I just got back from a two mile walk through the park. It's a little chilly, but getting kinetic felt good. That counteracts the electrification of the TV and computer I've been overindulging in.

This girl in the library check-out line, she must have been 12 years old, was checking out several fat books on Hitler, and a few on numerology. The guy scanning the books asked her, "You're not a Hitler-lover, are you?"
"No," she replied.

Time to watch some movies. I rented Reign of Fire, Powerpuff Girls, and Storytelling.

Interesting tidbit: The Americans name for this millitary opertaion is Iraqi Freedom, while the British have named it Operation Tilac - which is Greek for Ultimate Purpose.

No, of course. That's what I meant by be objective. Tell subjective lies.

The Cubs almost won yesterday. Almost wins are just as good to Cubs fans, right?

I'm sorry Balzac, but the Chicago Cubs Organization is immoral, evil, and bunch of mother-rapers.

That new Vin Diesal movie is getting bad reviews, and that Phone Booth movie is getting some good ones.

www.rottentomatoes.com

Eric and I sat with Deni at Brewhaus last night, and she had an interesting perspective on the rescued 19-year-old POW. She seemed to think it was odd that she was the only person there alive. No captors, no prisoners, no anybody. I'm not entirely sure what she meant. Something about her being so young.

Clearly, much of what is reported on the cable news networks is propaganda, and we won't know the real stories in this war for years to come, when the reporters and soldiers are allowed to tell what they really saw.

I don't mind if FOX or CNN has slanted views, but I want to see all biased sides, not just one giant cable-news perspective.

I envision this blog as a place of expression and communication, not an ideological defending ground. I prefer not to take sides here, but to be more objective. Actually, I would prefer that we each simply state our own perceptions, without getting trapped in the dialectics of left-right, good-bad, moral-immoral, God-devil: to be uber-subjective.

I just want to know what my fellow friends here see. I have a unique but narrow perspective on this world, so it really educational for me to get a glimpse of what other people are going through.

Let's get away from the Crossfire debate. That is played endlessly on CNN and it will never be resolved.
Please, tell me: What do you see?

Sometimes I really feel like I am trapped inside a box, where all the sides are television screens. I try to communicate or connect with other people, but everyone else lives inside their own TV prison box.

When will this charade end?

Ozzie Smith is probably one of the most talented men to ever walk the face of the earth. Do the Cubs even have a short-stop postion anymore, or did they finally just give up and go with eight players?

boo ya

Hey Matt, positive thinking DID work on this. On another topic, I found this amusing:

Former Tulsa mayoral candidate arrested
Former mayoral candidate Paul Tay has been arrested again. Tay has been a lightning rod for controversy lately for riding his bicycle around Tulsa with a giant, inflated penis on the back. Tulsa Police can't arrest him for that because of freedom of speech issues.

However, they say when a driver swerved toward Tay's bicycle, Tay threw a bottle at the driver's windshield, breaking it. Throwing something at a moving vehicle is a felony.

It's also a felony to wear body armor while committing a felony, so Tay was arrested for that as well, since he was wearing a bulletproof vest. He's in the Tulsa County jail.



KOTV

No kidding. Good thing we found our friends here in this wily weblodge. And Brian, you have quite a healthy social life from what I can tell.

In this post-information society, baby, the ether is overloaded with data. It is hard to sort through it all. That saying, "Our thoughts create our world" has a new signifcance with the emergence of the Internet. Each person can really spin off in their own direction and find their own specific niche.

The future wears your face. We are all susceptible to living in our own solipsistic bubble.

This is something I have to agree with:

One of the reasons I've become less than enthusiastic about the Internet is because it's just way too chock full of jaded, miserable people who compensate for their loathsome lives by spreading hate and bullshit to every faceless stranger they come into contact with. Now come on, I'll be totally honest here - as people who spend way too much time on the net, we've all got to admit that there's probably something socially wrong with us.

Give liberals an easy distraction, like abortion rights, rainforests, or affirmative action, and you have nothing to worry about.

God will guide you.
Peace is a choice.

Cynical Patriot,

Yes, but can we survive the militant liberals???
I find them to be more problematic to living my life as I choose in peace.

We survived Hitler and the Nazi's, we can survive these cowardly, yellow-bellied Fourth Reich globalists, and their army of media whores.

