________________________________________________________________________________--INCITING REVOLUTION, ONE MIND AT A TIME--________________________________________
__________________________________________"Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence__________________________________________
My godmother is mary(CRONE). Her 15-yr-old granddaughter, Kayla Leann Kirk, has run away. She's probably in Western Washington, but may be elsewhere. Mary and the Police are searching. If you can help, please contact mary(CRONE) by going to my profile and clicking her icon in my friend list. She's in my top-8. Thank you.
Bernie Mac, 1957-2008, Rest in Peace
Current mood: Mournful
Category: Mournful Movies, TV, Celebrities
Bernie Mac: October 5th 1957 - August 9th 2008 James Staples
"The world just got a little less funny," said 'Ocean's...' co-star George Clooney in response to the news that comedian Bernie Mac died on Saturday, August 9th 2008, of complications due to pneumonia. Mac was only fifty years old.
He was born Bernard Jeffrey McCollough, into a large family in South Chicago. His neighborhood was very violent and impoverished, and his whole family lived under one roof. These factors informed his comedy and acting style, giving him an edge that made many people uncomfortable, but struck a positive and relatable chord with many more. A comedian who sparked both praise and controversy for his habit of "saying all the things you thinkin', just don't wanna say 'em out loud," Bernie Mac was bold, irreverent and a great inspiration to me. He was renowned for refusing to change his image for television or films, which kept him from major fame throughout the eighties.
His film roles include small parts in "Mo' Money" (1992), "Who's the Man?" (1993), "House Party 3" (1994), "The Walking Dead" and "Friday" (1995), moving into larger roles with "Get on the Bus" and "Don't Be a Menace..." (1996), "How to Be a Player" (1997), "The Players Club" (1998), "Life" (1999), "The Original Kings of Comedy" (2000), "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" (2001) and he had a recurring role in "Ocean's Eleven" and its two sequels starting in 2001. In that same year, "The Bernie Mac Show" debuted to tremendous critical acclaim. His film credits continued with "Head of State," "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and "Bad Santa" (2003), "Mr. 3000" (2004), "Guess Who," "Inspector Gadget's Biggest Caper Ever" and the animated "Li'l Pimp" (2005), "Honor Deferred" (2006), "Transformers" and "Pride" (2007) and he has roles in "Soul Men" and "Old Dogs," both of which are in post-production at this time and slated for release in 2008 and 2009, respectively.
His nearly thirty film roles in 17 years, along with a recurring role on "Moesha" and his own hit television series are a clear testament to his strong work ethic.
His autobiography, "Maybe You Never Cry Again," was an enormous source of wisdom and joy to me. In it, Mac eloquently made the point that doing a job you hate just to pay the bills will always keep you broke and unhappy. He said, and demonstrated, that the key to success and happiness is to do what you love and do it with all your energy and determination. He showed the world that no one will respect you unless you respect yourself. Every second you spend blaming other people for your troubles is another second wasted. Focus on what you want and work, work hard, to make it happen.
To anyone who struggles every day, just to make ends meet: Read "Maybe You Never Cry Again." It will change your perspective and show you strength you did not know you had.
Bernie Mac leaves this world far too soon, and I will miss him. He was, and is, one of my heroes. His catch-phrase, "America, we family!" will stay with me forever.
ASATRU AND GNOSTICISM James Staples (a.k.a. Thunderhande Thorsgodi)
The following was inspired by "Racism in Asatru," by Wayland Skallagrimsson, as well as by conversations with my good friend, Johnny Stormcrow.
Norse heathens stratify around the question, "Who can practice Asatru?" Are the Norse gods available to anyone and everyone, or are they only available to people of Norse/Germanic heritage?
I think the contention comes down to one particular idea: GNOSTICISM.
My experience of Thor is gnostic. It is personal and "in-the-bone." My troth with Thor is not the result of any book or film; I heard Thor call to me. I can tell you exactly where and when it was, and exactly how it happened. I was not culturally indoctrinated, and at the time I heard Thor's call, I knew virtually nothing about Asatru or Germanic/Scandinavian mythology.
