OPEC & Other Criminals

I would like to know how the following qualifies as anything more than a really lousy excuse for rising gas prices this Monday:

AP: “Crude prices came under increased pressure Monday after the 150,000-ton tanker Takayama was struck off the coast of Yemen as it headed for Saudi Arabia, its Japanese operator, Nippon Yusen K.K., said in a statement posted on its Web site. None of the ship’s 23 crew members was injured, but several hundreds of gallons of fuel leaked before a 1-inch hole in the tanker’s stern was repaired, the company said.”

Several hundred gallons? OH GOD, STOP THE PRESSES! We’re doomed now, for sure. No wonder we’re paying $3.60 a gallon after such a DEVASTATING loss!

 

Also, OPEC…kiss my arse. really. What the hell is this about:

AP: “Comments over the weekend by an OPEC official that the group was not likely to increase production also supported prices Monday. Abdalla Salem el-Badri, secretary-general of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, said Sunday that oil prices would likely go higher and that the group was ready to raise production if the price pressure was due to a shortage of supply — something he doubted.”

Riiiiiiiiiight. It’s all good. You’re making billions with this crap, after all. Why should us petty mortals be given a fair price? Here, let me bend over…do me again, Sam.

A Prayer To Chronos

 

She stands amidst the dust and the mist

prays, hear me, father of sorrow and bliss

I’ve waited, waited, can’t count the hours

I’ve bled for stones that bore red flowers.

 

Gave youth and kiss to time’s black glove

forsook the hand that promised love

raised sword to veil and cowl alike

I’ve waited, waited, through the night.

 

Kept hidden secrets of the heart

let storm and rain tear dreams apart

sought faces in the shadow’s fair

made empty rooms a lover’s lair.

 

I watched life wilt, fall like a star

to earth so dry, all hope loomed far

swore oaths to angels, vows and lies

but time passed slowly chained by sight.

 

Oh, hear me, father of sorrow and bliss

I’ve naught else to promise, naught else to give

I beseech thee, let Thanatos kiss my brow

let him come, let him take me

I am ready now.

 

 

The Big Rant

Today, I’d like to take a critical look at the world we live in. The desire to do so is due, at least in part, to the fact that my life over the past month has given me serious cause to reevaluate and assess the entire system which governs our existence. I could, of course, make this extremely short and simply say I’m disgusted, but that wouldn’t satisfy my urgent need to get my thoughts off my chest before they can overshadow my normally peaceful and even pacifistic disposition. So grab some popcorn, buckle up, and get your thinking caps on…because this may take a while…:-)

Let me start with freedom of speech. Nice concept, isn’t it? You speak your mind, others speak their minds, and everyone is happy and perhaps even willing to calmly debate until there is a common ground. We’re modern people, after all. We reason. We think. We’re smart as heck and light years ahead of the cave dwellers we call ancestors. Yes, we’re the proud, noble, educated end result of millions of years of evolution, and we rock it. But it truly safe to express an opinion in this world of little geniuses? Is it wise to think for yourself and challenge stupidity and bastardry, regardless of its source? The answer, unfortunately, is a definite NO.

Case in point: My husband, a faithful and, in my opinion, pathetically underpaid employee of the city of dust and tumbleweeds, is facing job-sponsored hellfire this month because he dared to open his mouth. I won’t bore you with the details, but will say that he had the misfortune of angering both a co-worker and two superiors (don’t you hate that term?) in the same week. What angered the former is of little consequence, as it was just a minor squabble over the moral merits of not kissing arse. What angered the bosses, however, is the real issue, and a damned touchy subject – the constant and downright cruel mistreatment of homeless people and minorities on the job…by one of these fine, upstanding bosses. When my husband spoke out against this evolutionary throwback and went as far as to say he might try to catch the guilty party on camera one of these days, all hell broke lose. Within two days, he was called into work, presented with a stack of false accusations against his character – one of them signed, coincidentally, by the co-worker he pissed off only days before – and put on paid administrative leave until further notice. Now he faces a predetermination hearing and possibly the loss of his job. Lovely, eh? Have I made my case yet? Speaking your mind is a dangerous thing, especially if you dare to speak against those with even the smallest amount of power.

