We All Know ...
3/31/2005

Deep down inside, everybody knows that Bush is an idiot. At least I hope they do, because it's beyond obvious.

If he would have read his intelligence reports early enough, he might have prevented 9/11.

If he had read his intelligence reports, instead of just listening to thin-lipped Dick, he would have known that the 'proof' about WMDs was sketchy at best.

If he had a clue about what he was doing, he wouldn't be so 'cowboy tough' about stupid shit all the time.

So this new report, submitted by a panel HIS dumb ass put together, is completely meaningless. It's an attempt to appeal to the anti-intellectual elite and dumb down the 'facts.' It's a sad excuse for a whitewash, and anyone with a brain cell left in their head can see that.

It's right in front of you. A steaming hot plate of dumbass redneck bullshit for dinner. You can see it, you can smell it. And you are what you eat.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 31, 2005, , links to this post

Eccleston Quits DW after just 1 Season

What a fucking wanker. I had respect for him up until this. What a slap in the face to everyone who's been waiting for this.

Of course, it may work out for the best. But I can't see how this WON'T affect ratings. I mean, who wants to get caught up in a character story when we know he won't be there next time round?

TV work is too hard? Aw. Poor baby. Come to America, where we have 22 episodes a season. Then complain.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 31, 2005, , links to this post

Sickos for Life
3/30/2005

""We know that some of her organs are still functioning. … It's not too late. "

I'm getting so irritated with this. These people are fucked up. 7 years in court, due process to the letter of the fucking law and beyond, logic and reason already won the day and they still count their rosaries and appeal to the 'good nature' of the courts. And for some godforsaken reason, the courts are entertaining their continued pleas. This reeks of underhandedness and 'religious' pressure. This, my friends, is why religion should be extricated entirely from the political system.

So my question is, if 'sanctity of life' is so important, then where were these hard-nosed Catholics when Bush waged a one-man war against the Middle East?

The right-wingers know they will always lose on grounds of logic, hard science and reason. So now they have to appeal to the little Jerry Springer within each and every one of us. And it works because the US media is owned, heart and soul, by these very same special interest groups.

But that's just not Jerry-Springerish enough for most people. So they just don't give a fuck.

American culture is on the decline and probably beyond repair. Much like planet earth.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, March 30, 2005, , links to this post

Novachild: Feature Poet Tonight at Gypsy
3/29/2005

Hey there. Novachild asked me to post a last-minute note to TFI readers:

2nite (Tuesday, March 29) I'm feature poet at Gypsy Coffeehouse, downtown Tulsa just behind Spaghetti Warehouse. I'll begin around 9:00, so be there a few minutes early to catch a seat, get a cup of coffee, relax.

I'm eager to see a few friends there tonight. $2 minimum purchase, and I'll have my new chapbooks ready to take home at $5 each (a steal). Will also have some Novachild CDs on hand ($12).

Come out, support me, whoever you may be. You might be surprised to see another side of moi. Cheers!


There you have it. Be there or be square.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, March 29, 2005, , links to this post

10 Things I'm Sick Of
3/28/2005

I've had enough of apologizing to my overseas friends for the way the Bush Administration is fucking up the world.

I've had enough of the little 'ding ding ding' noise my car makes when my wife forgets to put her seatbelt on.

I've had enough of my house being in a constant state of "CIAO" (Can't Invite Anyone Over).

I've had enough of the little noise my newest pair of shoes makes when I walk in them. Little farty sound. Horrible.

I've had enough of being powerless to prevent the suffering of millions of living creatures at the hands of corrupt governments, industries and religions.

I've had enough of gaining weight, then getting excited about exercising, losing a few pounds and then getting too busy to squeeze good exercise into my schedule.

I've had enough of breathing in second-hand smoke.

I've had enough of exercising poor control over the way our family manages finances.

I've had enough of crappy movies at the movie theater. Why can't those bastards in Hollywood make anything with substance anymore? The cheap trash of the '80s holds more significance to me than the latest batch of Gen-Y comedies or second-rate comic book movies (excluding Spider Man and Hellboy, of course). And who the fuck cares about Will Smith?

I've had enough of being angry about so many things I can do little or nothing about. Republicans, democrats, environmental disasters, you name it.