All of my epistemological knowledge of Thor and Nordic heathenism came long after my personal experience of the essential reality of Thor's presence in my life. Literally everything I have ever told anyone about Asatru, everything anyone knows me to believe about it, is all long subsequent to the moment in June of 1987 when I heard Thor's voice - as clear as if he was standing next to me talking into my physical ear - say to me, "From now on, all your drumming is dedicated to Me."
I have never felt the need to rationalize or justify my troth, nor to give an account of what makes my faith valid. I have all the proof I need that I am on the right path, and my proof would be useless to anyone else. It is gnostic: it begins and ends in my own psyche.
I can show someone my credentials as a minister or as a metaphysician, and that person can accept or deny the validity of those credentials as s/he sees fit. The fact and the correctness of my troth, however, is mine and mine alone. If someone says, "You are not really Truar," or, "You are not really a Thorsgodi," that person is simply wrong. That's it. I am Truar; I am a Thorsgodi. If you ask me, "Who says so?" I will tell you two people say so: Thor and I. If you demand proof, I will tell you to look for it somewhere else. I don't owe that proof to anyone but myself.
Because of the gnostic nature of my experience of Thor, I tend toward the so-called "universalist" side of the spectrum. That is, I believe the gods are potentially available to anyone. I know what it feels like to have an immediate, personal experience of the reality of a god, and I cannot possibly say that anyone else can or cannot have a similar experience of any given god-form. As it happens, I am of Germanic (and Welsh) heritage, but I used to know a Polynesian guy, years ago, who was a rabidly devout Thorsgodi. He claimed to have had a gnostic experience of Thor, much the same as I have. How can I possibly say, "No, you didn't. Thor only comes to white people like that. You must have been imagining it." That would be utterly foolish and indefensible.
If god 'X' can touch my psyche and open my eyes to some way of living, and if I believe (as I do) that people are people, then I conclude that god 'X' could do the same to any other person. At the very least, I cannot validly conclude the opposite. Gnostic experience is not predicated on race, culture, politics, economics or even religion. Gnosticism is fundamentally personal, subjective, individual.
If a person has had a gnostic experience, it is impossible to deny the reality of gnosticism. If a person has not had a gnostic experience, it is understandable that such a person would believe that certain people are predisposed to certain religious paths. That would not explain, however, how the world contains literally billions of devout Christians who have little or no Hebrew heritage.
Blogger Trumps Corporate Media on Death Penalty
Current mood: Pro-Digital
Category: Pro-Digital News and Politics
Blogger Trumps Corporate Media on Death Penalty
James Staples
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[Thirty-six states have a death penalty.Only six of those allow execution for rape]
For the record, I oppose the death penalty, but that is not germane to this essay.The thesis here is that the blogosphere is demonstrably better as a source of news and information than the traditional corporate-controlled news media.The biases, both explicit and unintentional, of the corporate-controlled media are supportive of big business and the super-wealthy, at the expense of the middle class and gainfully employed.Corporate lawyers and media programmers are cheerfully self-blinkered, choosing not to see anything that makes rich people uncomfortable, and choosing to publicize only those news stories which support the dominant cultural paradigm.
These laughably so-called "news" media never miss an opportunity to ridicule or lambaste the internet as a data-source.Even ostensibly liberal-progressive radio and television programs, such as they are, tend to snicker behind their hands at the notion that amateurs in the blogosphere can deliver the news, doing it quickly, effectively and without the editorial filters and biases toward the elite and powerful that are pervasive in radio, television and newspapers.Bloggers are caricatured as fringe-lunatics who cannot discern fact from rumor, who will print anything for the sensation it elicits.Hello, Pot?This is Kettle.You're black.
Of course, in the midst of this ridicule of the blogosphere, the big programmers comb the blogs continuously, looking for breaks, leaks, leads and feeds.During any live radio or TV broadcast, someone invariably is poring over the internet and running searches on every buzz-word that pops up.Without the unfettered data-gathering power of the internet, most mainstream news programming would be a hopeless disaster.It can hardly be a coincidence that more and more newspapers are turning to online-only publishing.
