Treading Water

So much for the deep thinking. Seems I have come across as whiney and bitter. Not true, but there you go. You think that you have created something that would allow the reader to bring up ways that would be helpful not only to you, but cathartic for the reader, also. Instead, you get told to basically get over it, that if you were any sort of person, you would be able to do something about it. Yeah, as though it's that simple,

Another friend asked me why I was sad. I honestly wasn't when I wrote the previous post, but after the conversations I had, and the good cry during and afterward, I replied to her thusly:

"It's nothing, really. I am tired--so tired of everything. I am also incredibly stupid sometimes, even though I know better. It's too hard to explain this way. I love my job, but I don't want to do it right now. I want to quit and concentrate on the rest of this semester and my last semseter at school. But I can't. I want to find someone--a helpmeet--someone who I can depend on to take some of the pressure of the hard stuff off of me. I am tired of being everything to everybody except what I want to be, without someone there to be everything to me. I have lots of friends, but I am lonely. Meeting new people is hard; those that I would like to be with I am nervous around, and while I can usually pony up and do it, I come across as too much of something--negative, maybe?--when I am not.

"I am pretty sure it's just all the stress from the end of the semester and work.

"I wish I could afford to just run away. I wish I could win the lottery--not because I want a lot of money or be lazy, I just want to have enough to do research if I want, to go out to more than a movie four times a year, to go see things that I have always wanted to see without having other people's responsibilities foisted upon me.

"Like I said--difficult to explain. And I know it's not much compared to what you have been through, but it's like I have lost a part of myself that I don't know how to get back."

I don't want to seem as though I am ungrateful for all my friends. I don't want to appear as though I don't appreciate all the things that others have done for me. But being appreciated is something I would like, too. But again, that's my fault, too--right?

I have made some horrible, terrible mistakes in my life that I have had to overcome. I have lived through things that some people have nightmares about. I have stayed strong through the roughest times that nearly ended my sanity as well as my life and that of my child. Forgive me if I am a little "whiney" or bitter or sad every so often. Forgive me if I want to get away from the things that remind me of what I might possibly never have, or had that I let go. Forgive me if I get tired of looking beyond the facade--when I have to do that every second of the day and no one looks closely enough at me to see beyond mine. Forgive me for not wanting to be the doormat anymore. And forgive me for not knowing how to keep from being one.

Drowning in the Abyss of My Own Creation

It has been quite a while since I last wrote anything that did not have to do with school. A couple of months now. And I don't know that I really have the stamina or the will to write anything too long. I have very long papers due in a couple of weeks, and I have yet to get started on either of them. The thing is, I don't really care too much. I like the professors I have, and I like a few of the books I have "read" for the classes, but I can't bring myself to like either America During the World Wars or Eighteenth Century Europe. I mean, if it were studies of the Great Depression, the social histories during the world wars, or anything about Europe other than the Enlightenment and its effect, I would probably be fine. But I just don't care! I love Twentieth Century Europe and everything from the Middle Ages to the end of the Reformation, but anything in between or detailed issues of America, I just want to sleep.

However, that's not really my problem. A question, dear reader(s)...what do you do with a melancholy mood, when you know why you feel that way, but don't know what to do about it because there is nothing you can do? What do you do when you feel bad because of someone else, but you know better because that someone else doesn't even know that you feel bad or what he/she did to make you feel that way, nor do you quite know. What do you do when you feel a little depressed for no apparant reason, and can't really explain it, because the person that you would speak to about it is the reason you are feeling that way, and it would be weird to say anything for all the reasons stated above?

Just something to think about. Sorry for the strange topic, it's just been kind of odd today.

On a lighter note, I should be updating my blog soon with exhortations for writing papers, hysterical ranting for when the writing of papers begins to get to me (especially if I lose 6 hours of work like I did last semester because the computer eats it), and with support for my fellow students who do not work as quickly as I do (you know who you are).

Hopefully, next time, I will be swimming instead of drowning in the abyss...

Questioning McCain's Actions

This was brought to my attention earlier, but the comments are the really interesting and insightful parts of this article. Y'all should read it.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2008/09/wag_the_blog_a_presidential_st.html

News-worthy Events in Longview!!!!!