When it all boils down, what's left is me and my immediate surroundings. This is my connection with the rest of the world, and this is what I have to work with. Anger is an energy, thus sayeth the prophet John Lydon. I will move on, trying to use the intent of my anger for something beneficial, instead of letting it eat me alive. I can't afford to live with ulcers, stress, heart disease.

So fuck the Schiavo case, the Jackson trial, the Bushites, the fucking French wankers suing Google for copyright infringement, the natural disasters, the sex scandals, the latest intrigue, the bullshit, the pointless inane eternal spewing forth of rotten garbage from the diseased throat of modern media. It's all bullshit. Completely insane. Continuing to be outraged by everything these lying fascist scumbuckets spew forth from their clueless talking heads is an ignorant farce, a waste of valuable time. And everybody's doing it. It's the latest fucking thing.

The only real difference each person can make is one to one. Nothing is affected on a global scale. It's one mind at a time, a daisy chain of influence. This is why we rant, this is why we rave, hoping to affect some little ripple of change in the universe. And we all have power, but being so fucking angry all the time is like idling a Mac truck in the parking lot. That's all I'm trying to say.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Monday, March 28, 2005, , links to this post

Sanctity of Life
3/22/2005

Terri Schiavo may yet get an opportunity to die with dignity. A string of long-held ideologies propagated by right-wing and religious institutions may sound good to many back-woodsy types and strict catholics (and people who just don't think before they jump), but it doesn't change the fact that people deserve to die with dignity.

Life should not have to suffer to be holy. And if life does not end, if life continues on after death as many Christians believe, then is it not better to let the soul get on with it instead of being trapped inside a vegetable for 10 more years, unable to think, move, speak, express oneself, LIVE?

In an age of illegal wars, unjust torture, corrupt politicians and the reinstated ideology of Manifest Destiny (see 'Bush's White House'), the term "Sanctity of Life" is a complete political farce, a joke, a slap in the face of reason and a kickback to the era of medieval times. Sanctity means sacred, or holy. Sacred means worthy of respect; venerable. It is one thing to respect life in general, to preserve it at ALL COSTS (even at the expense of reason, dignity and compassion), and quite another to respect those living, breathing creatures who are clinging onto life in a hopeless struggle to take another breath. Respecting life means putting and end to needless suffering. And sometimes this means euthanization.

Can we not respect life by letting it go, putting an end to its needless suffering when it becomes a hopeless gesture to be trapped on this stinking rock? Isn't this just as sacred, just as holy?

I used to work in hospice. I've seen what 'holding on' can do to families. It tears them apart, day by day, even though the inevitable is coming, families want to keep these mounds of flesh alive because they think there's a soul in there somewhere. How sacred is that? And even if there is a soul in there somewhere, it's trapped, like a bird in a cage, ready to move onto the next great adventure instead of being poked, prodded and forcefed for days, weeks, months, years. I've taken care of bodies that have been in vegetative states for a long time. They grow translucent and their skin falls off. The organs may still be pumping, but they are nothing but an experience of extreme pain that will only end when those vital organs give out or we turn off the machine.

This is something that happens every day, hundreds of times a week. The job of humanity is to put an end to suffering, not venerate it and worship suffering to its most extreme. The vision of Christ on the cross, enduring intense pain, is not the ultimate ideal for everyone. Pain may be an unavoidable side-effect of living, but if living is composed of nothing but pain, whether physical or mental, trapped inside a vegetable, it is our sacred duty as human beings to assist in a compassionate transition to the next life. Especially if this is the wish of the one suffering, or their next of kin in case they are unable to decide. Living will or not, she married the fellow.

Yes, life is sacred. Life also deserves the dignity of compassionate transition, reduced suffering, upon the time of need. We are not all catholics, protestants, religious, and we should not all be governed by the cultish, twisted rules handed down from papists and zealots bent on controlling everyone with their weird, selfish, and irrational ideologies.

While I can relate to Terri's parents on some level, they are wrong in their extremism. This is the same extremism that prevented my best friend's parents from using birth control, and now they have more children than they can afford to provide for. These kids won't have the best education their parents can afford. Sure, they will be loved, and they will probably grow up Catholic, thereby perpetuating the Church and providing more warm bodies to fight in the next string of wars.