Let us, then, take a look at some clean, unblemished facts.Let us consider a case in which the Supreme Court, a dozen lawyers and the entire corporate-controlled media got something dead wrong.Let us further make note of the way this monumental error was discovered and publicized.Let us see where the responsible journalism is and who the kooks are.
2008 - Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that it is unconstitutional to execute for child rape.The relevant case is Patrick Kennedy vs. Louisiana, argued April 16th 2008.In his majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy asserted a total absence of federal law or precedent to support the death penalty for anything other than murder or sedition.
2006 - Congress revised the Uniform Code of Military Justice, making child rape a capital crime in the armed services.Bush signs the National Defense Authorization Act, making this a federal law.Executive Order13447 put the provision into the 2008 edition of the Manual for Courts-Martial.
1977 - Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to execute for rape of an adult.
1961 - The last military execution; Pvt. John A. Bennett executed for:
RAPE OF AN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL.
Of the ten legal briefs filed for the defense in Patrick vs. Kennedy, not one mentioned the 2006 law, signed by the current president, less than two years earlier.None of these high-rent lawyers knew the precedent.No television news channels picked up on this error.The corporate-controlled so-called "mainstream" media were silent on this point.Who first brought this oversight to the attention of the legal profession and the general public?It was a blogger.
Marine Reserve Colonel Dwight Sullivan works as a civilian defense lawyer handling death penalty appeals.He also runs a blog, caaflog.blogspot.com, on which he posted his piece entitled The Supremes Dis the Military Justice System.It went up Saturday, June 28th.In it, Sullivan points out, "We're not talking about ancient history.This happened in 2006."The corporate media got wind of Sullivan's piece four days after he posted it, on July 2nd 2008.
R. Ted Cruz argued on behalf of Louisiana, also representing a coalition of ten other states.He said it is "extremely unlikely" the Supremes will reverse as a result of this error being pointed out."A member of the majority would have to change his mind, but," he went on to say, "It's obvious that both sides gave this case very careful consideration."
Is it?That is not obvious to me at all.Five judges struck down the death penalty for child rape.Four others dissented from that finding.The 5-4 vote implies to me a total lack of care or consideration, in favor of a partisan vote of ideology; the "Red Team" versus the "Blue Team."No one did even minimal research before issuing a decision.If any one of the nine justices had done that minimal work, surely a two-year-old federal precedent would have leaped off the page.
Clearly, the corporate-controlled media have been playing the role of mouthpiece for the administration for too long too be up to the task of spotting it when the Supreme Court is ignoring Bush's own proclamations, and federal legislation from the murky past of two years ago.Once again, the fact that the blogosphere continues to operate without the burdensome filters of corporate consolidation yields important legal and political information.It is no wonder an increasing population is getting the majority of its news from the internet, where there is no private interest censoring the data to make sure they reflect the "best interests" of some parent company.