Um. Ho-kayyy. *Snerk*

http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/09/08/09082008_Starbucks_wedding.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=7

Anyone else find this amusing?

Alltel is the Worst Cell Phone Provider Ever!!!

Well, let me just say one thing about Alltel. DON'T EVER GET A CELL PHONE THROUGH THEM!!! Not only can you not share your texting minutes like they advertise, but there are often issues with dead spots where there shouldn't be dead spots, roaming (and having to pay roaming charges on a national plan-stupid) issues, and many other things that are not necessarily something you really want to have to deal with regarding your service provider.

That said, this is what happened to me. I received an email from Alltel letting me know that I could upgrade early. To a Blackberry. Cool, right? Wrong!!!

It seems that my mother is a more valued customer than I am. Which is strange since her cell phone is on MY family plan. Her name is nowhere on the account. The first line listed, the main line listed, on the account is mine. It is different in many ways from my mother's and my father's. So, at the end of the email, is a notation that the upgrade is only available for my mother's phone. When I called Alltel to see if the change could be made to my phone, I got this really difficult to understand hispanic woman (I think--she was difficult to understand!) who, when she stopped speaking from the prompter on the computer was easier to understand, suggested that my mother could come and get her own account through them, but that it still would not make a difference in what line is upgraded. So I sent an email, hoping that at least someone would see it and, basically, fix the issue:

I am not sure where this should go, but I have a question and a complaint. I received an email today that said that because I was such a good customer, I could go ahead and upgrade to a Blackberry (which is what I was planning on doing in October) instead of having to wait. However, at the bottom of the email, it said the offer was valid only for the number ending in 9823. I have a family plan that my parents are on and that number happens to be the number for my mother. She does not want the upgrade. But that is neither here nor there. She is not actually the customer. I am. I called the number it said to call on the email to ask about it, and all I was told was that my mother could come and get her own account with Alltel, because I had mentioned that my parents were going to get their own service after the contract was up, but that my phone could not be upgraded. This is the most incredibly annoying, ridiculous thing I have ever heard. My parents are planning on using their local phone service after this contract expires to get cell phones so I don't have to pay so much for them. If I can't upgrade without them still on the contract, fine. However, I was told that even though I pay the monthly payments for the service through Alltel, I could not get an upgrade until October. So what is it? If I upgrade in October, will I still have to carry the family plan that I have already, with the other two phones on it, or can I drop them without any penalties? Why can I not get an upgrade early on MY phone when I am paying for the service and not the person whose line is it is deemed valid for the upgrade and I got them at the same time, my line is the originating line, and it is under my name? Tell me why I should stick with Alltel after January, when my service contract is up, when I can't get satisfaction from anyone I speak to at Alltel and every time I ask a question that has nothing to do with me making a payment, it appears as though I am putting someone out. It's looking a lot like I will be going to AT&T when my contract is up unless there is a valid reason why these things are occurring.

Now, I know that there are issues with cell phone companies all the time. That's not the point, however. This is the reply I got--tell me if you see where they answered all my questions:

----- Original Message ----
From: "alltel@custhelp.com"
To: brandy_monts@yahoo.com
Sent: Friday, September 5, 2008 1:48:02 PM
Subject: Upgrades [Incident: 080904-000993]

Thank you for requesting assistance from our online support center. Below is a summary of your request and our response

Thank you for choosing Alltel!




Subject
Upgrades

Discussion Thread
Response (Orlicia D) 09/05/2008 01:48 PM
Dear Valued Customer,

Thank you for choosing Alltel. My name is Orlicia and I will be happy to assist you regarding upgrades. I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Unfortunately, promotions can not be transferred between the lines on your account.

Alltel strives to appreciate our existing Customers with various promotions. Understanding that you may not have received a promotional offer at this time, certain Customers qualify for particular promotions, which can have a variety of reasons. Length of service, location, and equipment eligibility are a few of them.

Feel free to routinely check http://www.alltel.com/phones/index.html for our latest promotions.

We regret that your are now considering disconnecting your service, because of this issue.

Again, I do apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you.

