Thursday, April 23, 2009

A Walk in the Park

Insert cheesy inspirational cliche here.

I don't know who or what built this and lives there.

I see you flower, shakin' that ass... shakin' that ass.

I don't recommend using this tree swing.

Another tree swing I don't recommend.

This is near where some jackass rang his bike bell (!) at me AFTER I got out of his way.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Friday, April 10, 2009

Go Folk Yourself


Of all the political euphemisms and turn of phrases there are that get on my damn nerves (and there are plenty), none bother me more than "folk." A fair amount of googling leads me to believe that you probably aren't as bothered by this phrase as I am, or better yet you probably don't care. But I'm not as mellow as you. Shit bugs me. I mean, don't you think it's the slightest bit demeaning? For example, you won't ever hear the talking heads of media refer to politicians as folks. They have titles. "Congresswoman such and such, thanks for joining us." "Senator whatshisface said today..."

It's been bothering me for awhile, then today on the way home from work in my car I heard that horny hypocrite Eliot Spitzer on NPR who, when asked about why anyone would give a shit about what he has to say about the deceptiveness, lack of willpower and lack of moral fortitude on the part of bank regulators recently conisdering he was out fucking high priced hookers barely out of college at night and fighting for stricter laws and penalties for prostitutes and johns by day, he said something along the lines of "folks will judge his message accordingly and make their own decisions and blah, blah, blah." And I'm like "folks"? I'm not your fucking folk, you fucker.

Why can't these god damn public servants learn their place?

I'm one of "the people." As in "we the people."As in "Democracy of, by and for 'The People'." Don't you fucking downgrade me to a folk. Folks are common. People are a collective of persons. I mean, we elect our officials to follow the "will of the people," not the "will of the folks." It's "Power to the People!" not "Power to the Folks!" And can you imagine being told that the earthquake in Italy killed a "bunch of folks"? That the crazed gunmen in NY went on a rampage and "13 folks died"? No! It's ridiculous. Once we die we're upgraded, I guess.

The language of politics is a manipulative one. The more distant and disconnected we see ourselves from our politicians, the more despondent we become. As soon as you accept that it's an "Us and Them" game, as soon as you accept that you're just a "folk" with no power and no say, the sooner "We" lose.

I don't expect people to be as easily annoyed and defensive as me, but I do expect them to be a little less apathetic.

On that note, Austin mayoral and city council elections are just around the corner. They're participartory, so do your part.

go here: http://elections.kut.org/ and http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/election/intro_eng.htm
for more information.

More on politics and language:

watch this:
The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c
New Euphemisms - Redefinition Accomplished
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show
Full Episodes
Economic CrisisPolitical Humor


read this:
http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

remember this:
"The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them."
Philip K. Dick

Fuck American Apparel


Perhaps you've seen their blatantly sexist and extremely unoriginal ads and thought "Well, that's pretty gross but the clothes are produced domestically and the sales people are paid more than double that of the kids over at Abercrombie and The Gap (who's threads are woven in China, Vietnam, and Indonesia) and so even though I'm not a fan of the way they market themselves I am a fan of 'Made In America' so I don't feel shitty spending my money there." OK, Well, Fuck that.

This dude:

This fucking piece of shit Canadian dipshit who thinks he's some sort of fucking trendsetter/trailblazer/pioneer/captain of industry is nothing but a dick-tugging/finger-sniffing/ass-groping hack who's about as ingenious and revolutionary as a Wall Street sycophant with a pension for Alabama Hot Pockets, AND... And, he's an asshole. Don't support an asshole, please. Fuck him, and fuck his $40 cotton v-neck t-shirts.

Furthermore:

http://jezebel.com/5012440/american-apparel-ceo-orders-subordinate-to-pleasure-herself-she-services-him-with-lawsuit


jezebel.com/gossip/i-work-retail/working-at-american-apparel-is-all-its-%20coked-up-to-be-316322.php?cpage=2

www.nytimes.com/2005/07/10/fashion/sundaystyles/10HARASS

www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/?last_story=/mwt/broadsheet/2009/04/10/american_apparel

Let's Keep Him to His Word

Subject: Tell Obama: Stop blocking court review of illegal wiretapping.

Dear Friend,

We have an opportunity to bring the Bush administration to justice for illegal wiretapping. But President Obama is blocking the way.

On April 2, President's Obama's lawyers invoked Bush's radical theory of executive power -- and the 'state secrets' defense -- to argue for the dismissal of the Electronic Frontier Foundation's litigation against the National Security Agency for the warrantless wiretapping of countless Americans.

MSNBC host Keith Olbermann has said "The Obama administration is just flat out dead wrong about this." You can watch Olbermann and Constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley discuss Obama's use of the "state secrets" privilege to protect the Bush administration on illegal wiretapping in this YouTube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9MxVen7j7s

If EFF's case against the NSA is dismissed, we may never know the extent of the Bush administration's illegal spying on Americans.

Please join me and take action to support the Constitution.

http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/obama_wiretapping/?r_by=-1980088-1Wkoz3x&rc=paste

Thanks! And, yes, this is a cut and paste job.