-THINK TRUTH- Third Anniversary, 200th Post
Current mood: Self-Congratulatory
Category: Self-Congratulatory News and Politics
Wednesday, June 25th 2008: -THINK TRUTH- is Three Years Old! James Staples
Greetings, Truth-Heads, on this joyous occasion!What about Barack Obama's refusal to take public campaign money?What about his backing of the despicable new FISA revamp, which pisses all over the 4th amendment?What about the fact that Democratic leadership is turning its back on America and backing that same hideous proposal?What about the perennial racism of Don "What-Color-Is-He" Imus?How about the new revelations that the Justice Department is repeatedly breaking the law with its political hiring?Rampant deficit spending by consumers and the federal government, sub-prime lending, record profits by oils companies with outrageous gas prices, record profits by food processing companies with outrageous food prices, relaxing of the EPA's standard for coal-fired power plants near national parks, global warming, falling test scores, hurricane season, crime, drugs, gay marriage….There are so many pressing and vital issues for -THINK TRUTH- to consider.So, what shall I do?The answer is simple.I will ignore them all for the time-being, and cater to my own vanity instead.This is the 200th -THINK TRUTH- post!It commemorates the third anniversary of this smashing blog.The first post on THINK TRUTH was three years ago today, June 25th, 2005.It was called GOP-Smacked: Incognito among the Elephants.Originally written in mid-January of 2004, GOP-Smacked was an attempt at gonzo-journalism in the great tradition of Hunter S. Thompson, as I covered a campaign lunch in Seattle with Dick Cheney and his wife stumping for arch-GOP-scumbag George Nethercutt.Here is a tasty and relevant excerpt:
"I am what is known as a cub reporter, i.e. this is the first time I've ever done anything like this. My I.D. indicates that I am here with Media Island International. They are sponsoring me because the radio station I work for is Free Radio Olympia, a pirate station, not licensed by the FCC, and therefore not recognized by the enormous security force surrounding the presidential administration. It is important to me that I not come across as a freako-lefty-liberal. As such, I've made an effort to look a little GQ: black slacks, deep red shirt, dark navy blue tie, long black coat and a felt fedora, a la the corn-ball b-movie reporters from the 1940s. In a fit of whimsy (such as a manager or handler would doubtless advise against), I even stick my 'PRESS' card in the band of my hat, just to make sure that everyone gets my costume."
I've posted everything from song lyrics to cartoons and video clips.I've posted essays about magic, chivalry, the Qabalah, trolls and troll culture, tacos, Nine Inch Nails and the Circle Jerks.I've eulogized a few great people who left us, including Kurt Vonnegut, James Brown and my mentor, Alphonso Verdu.I've waxed rhapsodic about percussion, veterans, fatherhood and numerous other subjects.The first thing I ever wrote specifically for THINK TRUTH was an Independence Day 2005 appeal for Revolution called, I ask, Please, for a Moment of Your Time.The first really beefy piece I posted was Year Four, Day One, on the third anniversary of the illegal occupation of Iraq, which has been forced circumstantially to become the central topic of the whole blog.While it is true that THINK TRUTH is hardly the brightest star in the blogosphere (in three years, my 200 posts have garnered a little over twelve thousand hits and a bit more than 600 comments, each generating an average 1.3 kudos, all of this coming from about 4 dozen regular readers), it is nevertheless a small but visible star in a truly dazzling constellation:The large and growing segment of Liberal/Progressive bloggers, here on MySpace and on the internet generally.Many fellow Truth-Heads are also prolific and articulate political bloggers in their own right, some of them with hundreds of subscribers.That's what really matters.That's why I do -THINK TRUTH.-It's the network.As I write and post my blogs, I read and re-post the work of other Truth-Heads.I post commentary on lots of their essays.They read, re-post and comment on my stuff, too.The word spreads.The movement grows.Gradually, more and more Americans wake up to the fact that the majority of us are liberal/progressives.The neo-cons have had us thinking THEY are the big group, because they have seized the airwaves.There are more than 400 political talk shows on the radio in this country and a whopping three fourths of them are "conservative" (i.e. right-leaning corporatists).Each weekday, 2,570 hours and 15 minutes of conservative talk are broadcast on 257 stations, compared to 254 hours of progressive talk (cnsnews.com).Ed Schultz is the only Lib-Prog talker of the top-10 most-listened-to hosts.The rest are all water-carriers for the administration: Hannity, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, Savage and all those other apologists for the corporate imperialists.Fortunately, however, that balance is shifting.Air America 2.0 is alive and well.Nova/M, Jones and Pacifica are thriving.The Thom Hartmann, Stephanie Miller, Randi Rhodes, Mike Malloy, Rachel Maddow, Sam Cedar and John Elliott Shows are all growing in both reach and popularity.The number of listeners to Democracy Now has exploded over the last three years.Free Speech Radio News is broadcast on more and more stations both pirate and licensed, every month.Schultz is proudly broadcast on American Armed Forces Radio.Growth on the left is vastly out-pacing growth on the right.Still, we on the internet have been the greatest vehicle in the progressive revolution that is now well and truly underway.While television and radio broadcasting become increasingly consolidated into the extremely biased hands of fewer and fewer media moguls, the blogosphere continues to run wild.The easiest way to see that blogging is having an impact is to note how frequently and obsessively it is ridiculed in the corporate, so-called "mainstream" media.While pundits love to smirk about the unvetted and unreliable nature of the internet, the hosts of their shows comb the blogs constantly, looking for new stories and trying to take the pulse of the People.The precious 18-34 demographic gets more of its news from YouTube and MySpace than it gets from television, radio and newspapers combined.Advertisers are abandoning radio and TV in droves; in favor of the much more efficient and interactive pickings online.THINK TRUTH is proud to have been part of this revolutionary growth for the last three years, and we are very excited about the future.The more outrageous and blatantly fascist the administration becomes, the closer we come to a dramatic popular uprising.When that happens, THINK TRUTH will be close-at-hand, not only reporting events, but fomenting them as well.Gods bless America.