Sincerely,

Orlicia
Alltel Online Customer Service
Customer (customer customer) 09/04/2008 11:25 PM

So, being upset, this was my reply:

Yeah, this is what I thought. You see, the information that you take into consideration is the same for all three phones on the account. It is obvious to me that Alltel does not really care about what their customers want or their needs. The first number listed on the account was the phone number to the phone that I have, and not the phone that is available for upgrade. It's not inconvenient, but it is annoying and honestly, annoyance is not something that I or any of your other customers need in their lives. The person who uses the phone is not your customer. The customer is the person who pays for the account. That happens to be me, not the user of the specific phone. The line that an upgrade should have been available for is the phone of the person who pays the account--or all three lines, since we are supposed to be able to "share." Unfortunately, I have come to find out that Alltel shares very little except annoyances, and therefore, although I won't be canceling my service because I would get screwed by Alltel in this way, I will be changing my service to AT&T in January when the service contract runs out. Thanks for nothing.

Very Much Sincerely,
Brandy Monts

http://wickedlywanton.blogspot.com/


I have decided to get an iPhone.

It's Not Just Me!!!

My friend Melissa says that it's strange and wrong to buy just one song and not the complete album (well, she prefers to go to the store and buy the actual CD--she's old-school like that, or in her words, "that's how she wagon-wheels"). Because she is such a music person (she knows every song ever made, the individuals and their backgrounds, and even why they made certain songs!), I figured that I was different. I don't necessarily buy CDs, and would rather go through and buy a single rather than a bunch of songs that I am not going to care for. In other words, I have a problem with paying $15.00 for a CD when I only like one song on the CD. Now, there are certain artists that I will buy the CD for, just on principle--NKOTB, Gin Blossoms, Josh Groban, etc. But I have a really eclectic taste in music--I may like one song from an artist and hate the rest. In the time before iTunes, I would have just not bought the CD at all. ITunes has given me the freedom not only to just pick a few songs that I like, but it allows me to hear other songs from independent artists (which I find I enjoy more and more) than you get in a retail store. But I thought I was different. I thought that I was unusual in this because Melissa is so adamant about gathering every song possible to her. It's nice to know that other people are just as selective as I. Check out this blog that was on Yahoo. Apparently, certain record labels do not want iTunes to sell their music because they are not getting enough money. Personally, I don't care how much it costs as long as I can get just one or two songs--so, if they would take the cost of the CD and divide it up into how ever many songs there are on the CD, I wouldn't mind paying that. This blog is a rant against the labels, but I find it as an afirmation that I am not the only one out there. Here is the entirety:

Not Selling On iTunes

Posted Thu Aug 28, 2008 1:14pm PDT by Bob Lefsetz in The Lefsetz Letter

Isn't this how the labels got in trouble to begin with? By making customers buy an entire, overpriced CD to get the single, the only track they wanted, often times the only good track on the album?

Pulling acts from iTunes is akin to winning the pennant but refusing to play in the World Series because the TV network and its advertisers would be unjustly enriched. Like being the world champion but not going to the Olympics because these same entities would profit and China's image would be burnished at the athlete's expense. Is that what we're going to see next? Michael Phelps suing China for a percentage of its gross national product? Since he focused the world's eyes upon the country?

iTunes was not launched as the definitive future of music acquisition but as an alternative to theft. Pulling music from iTunes just incentivizes people to steal, to learn new techniques for stealing. At the height of the original Napster grandmothers were downloading. The key is to develop a reasonable alternative that makes stealing not worth it. Raising the price is not a solution.

That's what labels want to do, raise prices at the iTunes Store. Why not tell that to GM! Ford and Chrysler too! Why don't we raise the price for SUVs! Make more on each one! Eureka, that's the solution! But at least most drivers only need and purchase one automobile. Whereas we're now in the golden age of music acquisition. Kids who might not have owned any music in decades past now possess thousands of cuts. And believe me, they didn't pay a buck for each. And this is good, the more people music own, the more enriched their lives are. Furthermore, the greater benefit to the acts' whose tracks have been stolen. File-trading kept Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and AC/DC alive. How else would kids have heard this music? And now AC/DC are going to go on the road and sell every single ticket. This wouldn't have happened without the easy, in this case free, acquisition of music online.

