That Rockstar Swagger

This has gotten ridiculous. In an age ripe with infuriating political occurrences, egregious assaults on civil liberties, obviously unjust corporate practices, accelerating environmental degradation and regrettable wars for profit it really irritates me that the biggest outcries come from people concerned with pop stars being embarrassed. RIDICULOUS!

A outwardly racist representative shouts during a presidential address, I get it, it's a big middle finger to the country, but at least that assholes got the right idea! Some squeaky clean teeny bopper gets an award for a cookie cutter video for a typical bubble gum song and a revolutionary rap star steals her spotlight and says what's on his mind. By all means a dick move, but once again, THE RIGHT IDEA! Now if we could only get someone to do this about what actually MATTERS we'd be set.

There's an area of plastic trash twice the size of Texas floating around in the North Pacific, killing the marine life we depend on to sustain ourselves, yet no one seems to care. Our president continues an ideological war we had no business getting involved in in the first place, and only a few people care enough to actually protest. (And are labeled traitors and unpatriotic for trying to SAVE SOLDIERS LIVES by bringing them home. Really?) Our school systems are getting stripped down and sold to the highest bidder while politicians preach knowledge is power. (Anyone got a couple mill for one of the biggest school districts in the nation? Anyone? Oh thats right, all the financiers were too busy counting their billions to realized they've fucked themselves and the rest of the country. No worries, they get to keep their bonuses and We as taxpayers bailed them out. Perfect.) Do you see where I'm going with all this?

WAKE THE FUCK UP!

I normally try to avoid using offensive language in my postings, as an ethical choice, not because I have to, this is the internet and I can do as I damn well please, at least for now, but for the moment I just cannot figure out another way to phrase it.

Our country was built on the backs of revolutionaries. Intelligent people who challenged the status quo and believed in fighting for their ideals. (Granted they committed mass genocide and nearly wiped out a whole continents worth of indigenous people, but what country hasn't? Sadly spoken but true none the less.)

America has lost that revolutionary spirit. The idea of a government by the people for the people. It has given way to a government of the few for the privileged and it's not right. It is written into our constitution, that the people have a duty to maintain a just and beneficial government and it is their duty to replace it if necessary. I do not believe it necessary to storm Washington and toss the Senate to the wolves, but there definitely needs to be more political pressure exerted on the powers that be so we can regain control of our country.

We can wrest control of our lives back from the corporations. We can demand healthy food and good education. Clean water and a sustainable society. Fresh air and green buildings. We can do this! But only together! We must recapture the revolutionary spirit, that rockstar swagger. That "I'll do what I want when I want and you can't say shit about it," attitude. Once upon a time that was called Freedom. Once upon a time, our countries founders took that to heart, and built a society. Now it seems that confidence in righteousness is spared only on assholes and zealots, those who refuse to give it up. I think we need to take that back. The COMMON MAN needs that swag, that confidence, that belief that in this country, one can do what he chooses with his life, within reason, and make a life out of it. Not be subject to unreasonable laws and constant invasion of privacy. I believe that we can return once again to what was a FREE COUNTRY. But we need to do it together. United. As a country of everyday people, not as a government of elitists claiming to be the people.

WE ARE OUR COUNTRY. WE ARE THE PEOPLE. WE WILL BE HEARD.


FREEDOM

Oh Baby

This just illustrates the rediculous ends now available for crime. A lovely piece to come out amidst the storm healthcare reform. Coincidence?

It is a serious problem though. The potential for experimentation and exploration of the human condition is really terrifying. Depending who get a hold of implantable embryos holds the blank page in the human notebook.

UCI Pays Out for Stolen Eggs, Embryos

Irony in Education

There is an irony in American education.

We call ourselves the most advanced, the smartest, the most evolved. Yet we fail in simply subjects like geography. Our literacy levels are abysmal. Many people in our society could not even spell abysmal, much less know it's definition. It is sad that such an influential country sets such a terrible example.

Obama recently addressed children in classrooms across the country. His message was clear, stay in school, go to college, get an education. I wish he could hold good on his promise.

The first things cut in the budget are always Healthcare and Education. That is ludicrous. The two things a country needs most for a prosperous and intelligent society are the first things to go. That line of thinking makes absolutely no sense. Why would the first cuts go to the most vital programs? School has never been more expensive and our country pays the most of any for health care. Shouldn't those be the last things cut?