-THINK TRUTH.-
Currently
listening
:
Happy Birthday to Me
By
The Muffs
Release date: 1997-05-20
Politics and the Price of Postage (2008 Revision)
Current mood: Meticulous
Category: Meticulous News and Politics
The Mail Scale: Politics and the Price of Postage James Staples
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March 3rd, 1863 – Postage starts at 3 cents per half-ounceMarch 3rd, 1883 – 20 years later, the price drops to 2 cents per half-ounceJuly 1st, 1885 – Postage is set on the "per-ounce" scale, starting at 2 cents per ounce.For forty-seven years, a stamp cost 2 cents, except for 21 months of the U.S. involvement in World War I (1917-1919), when it went up to 3 cents, then back down to 2 cents.Then, July 6th, 1932, the price of a one-ounce stamp rose to 3 cents.In the 76 years since then, postage rates have been raised twenty times, including the last one, May 13th, 2008, when a one-ounce stamp went to 42 cents.In 76 years, the price of postage has increased 1,267%.A stamp is nearly thirteen times more expensive than it was one lifetime ago.In the mid-1960's, when I was born, a stamp still cost a nickel.The price doubled over the next decade, and doubled again to 20 cents by late 1981: a 400% increase from my birth to my fifteenth birthday (11 years of Republican presidents, 4 years Democratic).13 of those 15 cents were added under Republicans.Jimmy Carter saw the price go up two cents in four years.It went up 9 more cents over the next ten years (Reagan and Bush I), and 5 more cents in the ten years after that (Bush I and Clinton).From Reagan to Bush II, the price more than doubled, from 15 to 34 cents.During Clinton's eight years, there was only a 4-cent increase, from 29 to 33 cents (16%).When Bush II was appointed to the White House, in January of 2001, a stamp cost 34 cents.We now see the fifth rate-hike in seven years, another 23% increase.Not only that, but the new stamps, the so-called "Forever Stamps" are specifically designed to make further rate increases easier, without causing the public too much "inconvenience."The price of postage has increased more than 700% just in my lifetime.Postage has increased 6 cents (100%) under Democratic presidents, and 36 cents (600%) under Republicans.Years in office = 7:3.Percentage price increase = 6:1.Consistently, the postage rate has increased more than twice as quickly during Republican administrations as during Democratic ones.None of this is rhetoric.None of this is propaganda.This is just arithmetic – common cents.It is a simple fact that Republican administrations are much harder on the middle class and working poor than Democratic administrations.Truth-Heads, if you can't use a postal scale as a reliable standard, what can you use?
Father’s Day: A Re-Run Post
Current mood: Grateful
Category: Grateful Life
[This was originally written and posted 06/18/06, then again on 06/17/07.It's becoming a tradition for me.Here it is again:my take on fatherhood.]..:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />
--------- 'Father' is a Big Word James Staples
You do not have to sire offspring to be a father.
Teach: Turn ignorance into wonder. Turn confusion into inspiration.
Guide: Be an example. Lead from the front; do not push from behind. Show the young that true strength is the power to be tender and kind, even when you are angry or scared.