And unlike the Eagles, AC/DC is not a geriatric act. Kids like AC/DC. To keep them off the iTunes Store is an insult to the band's fanbase. Like forcing you to go to a liquor store to buy Coke, refusing to sell it in the supermarket. The Eagles may have sold millions of albums, but in the consciousness of America, their latest double album, Long Road Out Of Eden, is an incredible stiff. It had zero cultural impact. Are you only interested in short term money? Not the act's good will, career and legacy? Then make a deal with one retailer with a guaranteed payment. You're on a direct train to the graveyard.

The Eagles are unique. No one expected a new album and the band didn't need it, they're coasting on their hits, they can tour until they die. But what if you still have an active career? What if you need your music in the public consciousness? What if you are still building? To keep your music off the Internet is like writing a novel and refusing to publish it. Believe me, kids barely know what a CD is, and they don't want to go to a store to purchase it. I do my best to never go into a retail store, it's easier to shop online, where inventory is plentiful and one can easily find the lowest price and delivery is straight to your door.

As for delivering CDs via the Internet... That's like selling typewriter ribbons via the Net. Like delivering dot matrix printer ribbons. Why online would we want anything but files?

As for making users buy the complete album, a la Amazon... This just ends up frustrating the user base, causing revolt. The RIAA/major labels are hated by the average consumer, kids know artists get lousy royalty rates, and this is because of the backlash against overpriced CDs with only one good track and the useless anti-piracy scheme known as suing file traders.

Kid Rock is a career artist who is seen as an album artist. He happens to have the single of the summer. This is driving CD sales. How often is this formula replicable? If we're lucky, we've got one single of the summer, and it usually can't be predicted in advance. And oftentimes, it's by a one hit wonder. And, outside of the U.S., Kid Rock's music is available on iTunes...

And then we've got the strange case of the Rolling Stones. They sold essentially double the online singles of Pink Floyd and the Eagles, but only half the albums. Could it be that the consumer is smart? And knows that whereas Pink Floyd is the quintessential album act, with the Stones it's now about the singles? Maybe you've got to buy Beggars Banquet, then again, when was the last time the Stones played "Parachute Woman" in concert? In other words, if you want the customer to buy complete albums, you've got to make better albums!

I'd say it's best if music labels stopped trying to scam their way to profits. Yes, it's not the consumer who's underhanded so much as the sellers. They're looking for endless ways to rip off their customers instead of producing music so desirable that it sells itself.

Confusion Abounds

Ok, I'll make this short until I know all the facts.

What was McCain thinking?

One of the concepts that McCain has been running against Obama is the fact that he has little experience in politics. Why the hell would he then select a woman younger and with less experience than Obama to be his running mate? It's a complete joke--and as a woman I feel like I am being patronized with this choice. Does he think that just because she is a woman that other women will flock to his side? Does he think that just because she is a woman that other women are stupid enough to not weigh the pros and cons of pitting her against Biden, but also his arguments against Obama? I may be seeing more into this than there actually is, but I am offended by any of these ideas that originally occurred to me when I found out who he had chosen. If he had picked just about anyone else, I probably would have been fine with it and not felt that he was taking this as a joke. However, I feel that this says something about the way he is going to run the country if he is voted in--completely "wishy-washy" when it comes to ideals.

It's About Time

I have no problem with homeless shelters, abuse clinics, and things of that nature. In fact, I think they are good and do the public a much-needed service. Which is why I could never understand why the area I live in did not have a true women's shelter. Finally, though, Longview has renovated theirs and it can now be a place of hope for abused women.

http://www.news-journal.com/news/content/news/stories/2008/08/29/08292008_new_shelter.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=7

There is one thing that I have to mention about this that a lot of people don't know. In Texas, these women would be getting PROTECTIVE ORDERS, not restraining orders. A man can be arrested for violating a protective order, which is what women (and men) can get against their spouse, live-in, or ex-anything, if their relationship is in anyway familial. They can also get protective orders against fathers, mothers, sisters and brothers, uncles, aunts, cousins, and in-laws. Restraining orders cannot be enforced by the law--it's a civil matter. For example, someone can get a restraining order against a business partner to prevent him or her from gaining any money or asset of the business until such time as the courts deem that they can. It's a completely different thing. A protective order protects a person from threat, harm, and death, and a restraining order restrains a person from gaining something that has yet been determined belongs to them.