It is not lucrative to educate a society. They consume less and question more. That is why the government fails so miserably at reforming our society. Big money is made off snack food sold in schools, unnecessary consumer goods imported from cheap labor countries and trends put forth by advertising agencies. Corporations control government with lobbyists and campaign contributions. Business reforms and government contracts. Those are the priorities. Not healthy educated people.

People who know about economics don't get sucked in by stupid sales gimmicks. They don't spend beyond their means. They questions authorities decisions and hold them accountable for their actions. They observe and analyze society. They do not go down like sheep. They do not accept this ridiculous cycle of governmental corruption at the hands of big corporations who have no regard for public welfare. They grow up to be lawyers, economists, green business owners, entrepreneurs, politicians and activists. People who want real changes.

It seems ironic then that people are not educated in this country. That a country built on the foundations of progress and equality is one of the most unequal countries in the world. We say all these things about education and children, but we do nothing about them. Students are left without books or directions, buried under conspiratorial bank loans just to try to better themselves with college. It seems as though the country is set up so that all that is preached is made unattainable. Like we are meant to struggle.

The struggle is what makes money. The struggle is what the corporations want. It is what keeps the status quo. If we are made to desire all these things, then we will do whatever we are told to try and get them. IF making more money will buy me more things, then I need to make more money. Students are drawn into college and then away again for the same reason. Money. It is so ironic to me that it is the same reason for both decisions.

Kids are conditioned by media to want certain things. Nice clothes, big houses, fancy cars. Yet when it comes to education, the key to getting all that, the banks work to make it hard. The system works against you. Colleges are set up with standards and restrictions that only some are allowed in. Not the most intelligent, but the most connected. Those who will bring the school prestige and awards. Championships and notoriety. Even our education system has become corrupt.

Obama preached about education, but I think only as a last resort. There are no jobs for these kids. No factories for the average person. No good wage for an honest days work. No where else for kids to go, other than a school that will not teach them how to do a job, because there are no jobs to do. There is no education not sanctioned by the government. No classes on how the world really works, or how the government screws every day people. How billions are wasted in wars for profit while the poor die on the front lines for a few measly dollars in a corporate profit margin. We speak of education, but hold it for the few, the proud, the rich. It is not for the innovative young mind, or the politically aware youth. It is for the cookie cutter with the white collar. He who will uphold the status quo. Those that wish to make a difference are left a outcasts. People with crazy idealistic visions. Wild dreams of a world at peace with earth and each other. Those people are crazy, not students, sociopaths. Right? Right?

The Lion has Fallen

The Liberal Lion is dead at 77. Ted Kennedy died at his home in Massachusetts shortly before midnight Tuesday after a year of battling brain cancer. The staunchly liberal senator served four decades in the Senate, beginning in 1962. Though he led a tumultuous life filled with both personal and family tragedies, he remained a strong advocate for liberal ideals and bi-partisan relations. Through the loss of his brothers, sisters, sister-in-law, son, all his alleged indiscretions and the fatal 1969 car crash he endured as the center of the family affectionally known as America's Royalty. He will be missed.
This does however beg the question of what Obama will do in the absence of this fervent and popular supporter for healthcare reform. It does take some of the wind out of his sails, hypothetically speaking. It may not though, depending on how he plays the issue. It all depends on the spin the White House will inevitably exert on the story. Using the famous senators constituents as a rallying point to rebuild the crumbling reform proposal, Obama may be able to use this tragedy as a catalyst. Not that any event of this gravity should be used as leverage, but the silver lining on this American rain cloud could be renewed interest and support for healthcare reform in the Lions memory. Time will tell.
May the youngest Kennedy finally find peace at rest with his family.

Senator Ted Kennedy Dies of Brain Cancer at 77 - ABC News

Health Cared

I remember a time when my doctor cared. Her name was Doctor Morales. She was the most engaged and caring person I had ever been treated by. Since the beginning she remembered everything about my health problems, my family, even my birthday. Whether she briefed herself on it before every appointment or not, it made me feel important. Like I mattered. Like this person would actually take care of me. I have since relocated and had to move doctors and change hospitals, but I have never forgotten that most compassionate woman.