Remember: Keep the stories of your people alive. Learn the old ones and make up new ones, and share them whenever you can.
Love: Pour love on as many children as you can, and show them how much you love your partner. Let them see the rewards of a loving heart.
Live: Share your passions. Show young people that strong feelings are okay. Embrace your life and meet challenges with your whole heart, body, mind and spirit.
Laugh: Find humor wherever you can. The scarier something is, the more it helps to find the humor in it. The opposite of gravity is levity. If it is grave, make light of it.
Respect: You must give it to earn it. The strongest and bravest men never have to resort to pushiness or brutality. Say, 'Please,' 'Thank you,' and, 'I am sorry,' like you really mean them.In fact, see that you DO really mean them.
Listen: The wisest teachers learn from their students. The fresh perspective of a young person can teach you a world of things about yourself and your world.
Enjoy: In the midst of challenges, when people younger or weaker than you are all over you with their wants and needs, that is when you have the best chance to realize how rich and how fortunate you are.
To my father, Robert; to my mentor, Prof. Verdu; to my god, Thor and to his father, the All-Father, Odhin;
To my tribal children, to my stepson and to my biological offspring;
To the beautiful and remarkable women who brought all of these amazing and precious young people into the world, and into my life;
To everyone who has ever given me the opportunity to find Fatherhood within myself;
To all of you I give boundless and heartfelt thanks. If I were penniless, I would still be wealthy beyond measure. Being a Father means so many different things, and everything about it is a source of enormous strength and pride to me.
I thank you, all, from the bottom of my heart: Happy Fathers Day!
THOMA 14: Truth-Head of the Month, May 2008
Current mood: Applaudiferous
Category: Applaudiferous News and Politics
THOMA 14: May 2008
The Truth-Head of the Month Award
James Staples
1. joumelle soeur (April 2007),
2. Rachel (and baby) (May 2007),
3. PEACE NOW!!! (June 2007),
4. Doug & Lydia – Progressive Talk Radio (July 2007),
5. The Judge (August 2007),
6A., 6B. Zappaisbest (September 2007), Thomas (September 2007)
7. Andrew Bard Schmookler (October 2007)
8. * j o e ! ! (November 2007)
9. Butch Robot Pope (December 2007)
10. Uncle Sam (January 2008)
11. Joe the Bohemian Blogger (February 2008)
12.mary (CRONE)*has hope (March 2008)
13. Efvie (April 2008)
Another month has come and gone.Loads of news, propaganda, political hoop-la and election-year hogwash passed under the metaphorical bridge of the now.I turned 42 years old at the same time the price of postage went to 42 cents.That's the second year in a row for that particular odd coincidence.Hillary Clinton's corporation-fueled, deficit-spending, negativity-saturated campaign has finally been stopped in its bull-dozing tracks, even before the last couple of its operatives have deserted her.Barack Obama has, at long last, turned his attention to his actual opponent, Insane McCain.Moreover, it is time, once again, to dole out another Truth-Head of the Month Award, THOMA 14. I only found five contenders this month, but they are all winners in my book.If the links provided do not work (they have not worked for the last two or three THOMAs), I hope my wonderful readers will take the time to go to these blog pages and enter the relevant dates.All of these blogs are smart, entertaining, educational and well worth the time it takes to access and digest them.Support your fellow bloggers, friends.Together, our influence in the political sphere is growing and gaining the attention of the more conventional media.Read, subscribe, comment, re-post…Let's get rockin'!
This blog is simply a link to a petition, addressed to Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, the two state senators from Washington, both of whom are set to cast their super-delegate votes for Hillary Clinton.The petition urges them to change their votes to Barack Obama.The vast majority of Washington Democrats voted for Obama in the primary (he won 38 of our 39 counties).Cantwell and Murray are supposed to represent us and we want them to do so at the convention.Thanks to this blog, I am signer number 10,992.I urge all Washingtonian Truth-Heads to go to this petition and to add your electronic signature to it.The biggest problem we have in this country is that our representatives are NOT REPRESENTING US!