So, anyway, the reason, I think, that this area has been lax in gaining a shelter for women is because we still live in a world where it is thought that a woman is protected by her family. She doesn't need a place to go because her parents or other family will take her in. What many people don't realize is that there are several things that could--and many times did--happen to prevent this. Her family could be dead, her husband or boyfriend could have made her leave her family and taken her thousands of miles away without any way for her to get back, her family could have written her off, she could have come from an abusive home before, and other things that a lot of people don't think about. For some women, there is no other option. I am just glad that there is now someplace for them to go to that will help them stay safe and get back on their feet--or at least help them find a new life away from the abuse. Men aren't the only ones who need help, and it's good that East Texas has realized this.

Oh, Holy Crap!!!! *Snerk*

I fell out of my chair laughing at this one. Well, first was the incredulity, but, OMG, was this funny!

http://www.kltv.com/global/story.asp?s=8866488

This is why I try to stay as far away as possible from rednecks...

Laughing More and More at Stupid People.

Have you ever snorted Diet Dr. Pepper out of your nose? I did just a little while ago, and while it hurt, the laugh that I had regardless was worth it. So what caused me to wash my nasal and sinus passages with corrosion eating beverage? Take a look:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93613600

Now, we all know that there are morons out there, and I don't have to reiterate anything on that score. However, this is all just so FUNNY that I couldn't pass up making a blog on it!

For one thing--THE TEMPLARS WERE KILLED! Even if they all weren't and went to different areas, supposedly to "practice" underground--which we all know means that they were hiding the Holy Grail, or helping pilgrims get to the Holy Land, which is what they were intended, the people who claim to be "heirs" have no leg to stand on.

And another thing, there is no way to test for DNA. People who are burned at the stake leave nothing to test. Just because you "believe" that you are the great, great, great, great, great...grandson of a Knights Templar does not make it so, even if you have "faith" that it is true.

Also, the Templars were not heretics. They were Catholic. They weren't just Christians, but subscribed to a higher power beyond even the most pious peasant church priests. They took the vow of monks, and unless they had children out of wedlock, THEY HAD NO HEIRS, nor would they have publicly claimed any, making any thought of inheritance null and void. These children would have been accepted into the church as monks or priests, but never would they have dared bring dishonor to the Templars by claiming to be the child of one.

Let's add to this, too. If someone is a descendant of a Templar, they would still have no rights to inheritance for something that happened 700 years ago. I think that rule of law would declare any claims forfeit after a couple of hundred years--maybe had they done this when the Catholic Church began losing steam?

One more thing. How would you know that someone was a Templar? If they escaped and went into hiding, they would have adopted a new name, new life, everything. Unless they themselves went to authorities to present proof that they were a Templar (and that was not going to happen unless they wanted to be martyred), they forfeited their right to anything. It's like being in the witness protection program. You give up everything to stay safe.

Please, a little common sense! I know it's impossible for those whose lives revolve around a belief like this that incorporates fantastical imaginings, but Dear God, it's stupid. I say bring me the Holy Grail and we'll see what I believe. Until then, keep your idiotic and ignorant mouth shut and your hands in your pockets to prevent others from being subjected to the stupidity. Those're my thoughts, anyway.

I know I have not put up a post for a while, but I have been very busy. This blog won't be long, however, so don't worry about me taking up too much time.

So, for those of you who know me, and since there is no one on the web looking at this blog I can feel safe in saying that the only one looking at this blog DOES, indeed, know me, you know that for some odd, strange, diabolical reason I psychologically DESPISE little people. I can't help it. It's the same thing that a friend of mine feels around clowns and some people feel about snakes and spiders. Not so far gone as to literally fear them, but the feeling that something is uncomfortably wrong seeps into the pores of my skin on the back of my neck and raises the hair there. That said, I avoid little people like the plague because I don't want to offend anyone by shuddering and staring at them like they are going to do something to make me fear them. Anyway, knowing my aversion to little people, you can imagine what I did when I read this story. And I won't say what my reaction was, I just want you to think about it...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20080731/en_celeb_eo/eef9bd4b7664_411c_a1bd_a934b0a7ee23

Have Fun!