I'm not giving her anything, GB. I just found that refreshing and entertaining and thought I would share.

In other news: From Internet Radio Index

"A few months ago, hundreds of radio stations around the country pulled the plug on their webcasts."

"The Internet Radio industry, thanks to the GREEDY record companies and R.I.A.A. (Record Industry Association of America - (www.riaa.com) and A.F.T.R.A. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (www.aftra.org/) is undergoing a change in regards to how radio stations are to broadcast and who should get $$$ for it. It boils down to this, a LOT of stations have temporarily shut down their broadcasting on the Internet due to the fact that R.I.A.A. and A.F.T.R.A. want MORE $$$ as a result of broadcasting on the Internet. For example: Here is a statement I am finding on more and more radio station sites these days...."

"Due to continuing uncertainty over rights issues related to the streaming of radio broadcast programming over the Internet, including issues regarding demands for additional fees for the streaming of recorded music and radio commercials, we and our advertisers are forced to temporarily disable our streaming. We apologize for the inconvenience of this interruption. We are working with both our advertisers and the Recording Industry Association of America to find a solution to those problems as quickly as possible so that we can resume our streaming."

Also, I love your logic here Tate: "Just because someone does not agree with you doesn't make them wrong. In fact, in this case it actually makes you wrong." Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic.

Matt, please don't write things that long anymore. During the day I'm trying to pack in as much as possible and can only skim the long stuff. Why didn't you just write, "I hate Ann Coulter"? Simple, conscise, and gets the job done. I prefer just ignore her. You're the one that gives her an outlet.

Beast of the Month - August 2002

I like the sound of New Bagdad. As soon as it looked like we were going to dominate Iraqi war, I changed over to a conservative. I think a better name for Bagdad should be Dick Cheneye's Hard On.

Yeah! I'm like the new Anne Coulter. Except I'll admit when I've been drinking when I write my collumns.

O'hare has been officially renamed Tommy Herr Airport. Sears Tower? Ozzie Smith's big dick.

hey tater face. you're an american right? join the cardinal team. we're winners. the cubbie regime is dying. wrigley field is about as noble as saddam airport. The Mclasky's give two damns about the die-hard cubbie fans. wake up cubbies. the cardinal dominance in the natty central will liberate you from your miserable lives. God Bless the USA, and God Bless Auggie Busch.

What's your take on charter schools potatoe head?

Guess who's back?

too much cultural diversity training? classic conservative bullshit. wer'e stupider than ever concering cultural diversity. get real tayter. our children need to learn more languages, and become better at math and science. why settle for just math and science? Wer'e Americans. I'd like us to be better then just the Japanese. Shoot higher hot dog.

Go Cubbies! Looks like the Cubs are doing what they do best. Setting up their fans with high hopes, only to later spectacularly dash them.

And could someone explain to me why we have a White Sox team?

This war is gonna inspire some kick ass movies.

I blame the decay of public schools for Anne Coulter's popularity.

HA HA Just downloaded that song after reading the lyics you posted.

I'm still waiting to hear some more brass stuff coming out of the country music sector. They always seem to pull off a couple tracks.

My teacher made me put my head down on me desk for thirty minutes today, because I said the Cubs were going to win the Central. Fucking Cardinal fan. What a bitch. She reminds me of annne coultir.

I used to love my Daddy. Now he beats me every time the Cubs lose. He's an awful man. All he does anymore is jerk off to ann coolter. I'm scared.

Operation : are we on for drinks Monday went well. I retracted my retraction and that was the best decision i made all day. I love my friends!!!

Brian, you probably won't even consider my bid since i'm so mean to you.

looks like there is gonna be some bidding goin on for the lips tickets... i want them too. What's the highest bid so far?

I have not been able to order any tickets off ticketmaster. They say they are sold out.

Drop dem tickets to us, Brian, man. I wanna see these Flaming Lips fools.

Guess who showed up on Monday Night Raw: GOLDBERG
Best pop I've gotten from watching wrestling since the days of WCW.

GOLDBERG vs. the ROCK (now a heel, and good at it!) at Backlash.

Interview with Goldberg

Right here Wanless. How high?

I have one, maybe two tickets for that flaming lips show in Champaign on 5/4/03. Is anyone interested? I don't think I want to go anymore.