The next item on my blacklist is the ongoing smear-campaign between Obama and Clinton. I can’t help but wonder…does raising your voice, batting around lies, and belittling your opponent really put you in the kind of light you want to be seen in while running for the presidency of the United States of America? Schoolyard tactics shouldn’t have a place in politics, yet the public endorses these steaming piles of horse manure calling themselves ideal candidates for leadership and squeals with delight as they make us an even bigger global laughingstock than we already are. Do we really want angry people to lead us into another decade of war and economic hardship? Does it make sense to elect bullies into office? Should the jerk with the best PR people and the most money be rewarded for cooking up better lies padded by prettier words? I don’t think so, that’s for sure. And come on, let’s face it…neither of these knuckleheads is telling us the truth. The truth was, is, and always will be controlled by their ilk, and it won’t reach the public eye unless we fight for it. But that’s another point, and I’ll get to it later.

I guess I’m still waiting for the day when two candidates, especially if from within the same political party, stand on their respective podiums with smiles on their faces and simply say, “Here are our track records. Here is what we each would like to change. Neither of us wants to throw more crap at the national ceiling fan nor further insult your intelligence, so now it’s all up to you. Conduct your own research and go vote for your favorite. That’s all. Good night.” Would this be so difficult? Would it be too much to ask for to take campaign funds politicians blow and do something worthier with them, like…oh, I don’t know…take care of our own people? But then, I forget we live in a country known for its fickleness and for being all too easily influenced by media giants with more money than God. It’s more fun to watch bozos argue on television than to help people, after all. What do I care if some kid in Brooklyn is eating ramen noodles for the 15th night in a row. Gimme some mud-slinging! *stomps off, disgusted*

What’s next on my list? Let me think….ah, yes! Allow me to start my own little smear-campaign. Obama made a statement this week that really threw me for a loop: “War should not be the first resort…It should not be based on politics.” Okay. Back up a sec, Obama. If war shouldn’t be based on politics, what, pray tell, SHOULD it based on? Religion? This is a very stupid statement to make, especially in light of Obama’s alleged personal ties to the Muslim world. All I can deduce from this, and from any number of other, rather devilishly ambiguous statements he’s made, is that either a) Obama is a sleeper ready to play his part in the biggest religious war humanity has seen since the Crusades, and that he’s hiding his true identity in plain sight, or b) that he is a monumental idiot. Of course, if these kinds of comments aren’t enough to call Obama’s motives into suspicion, there’s always this: He is HIGHLY endorsed by senator Jay Rockefeller. If you’ve looked into world affairs a little over the past few years and can add two and two, you know this doesn’t bode well for any of us. Am I suggesting the Rockefellers are corrupt bastards intent on instating a new world order, and that they are going to use our own political system against us by placing their smartest man at the top? You better believe it. And before you click on the comment link below, take a deep breath and spare me the hate mail. I’m not a sheep, and no amount of wolves in my mailbox will cow me into changing my mind. You don’t actually think the wealthiest families in the world are looking out for you, do you?

Onward…

Huge corporations and the IRS are also placing high on my list lately. First, we’ve all figured out by now that the IRS is out to bend us over, do us hard, and come back at least once a year for more. Sorta like a bad boyfriend, but with a sicker mind and a much longer…arm. Why do I have no say-so in where my tax dollars go? Why am I paying three bucks for a gallon of gas? Indeed, why did the price of gasoline go up after hurricane Katrina, but never go back down again, and why do I slap down more and more money for fuel every time a butterfly farts in Tibet? Furthermore, why does the minimum wage rise at a snail’s pace, while everything from milk to bread to property is practically doubling in price every few years? Why am I required to report every penny I make, even ridiculous amounts like the six bucks I pulled in selling a vase on eBay, while corporations get tax cuts up the wazoo and write off executive bonuses and even fancy dinners? I don’t think I need to go on here, as I’m sure the exact same thoughts have crossed your mind, as well. It’s BS, that’s what it is, and I, for one, am damned angry about it. My frustration doesn’t stop there, of course. Not by a long shot. Which leads me to my next point…