But it's nobody's fault but their own. We all have decision-making faculties (unless we are in a persistent vegetative state, of course, something which seems to afflict a number of politicians as well). Regardless of what the ignorant religious leaders of our time say, they do not have a monopoly on truth.

She's been in a constant vegetative state for more than a decade. Most of her cerebral cortex is atrophied. She is a shell with an imprint of persona, and it's disturbing to think that a religious mindset would venerate the flesh over the liberation that a dignified death could provide. Let it go, people. This world is dark enough already.

And quit the doublespeak, because if 'Sanctity of Life' is so bloody important, why are we killing people in Iraq? Any war?

For some rational reading on the subject, read Peter Suber's philosophical piece titled "Against the Sanctity of Life." He has many points that I might opine about later on.

Lastly, the latest news in the Schiavo case: U.S. Judge Refuses More Feeding in Schiavo Case

posted by Edward Svengali @ Tuesday, March 22, 2005, , links to this post

I'm Starting to Feel
3/20/2005

That perhaps the human race is incapable of rational decisions. After reading the news this weekend (esp. about the 2nd Anniversary of the Iraq War, and the Alaskan Refuge oil drilling), it's all starting to seem rather hopeless. When the very people who are supposed to be practicing stewardship, responsibility and compassion INSTEAD vote to rape one of the last wild places on earth for oil and profit, it's only a matter of time before we pass the point of no return.

I'm starting to lose hope in people. Dammit, I can't give into those feelings of hopelessness, but what can a person do when, all around them, the whole planet is turning to shit?

This country, this planet, is losing its soul to the sick, monstrous vampires we voted to the top. And our ambivalence and ignorance does nothing but spread their message across the world. When it's all said and done, we are ALL responsible if we let it go down just because a handful of wealthy religious nutcases have their own interpretation of how things should be run. Fuck that. Fuck them.

I'm angry. Very angry. And I'm certain my music is going to begin reflecting that. When I get round to working on new material, it's going to be angry. Not like anything I've done before. Probably not very relaxing, but what can I do with this anger that I'm feeling besides construct it into something useful? A giant, musical middle finger to the sick, perverted wingnuts who think they can turn evolution upside down and take us all down with them.

posted by novachild @ Sunday, March 20, 2005, , links to this post

Chick Publications
3/18/2005

Haven't had an anti-christianity post in awhile, so I thought I'd rail about Chick Publications for a few minutes.

First of all, if you don't already know how eye-rollingly pathetic Chick publications can be, check out one of my favorites here: The Choice! And another: The Sissy. While they are sure-fire scary, they can also be quite fun to read and can make great party entertainment (as long as you don't invite any hardcore Christians, of course).

You've probably stumbled across these little deceptive comics in the strangest places. In bathroom stalls, adult boostore shelves, library books (esp. when you check out 'heretical' material like Harry Potter), and in my case, bundled up in large quantities in my daddy's sock drawer. My father was a minister when I was growing up (and still is, actually), and he used Chick publications to 'spread the word of God.' Granted, he also helped to make Jack Chick rather wealthy.

I won't poke fun at my own father's religious convictions, mainly out of respect for the man who co-created me. But I will poke lots of fun at Jack Chick himself. If you ever needed a good example of an ultra-paranoid, homophobic, xenophobic, intolerant, right-wing, godawful waste of a Christian, Jack Chick is your man. He is so despised throughout the world (rumor is the Vatican has a price on his head) that he's gone into seclusion. But I tell you I have SEEN the man. He carries a big "God Hates Homosexuals" sign occasionally during lunchtime downtown Tulsa. One of these days, I'll get a picture and post it here. Meanwhile, you'll just have to take my word for it. ;-)

What's the appeal of Chick Publications? Well, many fans of the little hate comics are in fact the people he is vilifying. Atheists, catholics, buddhists, homosexuals, etc etc. I enjoy them for the same reason these people do, because they are so far-out extremist and nasty that it is nearly impossible to take them seriously. But serious the are, and all the more reason for people to be aware of the devilry that is going on inbetween the pages of Chick publications.