To sign the petition, follow the link below. If the link doesn't work, simply paste it into your browser.
http://www.petitiononline.com/wasprdel/ [Editorial Note: Obviously, this was posted before the primaries ended.Cantwell and Murray should have changed, but they didn't.It doesn't matter, though, because Obama won the nomination as well as the last couple of Washington State's super-delegates]
Our resident satirist extraordinaire shares with us his experience of a commercial that is so ridiculous and absurd that it would whoosh right past most of us.He nails an important point here:advertisers will do and say any-fucking-thing to get your attention.This blog is short and really funny.You should definitely check it out, even if the embedded link doesn't work.
This is just really good satire.John shows us that a turn in his fortune cannot keep a good man down.He's running on high octane in this cheeky little number.
This is a re-post.I caught it originally, but -THINK TRUTH- was in its infancy and the post already had eight million comments, so I just appreciated it and moved on.Now that his honor has re-posted it, I am giving it the props it deserves.The illustrations are excellent, and he nailed the voices of the characters.Dig it!
_________________________________________
At last, the moment of thigh-twitching victory is at hand.Truth-Heads, I present to you the winner of the fourteenth Truth-Head of the Month Award, a long-time reader of -THINK TRUTH- and a great blogster in his own right.Let's all give him a big round of virtual applause ("ipplause?""epplause?"…whatever).For May 2008, the THOMA goes to:
This piece is concise.It's the real straight talk.Fuck McCain's "straight-talk" bullshit.He's foul.Check out what our man and groovy Truth-Head has to say on the topic.
And so, as -THINK TRUTH- approaches its third birthday and its 200th post, we tip our chapeau to yet another batch of very fine blogs.Their writers and readers are all contributing pricelessly to the social and political dialogue.-THINK TRUTH- salutes and thanks all of you.Please keep up the excellent work.Gods bless America.
Currently
listening
:
Year Zero
By
Nine Inch Nails
Release date: 2007-04-17
Oil Reserves, Artificial Scarcity and High Gas Prices
Current mood: infuriated
Category: News and Politics
Artificial Scarcity and the Strategic Oil Reserve
James Staples
George W. Bush diverts 70,000 barrels of imported sweet crude oil per day into the Strategic Oil Reserve.That's almost 3 million gallons per day (2.94): one billion seventy-three million one hundred thousand gallons per year.So far, he has diverted well over eight BILLION gallons of imported oil, about 27 gallons of sweet crude for each man, woman and child in this country, off the market and into the reserve. On May 24th 2008, a barrel of sweet crude was going for $135.00, or $3.21 per gallon.Your share of the reserve is $86.78.This is what is known, in economic circles, as artificial scarcity.It is one of the primary reasons why gasoline is so expensive.The other major factors are the lack of regulation of the refiners, who are free to gauge prices as much as they want, and the lack of any sort of windfall profits tax on the oil companies.Two years ago, when the CEO of Exxon-Mobil retired, in addition to his pension and profit-sharing, he received a one-time golden parachute of... I swear... $398 MILLION.One person made over a third of a billion dollars... for doing absolutely nothing (it wasn't a wage, pension or dividend; just a big whack of money).Congress vowed to stop to this yearly billion-gallon diversion.The senate voted 94-to-1 in favor of the halt and it is now before the House.Bush has leveled a veto threat, saying the reserved amount is too small to impact the market price of gasoline, but the evidence is strongly against that claim, since even small changes in Saudi production affect prices.Bush asked the Saudis to increase production.They Saudis sensibly pointed out that they are producing enough for Bush to put 3 million gallons aside daily, and the problem might have something to do with that combined with unchecked consumer demand.To add insult to injury, the difference in the price of oil and the price of gas is actually SHRINKING as the prices go up.In May of 2002, the difference between the prices of a gallon of oil and a gallon of gas reflected a mark-up of 227%.In May of 2006, the mark-up was "only" 169%.In May of 2008, the markup is down to 32.75%.This means, as the prices go up, all the profit is going to the Sheiks and CEOs.The people in the oil industry who actually work for a living, pumping the gas, driving the trucks and working on the rigs are getting screwed as hard as every other working-class American.This is why gas is so expensive: artificial scarcity, deregulation and outrageous profits.It's not because of war, not because of terrorism, and not because we are running out of oil.It is because of greed, deceit and contempt for the American people. As a footnote, it must be kept in mind that a McCain presidency represents the continuation of this trend.As a proponent of "Free Trade," the same is almost certainly true of another Clinton administration.