Cock-blocking. This crime befalls most of us at some point in our lives thanks, once again, to the good people over at the IRS and their villainous corporate counterparts, who, I am firmly convinced, are both in league with Satan. Or at least I would think so if I believed in Satan. Have you ever done research into starting a small, home-based business, for instance? On the surface, and for those who know nothing about such ventures, it seems simple enough: You file for a business license and yippee, you’re off to make your millions. Easy breezy, isn’t it? Hold on to your socks, bucko, because that’s just the very first step, and one of the least expensive. Uncle Sam has his big, greedy claws in everything, and he is determined to keep you, Joe Smalltimer, down, down, down. If you’re interested in becoming your own boss and working from home, take a look at your local zoning regulations to find out if Big Brother will even LET you have a business in your area. Chances are, you’ll have to file for several pieces of paperwork and pay exorbitant fees to do what you want to do. You’ll have to call or visit various agencies and get various inspections. You’ll have to file for a TIN number and pay taxes on your expected earnings. You won’t be able to write off anything unless the IRS says you can. And here, it gets even better (read: more complex). The IRS will eventually take a look at your business and decide if it even IS a business. If they decide it isn’t, and that it’s just a hobby, you can’t write off squat. If you have the intention of turning a profit, however, you MAY BE a business, which means you’ll have to pay taxes. There’s also some kind of three out of five years profit rule. What the hell? So are you or are you not a business? And who the heck starts a business without hoping to make a profit? I can’t figure it out. Call them and ask, and tell them I hate them while you’re at it.

So…what other kinds of cock-blocking exist? Well, let’s pretend you want to trademark a design/brand name for a line of t-shirts you intend to sell. Get out your check book and be prepared to fork over close to $400 for the trademarked brand name and another amount somewhere near $50 for copyright protection on the design itself. These are for U.S. rights, mind you. From what I’ve read, protection does not extend beyond our national borders, which means any corporate thief with headquarters overseas can pretty much screw you out of your idea without facing much in terms of legal action. And even if you could sue a multi-million dollar company…do you think you’d win? Not in a million years. You don’t own lawyers. They do, with added government protection, courtesy of corrupt politicians. None of these people want you to get ahead, because you might come to threaten their empire. End of story.

Speaking of keeping the small man down brings me to another disgusting lie the government feeds us in order to keep the rich, rich, and us in the gutters of the social hierarchy: Welfare. What a bunch of pahooey! Think about it. The government hands you a small check for, say, $500 a month, and puts you in low-income housing. You figure you might as well not work, because if you do, you’ll probably just make minimum wage anyway. So you stay home and take what they give you, thinking all the while how lucky you are to be governed by such a benevolent system. What most people don’t think about is that, as long as you take these scraps, you’ll never get anywhere. What can you do with five-hundred dollars a month? Sure, your house or apartment is free, but will you ever get to leave that place, take a chance, start living? No, because at your core, you’re afraid. You know that the moment you attempt to stand on your own two feet, they’ll cut your benefits. Beyond that, what they DO give you isn’t enough to start a business, afford a reliable car, or even buy a presentable wardrobe you could wear to apply for good jobs. And hell, since your parents lived the same way, the best education you were probably able to afford involved a community college (associates degree…want fries with that?) or the military. Neither will help you much. In a world where you need a masters degree to work at a library, you’re basically screwed unless you went to and graduated from a four-year college. And the military? Check out the streets and see how many bums were once active service members. Their skills aren’t needed much in the monkey suit world, despite what the commercials would have you believe. By the way, I won’t get into how disgusted I am by our quick disregard for and disposal of the men and women who protected us in wars our very own politicians picked…

But I will go into warfare. Very briefly. The war in Iraq is still going on because corporations benefit from war. But you knew that. We all know that. The more stuff gets destroyed, the more they can rebuild, the more money they can make. And it’s not corporate workers who are rebuilding, either. It’s our military. Hey, free labor, funded by the public! *grumble* Bastards!

Speaking of bastards, thank you, dear government, for trying to poison us and keeping us sick on purpose. I appreciate the chemtrails you dump over cities and love that you hoard the cures to horrible diseases so the pharmaceutical giants can stay in business and fund your campaigns, pay your lunches, and spring for your high-class hookers. Thank you, as well, for airing total thrash on TV, for being in league with the media, for controlling what we see and hear from every angle, for trying to keep us as dumb as possible, for owning the churches in one way or another and playing on the fears of the masses, and for hiding from us every bit of substantial truth you can. But what am I saying? Oh, my! I believe you. There is no life after death *baa*. You want what’s best for me *baa*. Your scientists aren’t keeping secrets that could change the course of human history and all major belief systems *baa*. You never, ever lie *baa*. I love you *baa baa*.