Growing up was strange. I had Jack Chick comics all around me. I remember one comic 'revealed' that the Catholic Church was burying thousands of dead Nun babies in a mass grave under some convent in Italy. Another showed a Buddhist choking a Christian to death for preaching the 'word.' And when I was little, I thought this was normal! As you can see, I've come a long way.

Growing up wasn't all about Jack Chick, though. Sometimes it was about Robert Tilton, the kookiest, silliest television evangelist to ever hit the airwaves. And I thought he was normal, too. But he wasn't. You can read about this warped guy here. And apparently, he's back on the air (BET). I'd love to relive those childhood memories of the funny little man speaking in tongues, pausing with the oddest facial expressions, and babbling uncontrollably. But alas I don't have cable OR satellite any more. But see the man for yourself. He's a nutter.

You may remember him as the victim of some underground parody tapes where media hackers inserted fart noises into some video clips of his sermons. "Pastor Gas." Great stuff. I'd feel pity for the man, but I just can't. He brings it on himself.

Life just wouldn't be the same without greedy, religious nutcases like Chick and Tilton. It's funny what a few irrational convictions and the thirst for money will do to you. I wonder if history will remember either of these men, or if my grandchildren and beyond will be fortunate enough to bypass the slimy marks these sad fuckers left behind?

To say I had an abnormal childhood is an extreme understatement. With these two 'influences' in my life, it's amazing that I came out of it reasonably sane and rational.

(if you're still here, you'll probably enjoy the Robert Tilton Fun Page!)

A few more little tidbits:

I find it truly hilarious that Googlism brings up the following statement:

jack chick is a christian dildo

And there's always Yahweh Ben Yahweh, THE living Son of God.

And one more kooky christian before I go:
"Suffice it to say, randomness, to be randomness, must be designed."

Give me a break!

posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, March 18, 2005, , links to this post

Call Me a Paranoid Nutcase,
3/17/2005

But I find it extremely convenient that - on the very same day Republican Senators overwhelmingly approved adding Alaskan Refuge oil drilling to the federal budget - two news celebs (Peterson and Blake) were finally nailed in, thus taking away valuable talking head time on all the major stations.

In fact, I surfed for about 2 hours last night trying to catch a glimpse of news on Alaskan Oil, and I couldn't find anything - except a 10 second clip on a local news channel (CBS)

All conspiracy theories aside, I finally realized why I read less fiction these days. In my reading prime, I devoured mostly horror stories and fantasy (not the dwarf and wizard kind so much). But in the last three years, nothing has been more horrific than the state of affairs I've witnessed in the news every day. What these religious zealots (calling themselves politicians) are doing to the world is much more horrific. Perhaps republicans are really a Cthulhu cult?

Better get out my elder sign....

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 17, 2005, , links to this post

Alaskan Refuge Drilling Added to Budget Proposal
3/16/2005

If someone doesn't do something about these criminally-minded, greedy, thoughtless, ignorant, pathetic bastards, I'm afraid we're seriously fucked. This is the last straw. These people are not Americans. They are inhuman. They don't give a fuck about the future of our planet. And they most assuredly do NOT represent the people that pay their salaries.

Mostly repubs, but a few traitorous dems as well. Apparently, they seem to think that since the big JC is coming back soon, it really doesn't matter what we do now. So let's just destroy the homes and flight paths of hundreds of near-extinct species in the name of progress and FTW. Hallelujah!

If you were duped into voting for these bastards, I urge you to write your representatives a nasty letter. I for one motion that we ship all 51 "Yes" voters to Guantanamo Bay for the remainder of their terms. They surely qualify for entry. Here they are, in all their horrific shame:
Time to write these folks some nasty letters. Have they no shame?

posted by novachild @ Wednesday, March 16, 2005, , links to this post

My Letter to Inhofe

Dear Senator Inhofe:

As an Oklahoma constituent, I am ashamed to call you my Senator. Your vote to retain the Cantwell Amdt. No. 168 is a disgrace, not only to our State, or our Country, but to humanity in general.

The wildlife refuge is an irreplaceable national treasure, and it nauseates me to think that you believe Oil and profit are more important in the long term than preserving what little natural wilderness we have left on this planet.

I pity you, sir, for your lack of consideration for the future of our world. As if I wasn't embarrassed enough for our State about the lunacy of your 'boxing gloves on roosters' idea, this latest disgrace is a permanent dark spot on our Nation's moral standing.