My mother used to tell me, "Never trust an extreamist".

Here's something to look at. http://www.somethingawful.com/fetish/example-iraqi.htm

Iraqi children with American fruit. The music is what really makes it festive.

I got a copy of that Aphex Twin for meself too. It is fine audio stimulation. I enjoyed Kings of Convenience more when I don't listen to them.

Operation: Are We On For Drinks Monday is going as planned. Don't listen to those other second-guessing false reports. They may have been a slight operational pause and some more resistance than we expected (Monica retracted at the last minute, then retracted her retraction.) but things are going as per our timeline.

Hoo-ah.

Man! The Cubs are looking good! They won.

I may be only 8, but I still know a bitch when I see one. Coultor is a bitch. (I'm only getting a C- in my spelling class.)

Liberals and conservatives are both doo-doo heads. Here's a joke to distract you.

A priest was driving along and saw a nun on the side of the road; he stopped and offered her a lift, which she accepted. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to open and reveal a lovely leg. The priest had a look and nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg. The nun looked at him and immediately said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" The priest was flustered and apologised profusely. He forced himself to remove his hand. However, he was unable to remove his eyes from her leg.

Further on, while changing gear, he let his hand slide up her leg again. The nun once again said, "Father, remember psalm 129?" Once again the priest apologised." Sorry sister but the flesh is weak." Arriving at the convent, the nun got out gave him a meaningful glance and went on her way. On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to retrieve a bible and looked up psalm 129. It Said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Just to show an example of how nonsensical the terms liberal and conservative have become:

Operation Iraqi Freedom stems from a liberal policy. By going to Iraq and generously giving the people freedom from tyranny, American foreign policy is essentially liberal.

A true conservative would conserve the resources of our nation for domestic problems.

Noam Chomsky explains this pretty well.

I'm tired of theses conservatives who just think with their feelings.

It is not really an issue of is it a conspiracy or not, but rather what kind of conspiracy it is. Is it really a conspiracy by the US and British to liberate the Iraqi people? Or is it an effort by US and British oil interests to secure a region? Or is it a conspiracy to create the worldwide perception that energy is scarce?

SUPPRESSED ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: AN INTERVIEW WITH A FORMER OIL COMPANY EXECUTIVE

March 29-30. Weekend edition. I have recently made contact with a former oil-company executive. This man, for what he considers very good reasons, chooses to remain in the shadows. He offers explosive charges about the suppression of energy sources which could change, as he puts, "the whole style of living on this planet." Because he insists on speaking off the record, I cannot call this a definitive smoking gun, but it's getting there. It's getting there. This man was reluctant. It took me awhile to convince him to speak.

Q: Why did you come forward now?

A: Because of the war.

Q: The war for oil?

A: Yes, but you have to understand a few things. I assume you've read Bucky Fuller.

Q: Sure.

A: Well, all this has to do with scarcity. The appearance of scarcity.

Q: What do you mean?

A: Creating the picture they want you to see.

Q: In what sense?

A: You've written about this.

Q: Specifically, what are you referring to?

A: Ask yourself why the oil companies like big government.

Q: Why don't you tell me.

A: Why do you see these companies supporting candidates who will do nothing for them? Wouldn't you think they'd back real free-market advocates, instead of the phonies who run from the Democratic and Republican sides?

Q: Am I supposed to believe that big oil companies want, what, libertarians in office? That's a hopeless cause.

A: Nothing is hopeless if you have millions of dollars to spend.

Q: Yeah?

A: Yeah. You don't see it, do you?

Q: See what?

A: These companies pretend to want economic freedom in the marketplace, the freedom to drill and explore anywhere. But they don't.

Q: No?

A: They want protection given to them by the government. They want to work with the government. They want their basic kind of protection.

Q: And that is?

A: A monopoly on energy. And you don't get that by trying to change the political landscape, by supporting free-market thinkers and doers.

Q: When you say "monopoly on energy," what are you talking about?

A: It's all about perception. Engineering the perception that oil is the only viable form of energy for the world.

Q: I see. So you're saying the major oil companies are more concerned with making everyone think that oil is the only fuel we really have for universal consumption.

A: Basically, yes. With a few minor exceptions that don't add up to much. And ask yourself, if you want to engineer that perception, who must you work with? The government. Certain agencies of the government.