Let me also thank the church while I’m at it. Thousands of years of spiritual oppression paid off. You have the crowds scared of a fictional bad guy with a pitch fork, and they’re still willing, after hundreds of years, to shovel cash into your pockets to purchase themselves a ticket out of hell. Which doesn’t exist, of course, except in their own minds. But hey, those are minor details that don’t bear discussion. In the meantime, I’ll just frame the letter you sent me several years ago, booting me out of your congregation for not giving you enough money. Middle-finger salute!

On a final note, I’d like to once more thank the government for making charity so difficult. Guess what? I don’t care for your red tape and bureaucratic bull. I’m going forward with my plans to help whomever I can, and your rules be damned.

You all know what we need. It starts with an R and ends with an N. I mean a raisin, of course. Not the other thing. Duh.

Can you dig it?

11 Simple Ways To Joy

1. Eat ice cream, and eat it like you mean it. None of that dribble-free, napkin-clutching, super-fancy adult stuff. Gobble! Lick it like cats lick their paws while sprawling in a beam of sunlight. And if someone gives you a weird look, don’t worry. They’re just mad because they forgot how to be a kid…:-)

2. Dance to your favorite music. Don’t control your moves, either. You’re not here to impress a panel of judges, you’re here to have fun and relax. So throw off your shoes, cram a CD into the player, and let your body tell you how it wants to flow. You’ll feel happier afterward, I guarantee it!

3. Arrange your important things into two seperate drawers. One is your gotta-do drawer, into which you’ll throw your bills. You can only open this drawer once a week to deal with its contents; the other six days, don’t even think of it. The second drawer is your happiness drawer. This one should hold your favorite pictures, letters, Christmas cards, movie stubs, poems, or anything else that brings up good memories. Open this drawer every morning, pull out one random item, take a look at it for at least one minute, and let the good feelings prepare you for an awesome day. Try to add at least one wonderful new thing to this drawer every week.

4. Read your children a bed-time story. Dress the part, and let the kids interact, as well. Your son could roar each time a fierce dragon appears in the story. Your daughter could bat her eyelashes each time the blushing princess says something. Whatever you do, just have fun!

5. Make a home-cooked meal and leave the dishes for the next morning. Afterward, lounge on the couch and watch your favorite movie. Munch on left-overs without feeling guilty.

6. Call your best friend and start the conversation with, “I was just sitting here thinking, and I wondered, what’s your favorite memory of all time?” Listen intently to the story that follows and bask in the warmth of its afterglow. This is a gift for both you and your friend!

7. Go the zoo or museum and rediscover the wonders of the world you live in. Look closely and with abandon. There are things you never noticed before, and which you’ll only see if you leave your adult-glasses at home.

8. Decide to let go of an old hurt. Try to recall exactly what happened, then ask yourself if it’s really worth holding on to. You’ll find that 99.9% of the pain we hold on to is just baggage we drag around out of sheer habit, or because we’re too proud to let it go. Release the negative within and firmly tell yourself that you don’t want to be a slave to your past any more. Do this at least once a month.

9. Write an actual letter to someone you love. No e-mail. No text-messaging. I’m talking pen and paper. Put it in an envelope and mail it. Look forward to when it reaches its destination, and when it does, take joy in the surprise you’ve created.

10. Compose a list of ten things you want to accomplish before your next birthday, or any other holiday you celebrate. Each time you accomplish something on your list, mark it off and smile, knowing that you’re teaching yourself to create your own future.

11. Teach yourself something new. Come on, I know there’s something you’re just dying to learn! Just don’t make it an obligation or let it become a pressure. Make the time. Enjoy. That’s what learning is all about.

Experts – Are They?

My son’s elementary school is undergoing massive renovations this month. They’re replacing windows, building a whole new playground, redoing paint jobs, prettying and tidying up whatever their allocated funds allow them to - and tearing down walls full of asbestos while the children are still in school.