As of today, I plan to support any candidate who runs against you in the next election.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, March 16, 2005, , links to this post

Typing Speed

Damn! I clocked myself at 113 wpm on this little doodad.

Granted, it's a fairly simple sentence, with no special characters or numbers. But still.

I learned how to type in High School. I took one semester of typing with my g/f (probably why I took the class). My 10-key isn't quite as hot, but only because I rarely use it anymore.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, March 16, 2005, , links to this post

Springtime Keeps Me Away

Yes, the inevitable has occurred. Springtime. And with it, the inability to spend nearly as much time sitting behind my computer plugging yet another hole into this journal.

Things get busy this time of year. Spring cleaning, an inner desire to not be cooped up inside, an urge to get things done. Never fear, though. I'm not going away any time soon.

My biggest shock this morning was discovering the fact that DailyKOS, the first blog I read every day, is down. Were they hacked? Were they just overloaded, or are they simply rebooting? I guess we'll have to wait and find out.

Meanwhile, my mind is a clean slate this morning. No anger is stirring; no fires need quelling. Think I'll try to maintain this state for as long as I can. Like coming up from air after so many months of dark, twisted bullshit going on all around. One can hope that the turning of the season brings with it a renewed sense of 'connection' with the world, with nature herself, and may this feeling reverberate in the hearts and souls of every person. May the destruction of ourselves cease for a time, and may we begin to feel a sense of change in the air.

Wouldn't that be nice?

posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, March 16, 2005, , links to this post

The Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado
3/10/2005

Fear
The fuel of angry hearbeats
Thickens and runs red,
pushing death on through

Rages in ribcages
a hearbeat at a time
The fear of death
is the red carpet
of the Reaper

A rising sun behind green hills -
Run away brother, no peace for you here.
The solders dragged Luis Edwardo
to the pit
where six others
lie shredded to pieces
three of them children

Tomorrow, a funeral for martyrs
on Friday of the Fourth Week of Lent
And though they cut him,
hacked him
and tore his body to shreds
No one really laid a hand on him

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 10, 2005, , links to this post

I called in sick today because I've been having severe digestive problems and nausea. I feel like a brick, and when I stand up I want to puke. Trying to put my socks on this morning created a sort of panic attack, so I settled back down and called into work.

I'm sure freudian therapists would have a good time with that one (socks=panic).

Regardless, this weekend proved to be very exciting!

Friday night we were supposed to go to John and Monica's to play RISK. However, my wife's knee is so swollen and painful that she didn't think she could make it up the stairs to their apartment. So I called to try to change the plans, to get them to come out to the Admiral Twin drive in on (apparently) the season opening weekend. They declined and we rain-checked for next weekend.

So my wife and I went to the Drive-In.

(side note: remember my plea to vote for Admiral Twin in the Hampton Inn contest? Well, it appears that a search for "admiral twin theater" in Google will bring my journal up on the first page!)

Hitch, a Will Smith movie, is something I wouldn't normally pay to watch. But it was fun enough, and it's really more about the experience than the movies playing anyhow. I won't bother to review it, but I will say that it's quaint in a not very laughable way. Not too over the top. A date movie.

Boogeyman was fairly interesting, and it might have been better served by surround sound than by a mono FM transmission. But ultimately it failed to impress because of its sudden over-use of CGI when revealing the monster.

This has been my problem with so many horror and suspense films of the last decade. The entire movie can be amazingly non-cgi, with great washes of color and tone, but all of a sudden we are pummelled with out-of-this-world dazzling computer FX, and they don't blend at all with the rest of the movie. The first time I really noticed this was in watching Sleepy Hollow, when the Headless Horseman finally gets his head. It just doesn't match the tone of the rest of the movie. And the same can be said here. What might have been a good, creepy Saturday Night movie turns out to be a waste of time BECAUSE of CGI.

I don't despise the use of CGI, but I don't think it's always necessary when a greater effect could be achieved with real props. These filmmakers who are dishing out horror movies every weekend need to go back to the '70s and rewatch some of those low-budgeteers like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Dawn of the Dead. Then they will realize how much more effective realism, even cheap realism, can be. Some CGI, like in the case of Fellowship of the Ring (Balrog), is so brilliantly used and shaded that it works perfectly. But a number of lower-budget films simply can't compete with what Peter Jackson and Lucas are doing, and they would be better off not using it or at least using it in the background rather than in key effects.