Q: Are you talking about the CIA, for example?

A: I'm not going to get into that. But get my point here. Above all, no matter what they say, no matter how much they may deny it, these oil companies want the world to believe that oil is all we have.

Q: And that is not true.

A: Of course it's not true. Give me a billion dollars and I'll build a hydrogen project that'll prove splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen can take over the function of oil. And there are other avenues too.

Q: So to engineer the idea that oil is all we have, these companies want to walk hand in glove with big governments.

A: Right. It has nothing to do with a free market. Nothing.

Q: And how is all this connected to the war?

A: If you fight a war for oil---which everybody knows is going on right now---

Q: James Woolsey [former head of the CIA] admitted that the first Gulf War was fought for oil---

A: I know that. If you fight a war for oil, then everyone believes that oil really IS the only hope we have for a fuel to run the world.

Q: What are you saying?

A: This war has a much deeper ulterior motive. Most of the people who THINK they're really part of the global elite, who think they're in the know because they understand this war is about oil---

Q: Are missing the deeper point.

A: Yes. And the deeper point is, this war is being fought to create the perception that we must have that oil because oil is all we have.

Q: Whereas the truth is?

A: We don't need that oil. We can run this planet on other fuels, like hydrogen. But that perception must not be allowed to surface and gain a position of consensus. Billions and billions of dollars are at stake here. This is a very big craps game. The biggest people---and I'm not really talking about your oil-company CEOs, I'm talking about bigger people---and I won't go farther on that subject---the biggest people will do what they need to do to make everyone believe---

Q: That fuel for the planet is a very scarce commodity---the most precious commodity there is. And it's oil.

A: Right. Bucky Fuller said scarcity was a hoax. And he was right. We have the technology to provide everybody in the world with energy, cheap energy, and it's not oil. It doesn't have to be oil.

Q: So they need to impress on everybody the idea that we'd go to war for oil and kill who knows how many people, when in fact---

A: They're covering up something a lot more incredible. Yes---

Q: On one level, it's a war for oil, but at a higher level of power and control, it's a war to make people think oil is the only hope. And you accomplish that by focusing everybody's attention on oil, oil, oil.

A: Yes. Let me put it to you this way. When you focus everyone's attention on something, you tend to create the impression that that something is scarce. Do you see a lot of news about oxygen or ten toes or dirt or grains of sand? You keep pointing people at oil and they think, this oil is VERY valuable. This could be cut off. This is scarce.

Q: Keep going.

A: Yes. But if people knew how readily available other energy sources were, they'd yawn when you said oil. It's like putting two dogs out there fighting over a bone. All the other dogs want that bone too, after awhile. Even though there is a huge barrel full of bones a hundred feet away. But if you don't want the other dogs to discover that barrel, you have to keep them focused on the two dogs fighting over the one bone. And you have to keep those two dogs fighting on and on. You have to---

Q: Concoct all sorts of reasons for the dogs to keep fighting. You have to prod them and push them and irk them.

A: Right. Yes.

JON RAPPOPORT www.nomorefakenews.com

Tater is right about one thing. The "majority of people in this country from the boardroom to the schoolroom...don't have time for those" conspiracies. Why should they let facts, logic, and investigations get in the way of their stubborness and feelings.

The Cardinals presence in the Natty Central can best be summed up with the phrase: "Let them hate us, so long as they fear us."

"I have an unpopular opinion of the war. I absolutely support the war, but I don't support the troops." - self-hating liberal comic Bill Hicks.

Bill Hicks was a nasty liberal. One of the best.

Just a leg sir, just a leg.

Prediction for the Cubs this year: I do not need to make any predictions to candy ass cub fans. know your role, shut your mouth, and lose. can you smell .....

operation: are we on for drinks monday?

nevermind - that was rummy's policy in the eighties with Saddam

I have an idea for a comic book villain: The Progenitor. He destroys his enemies by giving birth to them, thereby dooming them to someday die.

How horrible and vile this despicable human must be.

My secret aspiration is to drop out of society and live in an online game. There are a lot of good Star Wars rpg's coming out.

Sounds good to me, Monica. I'll call you tomorrow.

Hope all of the beavers out there are having a wonderful weekend? Matt are we on for drinks Monday night? Let me know.