrived. Idealist rushed us over to a friend-of-a-friend's (who happened to have a house full of guests at the precise moment we arrived) and explained the dilemma (I certainly did not have a clear head that day, and am so greatful Idealist's keeps her shining armor on hand).

Everyone of our friend-of-a-freind's guest reached into their pockets, until we had enough coin to cover the costs of my supplies.

Oh! and since Idealist made a post about them, I will use this as another example of the integrity & compassion of hippies.

I am really excited about school and when my work actually begins to resemble my intentions, I will post it up here, so everyone can share in my progress. My Figure Modeling instructor advised us to take pictures of our clay models so that we can see our progression. I am looking forward to posting those pics as well.

Random Useful Info

The Bay Area's way of letting you know how long you're going to be in that car!

If the idea of this sign was to inspire people to find other routes in effect removing some congestion, it's failing miserably. On the other hand, it is some pretty useful information for one who is organized enough to actually make and carry out plans in a timely manner.

I'm still living in a random world, for the most part.

Fog Blogging

Creeping over hills in Montclair

They're So Young

We just got back from watching MurderBall. At the end of the documentary, they showed the players of U.S. Para Rugby team demonstrating how to play to veterans of the Iraq War.

You know, I have to admit, whenever I think of veterans, I think of grizzled old men. But these veterans? They're all so young. God, Tim and Chris... just come back whole in body and spirit and mind, okay?

Excuses...

"I was only following orders" circa 1941

"I didn't get the necessary orders." circa 2005

Says It All

Raging Anger

I am so angry I can barely contain it. Tears constantly threaten to overwhelm me. I am oh so thankful that my boss gave me a detail oriented job today so I can distract myself with the mundane and fool myself into thinking things are under control.

The callousness and DELIBERATENESS (there can be no other word now, not when the heads of federal departments spent all day yesterday telling lies and saying whoops, there're people there without food? Or water? Wow, we didn't know) of this failure to save lives just makes me so vengeful and angry.

To all of you who say America is the best place in the world. Watch what's going on and tell me that again.

Trust me, this is a shock to the rest of the world too, not just us living here.

How can the U.S. let thousands of its citizens starve and go without water for 5 whole days? Incompetence can justify perhaps 3 days of sloggishness. But five?!? I cannot see it other than deliberate murder now.

Projection?

You know, I've always puzzled over what Dubya said at a 2002 fundraiser about Saddam, "After all this is the guy who tried to kill my dad."

My initial thought was so what? Then weddaminit, what's he care about that for? I mean, this is a man who cares about beating his father at everything just so he can feel that he's better.... Oh.

It struck me right between the eyes. Dubya thinks he's better than H.W.... and so, if Saddam went after H.W., of course he'd go after Dubya. Therefore, Dubya had to take out Saddam before Saddam took him out.

I have to do more research on this. I gotta figure out if all the things Bush is decisive on, are things H.W. tried and failed.

Hmm wonder if this had anything to do with H.W.'s reaction to Andrew. Maybe he's just trying to show that he could muck it up worse than his father did, and yet come out stinking better, I mean smelling better.

Hope I'm not right.

I'm Not the Only One...

seeing the Federal Government's actions as being deliberate.

Please remember who is in charge now. A president who sees no harm in speaking at Bob Jones' University. A Senate Majority leader who kowtows to the religious right and abuses his hippocratic oath to gain votes. A Speaker of the House whose so tied to corruption his name has become synonymous with it.

So, are they deliberately letting those poor people die of thirst, starvation and/or disease?

There's a Level of Fear

around the nation tonight. I felt it at work today.

Usually someone would bring up current events and there'd be joking about it. Every time I brought up what's going on in New Orleans, I'd be met with stifled mutters. Except one person brought up that Bourbon Street was still around, that's all that matters.

I just shook my head at that, realizing this guy had no idea that the toxic soup that is still flooding New Orleans has doomed the city to years of detoxification, if that's possible at all. (Shit a thought just hit me. Maybe the whole idea IS for New Orleans to become a toxic dumping site. I mean, why else the flaccid response?)

Anyway, about this fear. I sense that others (and myself) are wondering if this could happen to them. The one co-worker I talk with the most, he had the attitude of well, these people stayed, they should've gotten out.

All I said to him was, You fill up your tank with $50. You try and get out of town, there's a long line, and four hours later, you're empty and the gas stations are empty. What then?

Those of you clucking and shaking your heads, thinking they should've gotten the hell out of Dodge, it's a damn shame what's happening, but they should've gotten out of Dodge. Let me ask you this. How much cash do you have on you?

Cause if a huge ass earthquake hit the Bay Area right now, guess what. The power would be out. Which means NO GAS STATIONS. Which means people would be breaking open those tanks to siphon the gas out into their cars. Let's just say they find the gas since those who could afford SUV's and four wheel drives to drive over the rubble would probably be middle class and white. That wouldn't be considered looting, it'd be securing necessities for survival. (Doesn't that sound *much* better and white-bread?)

I have lived on the edge. We are a paycheck to paycheck family, regardless of how much we try and save up. But what does money in the bank matter if there's no electricity to get it out? That was the point I wanted my co-worker to conclude. It matters not how much money you have in stocks, nor how much you have in your bank account.

Unless you are the super-rich and can procure transportation out to a place where electricity exists and there is food and water, all the money in the bank won't do you any good. Unless you had the foresight to get the hell out of Dodge prior to airports being shut down, roads being too messed up to travel on, mass transit or any form of transit shut down, you Middle America, will be fucked over.

Look at the faces in New Orleans. Now imagine yourself, just due to some unforeseen stroke of luck (car dying, sick relative, repairs to the house that you have to oversee, important meeting at work) you stayed in town. Then imagine yourself going hungry for 2 days even, and thirsty. Can't happen, right?

Riiight.

What Adds Up Stinks to High Heaven

1) Refuse to help strengthen the levees.
2) Send equipment/troops out of the country.
3) Don't upgrade coast guard equipment.
4) Divert budget to strengthen levees, to Iraq instead.
5) Ignore 3 days of warning that a category 5 hurricane is about to hit.
6) Instead, go on tour around country to eat cake and "fix social security."
7) Keep the Secretary of State on vacation so she can shop for shoes.
8) 3 days after disaster hits, send battleship and crews, that is, after the area has been reduced to no water, no food, and no electricity.
9) Refuse help from other countries cause the more that die off, the less complaints he'd have to hear about from the actual people, counting on the fact that others not directly impacted has the memory of a gerbil.

Yes, I'm disgusted. And I see this as a declaration of war against the poor of America. I feel bad for our American refugees. I really thought that the gays would be the ones to suffer.