So that was Friday. And it was fantastic to be at the Drive-In again. I will probably spend a lot of time there this year. Looking forward to it, in fact!

Saturday, I spent most of the day sitting around being a lazy bastard, catching up on news and watching reruns of Buck Rogers. Then we went to Elaine's house for some food and company. It was Geoff's 60th Birthday, and the brownies were fantastic (Peanut Butter/Chocolate Chip). The secret, apparently, is to accidentally set the oven at 250 instead of 350, then after about 15 minutes realize the mistake and THEN set it at 350. Cook for another 5-10 minutes and you have a wonderful brownie that's rich and smooth on the inside and crispy on the outside. Yummy!

Sunday, well, I didn't do much. Slept in. Then evening time came, and I received an email from a friend. It was probably the best email I've received in years.

"Come watch the first episode of our favorite show tonight."

Yes, without shame I admit to seeing an advanced screening of ep 1 of the new Doctor Who. And I will post a review sometime in the next week. But I will say this: even though it's a little rough at the edges (and this could be because the screener is not quite finished), DW fans have much to look forward to. This is going to be a fun ride, and I hope it keeps on going for years to come. I have my gripes about some of the plot elements, as well as the quick pacing, but all in all it seems to be a sustainable combination of qualities and very faithful to the old series.

I also managed to watch the next exciting episode of Carnivale. This show just gets better and better. I live, eat, and dream Carnivale. Last night, in fact, I dreamed I was lying naked with Ruthie the snake charmer (someone I am most definitely NOT attracted to). As horrible as the depression was, the creators of Carnivale make it seem like an exciting time, a place I might want to visit. The characters of this show are so real, so 3-dimensional, and the look of the show is mouth-watering and rich. The antique colors, the unique set design. I will beg and plead and pray for a 3rd Season.

Of course, the preview for the next episode had to ruin it by saying "Only 3 Episodes Left."

I hope this isn't the end of my favorite show. Please HBO, keep it going for at least another season. There are stories unfinished that need time to play out. Wrapping it up so quickly would be a slap in the face of everyone involved, including the fans, the creators, the actors, everyone. There is so much creativity brimming out of this show, in degrees I have never before seen on television or anywhere. It must keep going!

If we lose Carnivale like we lost Wonderfalls and Firefly, it will be yet another blow to true ingenuity and creativity on the airwaves.

posted by novachild @ Monday, March 07, 2005, , links to this post

Wasn't Apple the Good Guy Once?
3/04/2005

Apparently, Apple Computers is the enemy of bloggers everywhere. The Register, Reuters, and the defendants of the case are all citing First Amendment rights. I'll have to check into this. Meanwhile, read the story here.

Apple has instituted legal action against three sites: PowerPage, AppleInsider,
and ThinkSecret. The case has overtones of freedom to blog and First Amendment rights.

A central issue is whether the bloggers are journalists.


I don't consider myself a journalist, but that doesn't mean I will ever answer to a Corporation. From what I can see, Apple is just crapping right on their biggest fans' heads.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, March 04, 2005, , links to this post

Regarding Bush's Demand on Syria to Withdraw from Lebanon

I don't pretend to know what's best for Lebanon; I have hardly followed the activities there, but I'm working on it. Nevertheless, isn't it ironic that Bush expects Syria to withdraw immediately from Lebanon, while at the same time keeping the largest assemblage of US forces since WWII established in Iraq and Afghanistan?
"Syria, Syrian troops, Syria's intelligence services, must get out of Lebanon now," the president said. "The world is beginning to speak with one voice. We want that democracy in Lebanon to succeed, and we know it cannot succeed so long as she is occupied by a foreign power and that power is Syria."

The same One Voice that has accused the US of illegally waging war on Iraq? The same One Voice that continues to evade a divided, separatist United States? The same One Voice that cries out in helpless protest each time Cowboy George steps on another oil-rich nation? The world HAS been speaking with one voice, but President Bush hasn't been listening.