Presidential Elections, Recent News, and the G8 Summit

One of the things I have been having trouble with is the decision of who to vote for. I don't agree with all of George Bush's policies, and even the staunchest Republican would agree with me. I don't think that he has purposely been stupid; I think he has tried to be everything to the country, not realizing that in doing so he would become nothing. It's unfortunate that with all the experience of his father, he was unable to learn that he needed the backing of good diplomats, historians, policy-makers, anthropologists, strategists, etc. There is no way that one man could be all of those things. When his behind-the-scenes people began to unravel, he should have gotten rid of them and replaced them with people who could maintain the unity within the White House--and possibly in the House and Senate, as well.

That said, I realize now that a discussion over George Bush himself is a moot point. He was elected for eight years and it's coming down to new elections and he will be out--along with his ineffective staff. So the question is: Who to vote for now?

Let's go with Barak Obama. I really like what he has to say. No, he doesn't say much--we know what he wants to do (fuel, economy, health care, the war, and various other reforms), but he doesn't really have a plan on how to do it. Why is this? Because, and I don't care how inexperienced he is, he knows there can be no plan until all the players are in place and you figure out your strengths. Plus, what he wants cannot be done without the backing of the House and Senate. He will be able to obtain what he needs through domestic diplomacy; he can't do that without the help of the people. He's willing to place the responsibility for the U.S. in the hands of the people, something that really has not been done since FDR. Now, when it comes to foreign policy, I think he has a long way to go. He needs excellent diplomats behind him and he needs them to help him come up with a way to not only get out of the war, but to fix the damage to the U.S.'s global reputation that has occurred in the past eight years. Tall order, but I think he can do it. Well, at least I don't think that he can mess it up any more than it already is.

That leaves us with John McCain. Like Kerry last election year, I just don't believe that he is presidential material. Unlike Kerry, I like McCain. As a person. And no, it's not just a personal feeling that I have for McCain (I couldn't stand Kerry, though. He was a very off-putting person and gave me bad vibes--and though I normally don't vote because of emotions or "feelings," I just couldn't bring myself to even listen to him.). However, McCain is old-school enough to bring back the Cold War. Take a look at this, for example:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080706/ap_on_go_pr_wh/bush_g8

About two-thirds of the way down is this comment..."Republican presidential candidate John McCain has urged stripping Russia of its G-8 membership because of autocratic steps by Putin. Neither fellow Republican Bush nor Democratic presidential contender Barack Obama shares that view."

Now for me, historically speaking, Russia is about due for another autocrat. Something that many people do not understand is the uniqueness that is America. Our country is built on republican theories, unlike anywhere else in the world. Especially Europe and Russia. I am not saying that we have the perfect system of government, although I think it works well when allowed to, but we are truly the only "Western" country created through democratic processes. Our country might have begun as a colony, but it was a colony only a significantly short time, in the grand scheme of things. Not like England, or France, or Germany whose monarchies or princes ruled for hundreds of years. We live in a country that is new and different and exceptionally young--and no matter our opinion, we can't make those with more experience change their ways. It is like being a teenager whose parents try to tell them something, but the teenager is not listening and will do what they want because, hey, what do parents know? Different time, different place, from when they were young. They can't possibly understand or remember what it is to be young, vibrant, and devil-may-care. The U.S. is a teenager, and should be learning from the others, not opposing them.

This is why I can't vote for John McCain. I can't believe that opposing allies is a good idea. I don't even want to get into what he could do for domestic issues, because even though he is a moderate, I don't believe his foreign issues would allow for moderate domestic problems to be solved.

Obama, on the other hand, I believe will make good decisions based on information given to him from those he brings in as advisors. I think Obama will have the better chance of putting the business of fixing the country into motion, and getting most of it done if elected a second time. I am not naive enough to believe he could get it all done in four to eight years (liken it to losing weight--it's easy to put weight on--or to mess something up--but takes forever to get it back off), but I think he could make excellent head-way, and possibly lighten our loads.