-THINK TRUTH.-
Currently
listening
:
Oil & Gold
By
Shriekback
Release date: 1990-06-15
A Sea Change on the Ground
Current mood: Picky
Category: Picky News and Politics
A Sea Change on the Ground
James Staples
Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that does fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
- Ariel's song, from "The Tempest" by William Shakespeare
Today, dear Truth-Heads, I do not have any incisive political commentary for you.This is not an essay about our great nation or its crappy administration.Instead, I am going to bitch about something that really annoys me.My intention is to discuss two phrases that crop up in the news media so often one would think correspondents get paid a royalty for blurting them out.Before you post a comment in which you accuse me of being petty, catty or pet-catty, please remember two things.First, I usually talk about things that matter a lot more than this, things that are relevant on a grand scale, and I am entitled to bleat once in a while.Second, I am, as many of you know, in love with the English language, and when literate people use it stupidly, it fills me with a wrathful indignation which must be vented, lest I snap and start beating people into comas with an unabridged copy of Roget's Thesaurus. The first phrase that I wish people would just stop using is "sea change."Every time reporters refer to any change, especially a significant or momentous change, they are compelled to call it a sea change.One could almost believe they were getting paid by the word.The phrase was coined by Shakespeare.In context, he is talking about a very slow change caused by natural forces.In that light, the phrase is almost never used correctly.Reporters wonder, for example, if the candidacy of a black man and a woman indicates a sea change in the political culture.No, idiots!It just reflects a change.Does the advent and increase of the liberal-progressive voice on the radio reflect a sea change in the media?No, damn it!It's just a change.There is no sea change in the housing market.There is no sea change at the Federal Reserve.Change is just change!When dinosaur guts turn into oil, that, metaphorically is a sea change.When tree sap turns into amber, that could be characterized as being like a sea change.When your city council raises the speed limit or cuts an impact fee, that is just a change.An editorialist does not come across as scholarly or erudite when paraphrasing Shakespeare in this way.He or she comes across as a nincompoop, trying to tart up a three-dollar column with sixty-four dollar words.The other phrase that I have been hearing constantly ever since the first George Bush invaded Iraq is the phrase, "on the ground."Reporters seem to feel the phrase gives a nice, military feel to their story."On the ground" apparently gives a sense of being right there, on the spot, ready to kick ass and take names.News anchors want correspondents to describe the situation on the ground.Relief workers want to see an increase in aid on the ground.Every time there is a riot, or a shooting, or Britney Spears freaks out and does something crazy, we want to hear from the reporters on the ground.I absolutely guarantee you that every time you hear the phrase, "on the ground," it could, without exception, be replaced with the word, "there," or else just left out completely.Think about it:"Tell us what it's like on the ground over there.""Tell us what it's like over there.""What we need most, right now is troops on the ground.""What we need most, right now, is troops."Adequate supplies are thin on the ground.Okay, then adequate supplies are thin.And while I am bitching about such things, I'd like to get a couple more things off my chest."Presently" does not mean "now."It means "pretty soon."There is never a situation when "refer back" or "continue on" are correct.If you wish to "refer back" to something, just refer to it.Don't bother to continue on; just continue.Any time you have the urge to say, "irregardless," leave off the "ir-," regardless of what you've been told.One last thing:The word, "got," is entirely superfluous.You've got to believe me…No, wait, you have to believe me.
________________________________________--INCITING REVOLUTION, ONE MIND AT A TIME--________________________________________
__________________________________________"Whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness], it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." -- Declaration of Independence__________________________________________
infuriated