If the US is going to make these demands, we need moral ground to stand on. WE need to pull our troops out of Iraq and let them get on with their 'democracy.'

posted by Edward Svengali @ Friday, March 04, 2005, , links to this post

Feck Rep. Jim Gibbons!
3/03/2005

Gibbons rallies GOP

He wondered what Lincoln's feelings would be at this juncture of American history."How would he feel, what would he be thinking about, all of the dissension, all of the division, that the liberals and a few others, including some our movie stars and song makers, are trying to divide this country over its efforts to establish freedom and liberty in countries around the world?" Gibbons questioned.


Lincoln. Was he a savior? Hardly. Was he a messiah? Not even close. Lincoln was a plain-spoken man with his own ideals, and they weren't all pure and saintly. His ideals were also a product of the times; he didn't have to deal with the amount of pseudo-fascism that continues to grow in our 'democratic' political arena.

I have a statement, Mr. Gibbons; dissent is patriotic. Do you know your history? It says so in the Constitution you are sworn to live up to. Lincoln believed that truth was the foundation for a workable government. Clearly you do not.

"We are all here tonight because men and women of the United States military have given their lives for our freedom," Gibbons continued. "We are here tonight
not because of Rosie O'Donnell, Martin Sheen, George Clooney, Jane Fonda or Phil
Donahue - they never sacrificed their lives for us or for liberty."
Have you? Seeing as how you are still alive, I suppose the answer is obvious. And one thing you forget is that the people you mention are also Americans. Their freedom to bitch and moan is the same as yours.
"I say we tell those liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippie, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and their music and whine somewhere else," Gibbons said to another burst of applause.
Give me a break. You're talking about half of the population of this country. I don't see THAT many tie-dyes when I go out on weekends.
He said if they lived in Iraq or Afghanistan, "Ironically they would be put to death at the hands of Saddam Hussein or Osama Bin Laden."
Do you want liberals to be lined up and shot, or are you just being smarmy?
"I want to know how these very people who are against war because of loss of life can possibly be the same people who are for abortion?" Gibbons said. "They are the same people who are for animal rights, but they are not for the rights of the unborn."
The terms and justification for abortion is up to the patient and her Doctor. Not with greedy, bloodthirsty republican politicians.

I support animal welfare because all life deserves to life free of abuse, torture, and needless slaughter. Millions of animals are slaughtered and abused every day by sick, greedy bastards like yourself who see them as nothing but a product to be used and discarded. Your argument only works if you can fit everyone with opposing viewpoints inside your closely-monitored 'liberal' box, which you cannot.

So instead of making a complete moronic ass out of yourself, maybe you should go back to political science 101 and remember that we are ALL Americans.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 03, 2005, , links to this post

Today's Two Big Effing Losers

1) Sony Corp

Imagine a parody band that plays Beatles tunes in a 'Metallica' way. Sounds fun, right? Sounds reasonable that they should be allowed to do this without fear of repudiation. Well, Sony Corp. thinks they are greedy pirates.

Sony Corp. is asking for a sharp, angry message from consumers, so I'm urging all of my readers to help spread the following message. Visit beatallica.com, sign the petition, and spread the word. If you have a blog/journal/web site, post this message on your web site. Boycott Sony products, CDs, etc. And Support Independent Artists!

You can also use this handy graphic and link I made (unofficially, of course).

Do not link to the image; instead, download it and store it on YOUR server. Link to: http://www.petitiononline.com/p1gp0g/petition.html

2) Unhappybirthday.com

If the owners of this web site are poking around and just having a laugh, then I will retract my accusation. I have a feeling that they are just being clever and jovial, so I won't be too harsh on them. But IF they are serious, then I pity the eye-rolling lunacy.

As everybody may know, the song "Happy Birthday" is written by an ASCAP artist. ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Artists and Musicians) is sort of a legal 'arts' mafioso. They monitor the airwaves, clubs, and television shows for the unauthorized use of material created by ASCAP artists. Then they demand license fees. While this may sound 'reasonable' in theory, it is not.

Happy Birthday is one such song, and it is the reason restaurants will always make up their own dumbass song instead of singing it to their customers. This is a perfect examply of intellectual property laws going haywire. To do something about it, get involved with groups like downhillbattle.org. And support Independent Artists!