Is it me or is this hugely irresponsible? My husband and I stopped by the principals office two days ago and asked them about the whole affair. The soccer mom slash secretary working there wisely replied that the experts working on the buildings assured them that removing asbestos while children are present on the school grounds is perfectly safe. Ha! Excuse me while I snort in disgust and get my temper under control…

How can this be safe? When we walked by the buildings in question, there were normal plastic sheets covering the windows. In the middle of each sheet is a giant hole out of which the air from inside the room is blowing (right toward the kindergarten wing). You can both hear and see this. The doors of the buildings are not sealed, either. And there’s a massive trailer outside, right next to the parking lot where about 200 kids walk by twice a day, full of whatever they are yanking off the walls inside the school. Said trailer, like the windows, is covered with no more than a plastic sheet secured by silver tape. It’s been windy as heck, mind you. Oh, and of course the main renovations are taking place in the building where the kids eat breakfast and lunch every day.

I cannot help but wonder how badly each of the women working in the school’s office failed chemistry in high school. Asbestos particles…dust…is not going to be held back by poorly secured plastic, and airing out a room filled with asbestos dust will cause damage if someone is exposed to it. But heck, no need to worry, righty? The company obviously wouldn’t lie just to secure a contract…

Thank God we have experts to tell us poor idiots what to think. And thank you, public school system, for giving a crap about our children!

*Zenfox now returns to digging out the number to the local investigative journalism team.

Billions For Love

I saw a show the other night about billionaire heiresses and how they spend their family fortunes. Some of them, I have to admit, did pretty darn good things with their cash, while others, well…blew it on junk like closets-full of new dresses, jewelry, and private islands big enough to be considered small countries. The whole thing got me to thinking. What would I do with billions of dollars? Or even just a few hundred million? And then I got this awesome idea which, with the help of DH, evolved into a full-fledged love attack in my heart:

I’d build a vacation resort for needy families! A place where people who could not afford to go on vacation, but desperately needed it, could go to spend a relaxing, fun-filled week in summer. July, I’m thinking, because that is when most kids don’t have school.

Now, about my resort.  It would have all the features one could dream of, like humongous rooms, pools, recreation centers, a movie theater, a spa, massage therapy sessions, yoga classes, dance lessons, a small amusement park, horse-back riding, guided tours into the wilderness, comedy and magic shows, a five-star restaurant, and so on. I would also arrange to hold a summer ball each year, complete with free costume, dress, and tuxedo rentals and an out-of-this-world banquet. During the one-week special resort, each family would have the opportunity to partake in relaxing, yet fun and exciting games with great prizes, such a new bicycles, new wardrobes, and maybe even one grand prize of a brand-new car. At the end of the week, each family would, upon checkout, also receive a $500 gift card to a shopping center such as Walmart, so they could purchase groceries or whatever else they may need to get by.

How would I choose families for this? Technology. Each family would be evaluated by their income, assets, etc, and then enter into a lottery if they qualify. Each January, a computer would draw, say, 250 names, and then notify the chosen families and allow them to make plans. This would give everyone a fair and equal chance of winning.

And how would I fund all of this? First, I’m a billionaire…lol. Secondly, the resort would stay open year-round and only close to the public for three weeks during summer. One week to prepare, one week for families to come and enjoy, and one week to clean up the mess. The revenue created during the other eleven months would pay for just about everything needed. And if it didn’t, I wouldn’t care. I’d pay for it all myself, because I believe excess money is granted to people so they can do something good with it.

Awwww, imagine the little faces, all flushed with joy. Imagine more relaxed adults. Imagine helping someone create the memory of a lifetime. Joy!

So, in conclusion…Dear God, please let me hit the lottery! LOL

Tutorial – MySpace – Video In Blog

Ever wonder how people manage to get videos into their blog, while the codes you enter only turn out as a row of little white dots? It’s easier than you think. This short tutorial will show you how. Happy blogging!

1. Sign in to your MySpace account and click on Blog – Post New Blog.

2. Enter a subject line and begin writing your blog entry.

3. When you’re done writing, CHECK the “View Source” button shown below.

4. Insert the embed code for your video.

5. Now UNCHECK the “View Source Button”.

6. Click “Preview And Post”. You should now see your blog text, along with a blank video window with a red x in the upper left-hand corner. This is not an error!