Weezer--Pork and Beans

Oh how I love Weezer!! Here's the new video! The song submits that old adage from Generation X'ers--"I don't care what everyone else thinks; I'm going to do what I want to do"--with current pop culture represented in the video, like that crazy Chris Crocker guy who wanted to hurt the media goofs who disliked Britney Spears. Just take a look--it's great!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muP9eH2p2PI

Old School

Here's a blast from the past for you:

Georgie!!!

Oh George, you will be so missed! Who else can say fuck, shit, hell, damn, piss, etc. with such meaningful emotional connotations that everyone has felt? Who else can make fun of the American psyche in such an offensive way and still be irresistably funny? Godspeed on your new Excellent Adventure, and give my best to Buddy Christ.

60 Years Ago?

It's funny how an article during an election year can turn anything into a political debate. Take, for instance, this one:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080622/ap_on_re_eu/berlin_airlift

When it comes to the Berlin Airlift, I would love to have seen an article about how much Berlin and Germany have changed. I would have loved to see an indepth discussion on the pros and cons of Allied and Soviet occupation and a comparison between them. I would also have loved to see what people who live there now remember, how they are taught about it, and what they think about it now. I wouldn't even mind seeing opinions of Americans who lived through it.

However, I really don't care to see a political discussion that focuses on current American politics. They pull it together by explaining that Germans think of Obama as another JFK-or a "mixture of Martin Luther King and John F. Kennedy." This thought is incredibly uncomfortable to me. Martin Luther King, for however great he was, I don't believe would have ever sought the presidency. That would have placed too many restrictions on him and too many people in direct opposition to him within his own circle. Think of how difficult it would have been for him to inspire the people he did had he become president while Strom Thurmond was in office.

Now for JFK. All you have to do is look at his record to know that he was not that great. He was more of an enigmatic and charsimatic person who lucked out in being surrounded by good and intelligent people. He may have been great had he lived, he was intelligent enough to learn from his mistakes, and the thought that he was working toward that greatness has perpetuated the myth of JFK and the Kennedys. So to say that Obama is another JFK is worrisome because there is no way that he could live up to the myth and it's setting a lot of people up for disappointment.

This article does delve a little bit into the history of the Berlin Airlift, but not enough for my tastes. There is no way that an article such as this could convey the emotion--the fear, the excitement, the nervousness, the gratitude, and the sense of obligation--that was felt during this time. Especially when America is the main focus, when it shouldn't be.

Let Susan Atkins Out?

So, take a look at this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25143989/?GT1=43001

Why would you let anyone related to the Manson case out of prison? All you have to do is look at that picture and see the complete and utter insanity staring at you. I wasn't even alive when this was happening and I still get chills seeing Susan Atkins' photographs. She reminds me of Bellatrix Lestrange. She really really didn't care that she killed someone--for her, it was all for Charles. You can't tell me that living nearly 39 years in prison has not furthered her insanity, either. I don't care if she has six months to live...I wouldn't care if she had six HOURS to live. To let her out is a slap in the face to those who died. Charles Manson and his "family" should have been given the death penalty (Charles Manson was, actually, then it was deemed unconstitutional by the State of California and was remanded to life--I think California now has another death penalty, but it's not retroactive). What difference does it make if she dies in prison from a terminal illness or through lethal injection? One or the other! Still, doctors have been wrong before, and what would they do if they let her out and she lived for several more years? Would they re-arrest her? What would they do if she found some other freak to kill for? What if Charles Manson was still giving her orders and she's been told to kill someone else when she gets out? Retaliation for keeping him in prison is something that he has wanted for a very long time. He has said that he still has followers and could order them to do whatever he wanted as late as his last parole hearing. I tend to believe him, as crazy as he is. There is always someone willing to follow an idiot.

The Supportive Friend

Another blog, another thought, another diary I probably won't update. However, I am doing this in support of Melissa. You know, for one summer a friend and I had a co-diary. I would write something, usually a couple of pages, then give it to her. We filled up an entire binder and would write at least twice a week. This guaranteed that we could keep in touch, both intellectually and physically as we would have to deliver it to each other. While I don't expect to do something like that with Melissa, I do expect that keeping up with each other this way will go a long way to keeping us in contact, which has been iffy the last couple of months because of the way I work. So, let's see how it goes!