That's my bitchin' for the day.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Thursday, March 03, 2005, , links to this post

Absentee
3/02/2005

I've been a little slow to post lately, but it's a good thing. Because I've been getting away from the computer!

First, my nieces were down all last week, and it was wonderful. They are truly amazing kids (12 and 13), and their minds are sharp too. We had a good time spending all of my money and just hanging out, and they just love their aunt too!

Okmulgee has the nicest little Chinese Buffet close to the town square. For $5, you get all you can eat PLUS a drink. So we all ate for about 17 dollars with tax, then walked over to the movie theater (it's a small town) to see what was playing. Two choices: some stupid-ass sequel to The Mask, or an independent family film based on a best-selling children's book: Because of Winn-Dixie.

Well, I had two nieces with me, so it's probably no surprise that we went to see Because of Winn-Dixie. And I'm so glad we did, because it was a brilliant little film. I love 'family' movies that don't talk down to kids and make them feel ignorant or 'special.' Just a good movie that speaks to the heart without getting too sappy. Highly recommended.

What surprised me the most was the interior of Okmulgee's movie theater. It was a beautiful theatre house once upon a time, with box seats and lush decor. And they're restoring it, slowly but surely, to its original brilliance. Apparently, Okmulgee has a wealthy town once upon a time, but must have fallen on some bad times after the oil boom died down. It's the story of most Oklahoma towns, really.

I've also taken to reading poetry at a local coffee bar on Tuesday nights. I'm still a bit on the nervous side, having been away from it for nearly 8 years and never really doing it ALONE (always with a friend, Mark, or surrounded by people I knew). In this new establishment, I know absolutly nobody. And it's an odd scene, because it's brimming with teenagers. Not the most ideal location, but it's really all we have in Tulsa if you want to say the word FUCK a few times.

Speaking of poetry, I'm working on a little chapbook. I'll be selling it for $5, and will post an order form once I'm done. In the meantime, I'll try to post more often!

posted by novachild @ Wednesday, March 02, 2005, , links to this post

Rumsfeld is Sued for Abuse

ACLU and Human Rights First are suing Donald Rumsfeld for overlooking, and thereby being responsible for, the torture of prisoners under US custody. I hope they get every penny he's got. And get the rest of the ignorant bastards who caused this mess.

The US long ago ratified the UN Convention Against Torture. Even without the Geneva Conventions, this treaty in effect makes it illegal for anybody to torture a human being anywhere for any reason, regardless of their military status or otherwise.

We have violated this treaty many, many times, and we look away, turning our heads from the shame that we let happen. The 'leaders' of this Country have eroded the human experience by ignoring hundreds of years of human evolution in favor of pushing Manifest Destiny across the globe. And they wonder why progressive thinkers are so furious. Our President and his cronies are bloodthirsty, opportunistic barbarians.

I urge all my readers to pick up Guantanamo: What the World Should Know, from Chelsea Green publishing. If you aren't outraged by now, you aren't paying attention, and this book will give you the heads up on just some of the shameful activities our military is conducting offshore. This issue is simply too serious, too grave, to be ignored and left for more outspoken people to handle.

The thing that disturbed me the most about prisoners being shipped to Guantanamo: They were shipped in large metal containers, each carrying dozens of prisoners who had not been tried, represented, or anything. Just thrown into a big box. And US soldiers stood by and let this happen, and Iraqi guards at times literally shot holes in these containers, killing prisoners inside.

Guantanamo reflects in some ways the horrors of Nazi concentration camps. Haliburton even built a 'death house' there, according to this book. If prisoners didn't survive the journey to the concentration camp, it is a living hell for them at Guantanamo. Something must be done to expose this problem for what it is. Guantanamo is an outrage. It is the beginning of a new kind of hatred of the US, and it must be stopped.

I love my country. I want our leaders and our military to respect what America stands for. I don't want them to continue to redefine America as an Empire, a totalitarian, oppressive regime. Because that's not what we are.

posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, March 02, 2005, , links to this post


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This blog is for exploring ideas, posting announcements, and expressing my occasionally artful life through music, VJing, poetry, and random silliness. Visitors may find insightful, challenging, and downright objectionable content here. Proceed with a mind of your own!
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