These days medical life is much different. Granted I am one of the lucky few to actually have health insurance and access to a trained professional, my doctor is cold. He is a somewhat grumpy Iranian man with a thick accent and clumsy hands. Any time I go to him it is as if I am imposing. A quick few questions and he checks me out, prescribes some meds, and sends me on my way. There is no care given. Just drugs. This is not the type of healthcare I want. I am not asking for a cheery Mary Poppins with a stethoscope, just some compassion and a job done correctly.

People already pay companies for insurance, yet get dropped when they get sick? We have plans that pay for the doctor, but when we need medicine we go broke? This is not right. It is one group taking advantage of another. Healthcare is not something to be feared. Regulation will make things better for the people, even if it doesn't buy a few CEOs new jets. It is not socialism. It is just prudent thinking. Healthcare is essential to a country based on the pursuit of happiness. Money makes some happy, but good health benefits everyone.

It is a terrible truth that big pharmaceutical companies essentially run healthcare. With the new plans proposed, I think the possibility for improvement is great. Especially with so many uninsured Americans now out of work. If we can give trillions of dollars to finance companies and banks that deceived the public for their own gain, we can spend a little money revamping our system so doctors get paid, patience get better and our country gets healthier.

A Day After

     Today, 64 years ago, the world got it's first glimpse of the aftermath left by the first nuclear weapon. It was horrifying.
     Yesterday was the 64th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. A survivor, who was a 10 year old girl at school during the explosion, described it as "the end of the world." By all means that should be a glaring reminder of the evil unleashed on the world through nuclear proliferation and its very real possibilities. In an age where our weapons are hundreds of times more powerful and we have thousands more of them, we need to take this remembrance to heart. We are in the midst of a new Cold Era, though it is hot when considering Iraq (US use of depleted Uranium muntions) and the Taliban (actively seeking atomic weapons through the use of dirty bombs). Iran and other hostile middle eastern countries are dead set on obtaining nuclear weapons. Israel already has them, will not leave Gaza alone and is making every possible effort to take the hard line against its opponents. North Korea has just restarted it's nuclear program; they will soon have a new leader, with his own agenda, own politics and who knows what his temperament will be like. Needless to say, though Obama has called for a world without nuclear weapons, he is resigned to say it may be out of reach during our lifetime. 

     This time 64 years ago survivors were looking at the smoldering wreckage of what was once their homes, or at least what was left. Fires still burning. Buildings shattered or nonexistent. Shadows burned into the pavement, the last remnants of friends and family. Mutilated bodies lying scattered around their places of refuge. People still trapped in the rubble, protruding bones, skin sloughing off, screaming for help. Those that died in the blast were the lucky ones.

     Is this the world we wish to live in? Where atrocities like this are seen as victories, triumphs of modern science, justified as wartime necessities? The US is responsible for those first attacks. Though it was provoked, how much force can truly be justified? Over a 250,000 people died as a result of those two atomic attacks. Combined casualties from the initial blasts, resulting fire storms and radiation poisoning make a terrifying picture of atomic repercussions. The areas are still contaminated with radiation today. I never want to see this happen again. We need an COMPLETE END to ALL NUCLEAR WEAPONS, and we need it NOW! Conventional weapons are bad enough, but do we ever want to see another day after?

Happy and confused

As a journalist, I am extremely elated to hear about the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee to former president Clinton. It just seems odd to me that it took a former president to actually bridge the gap enough to bring the 4 month ordeal to an end. Why is it that his wife, current Secretary of State or any other of our ambassadors could not have accomplished this. Why was it that they saw right through master politician Obamas constant posturing and hardline approach and refused to negotiate. I won't even comment on why the hell our most recent abomination of a president or his ogre of a VP were not the emissaries needed to free these noble professionals. If indeed the US government and his former VP, as well as the women's employer, Al Gore asked Clinton to go on this "private" trip to talk to the hostile reclusive communist leader of a nuclear armed nation.

I still can't figure out who is allowed to save face though. Is it the ineffective politician president? The ice queen insincere Secretary of State? The deathbed communist? Or the employer who somehow avoided all scrutiny in his treatment of the situation regarding his top notch reporters. Or, to play devils advocate, was it all one big nuclear conspiracy for some random reason to push our nation further into paranoia and fear of a radioactive WWIII? I offer no explanation. Merely a look at several different aspects. We must take this development in stride and not forget our critical eye. We must ask, who stood to gain from all this? And what was it?