7. Click “Post”

Your video should now appear in your blog…:-)

P.S. If you want your video to start automatically, look for the url of the video within the code. It will appear twice. Take out the part I highlighted in blue in BOTH url’s and replace it with the following: autoplay=1

…youtube.com/v/Vo_0UXRY_rY&rel=1

Noodly

Ok, this one has had me laughing for three days now…lol

Life on Mars

A few thoughts on why this is causing such a stir:

1. Lack Of Evidence To the Contrary: If NASA knows that what we see here is nothing more than a rock formation, why haven’t they released more recent photos of the same location to prove the humanoid form hasn’t moved since the original shot was taken? And why did their experts fail to examine the photo more closely (read, devote months to its study) before firmly informing the world that there’s nothing unusual about this? I find this curious…

2. Sudden Appearance: NASA gave no indication, at any point prior to the release of this photo, that they had found something highly unusual. You’d think they’d have held a press conference to inform the public PRIOR to the shot’s release (including a segment explaining what exactly we are seeing, if not a life form) but that wasn’t the case. This makes me believe that the photo’s emergence is due to a leak from within NASA’s own ranks…a leak which they are now desperately trying to get back under control. This seriously causes me to wonder about the photo’s authenticity.

3. Life On Mars Is Not Possible: Hmm. Isn’t it? We know by now that there is a good chance that life did exist on Mars, albeit a very long time ago. We also know that there was, and still is, a small amount of H2O on its surface, especially at its North Pole. Indeed, scientists believe there may be liquid water on the planet’s surface even today, although this water would freeze soon after emerging from underground due to Mars’ punishing surface temperatures. So, on Mars, we have light, water, nitrogen, and a small amount of oxygen - the basic building blocks of life as we know it. But that’s all pure science…what about adding belief and keeping an open mind? Is it not possible that there are life forms in the cosmos which do not require the same living conditions as human beings do? Experts would likely say no, immediately, but I beg to differ. I think it is entirely possible, and here is why – even on our very own planet, what allows one thing to live is deadly to another. A fish will die if it isn’t in water. Human beings will die if they remain underwater. Plants (and some marine life) need CO2 and light energy to survive. Human beings need oxygen and light energy. While these processes are obviously much more involved, as well as intertwined, my point is simply that, if we can have such wondrous variation here, in this one tiny corner of the universe, why can there not be places and beings somewhere out there which would challenge everything we know about physics and chemistry? Egads, we just may not know everything. Why is this such a distressing and difficult thing to grasp?

4. But The Bible/Quran/Torah Says: I’m not sure what these books have to say about life on other planets, to be honest, but I do know that the fantatically religious are absolutely freaking out about all of this. My only thought here is this: If God is truly almighty, all-powerful, and all-knowing (which I do believe He is), why would He create an entire universe, the size and complexities of which we cannot even begin to grasp, to populate just one little planet in a not-so-very-large galaxy? Seems like an awful waste of space and talent to me…:-)

5. Skeptics Versus Believers: That skeptics love, love, love to argue is a given. The same holds true for believers, of course, especially those of the out-there variety. The trouble here isn’t that people’s opinions are divided, but that each group uses whatever they can get their little claws on to tear each other apart. This picture has given both parties a new excuse to rip each other to shreds, and they’re using it with glee. Where is the humanity in this? Why can’t we sit back, talk things out respectfully, offer our individual viewpoints, and then leave well enough alone? A skeptic rarely relinquishes his or her point because of the angry rantings of a believer, and a believer is usually far too deply immersed in whatever topic is up for discussion to look upon the skeptic with anything more than contempt or even pity. So what’s the point in arguing, I ask? Keep your beliefs, and let others keep theirs. Why turn this into a massive controversy? Instead, maybe we could all try to marvel, for just a moment, at this awesomely unsual photo. If you believe the shot depicts an alien life form, good for you! I am leaning toward that conclusion myself. If you believe, however, that what you see is nothing more than a rock…marvel, too! It’s a rock shaped like a human being…on MARS! Isn’t creation wonderful?