Category: is it just me?

is it just me?, listen up!, politics, venting, well?, wtf?!

vulture funds? WTF!

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I have been reading about the battle to end “vulture funds” today. Vulture funds are funds that shatter the possibility of debt relief, where an investor will buy a defaulted loan from a poor nation, and take them to court, forcing them to pay the loan in full plus interest (even though they couldn’t pay the loan to begin with). What happens at that point, is that these countries that owe the debts, siphon funds off of the aid the government provides to them, and the debt cycle and need for aid only grows. See, it is a catch 22, the money is loaned to them, and they spend it (unfortunately, with a lot of political and governmental corruption involved in that spending), and when they can’t pay it back, the defaulted loan is sold very cheaply to someone who goes to court, and demands that they pay back the full loan with interest (!!!). The problem lies in the fact that these countries are forced to take money that we give them for things like AIDS relief, and use that money to pay off the debt collector (i.e., the vulture), who gets rich in the process, making way more than he invested in the defaulted loan. But why accept the loan, right? Well, these countries are given these loans as a fake promise that they can use this money to step into the 21st century. It is like those low interest, high risk home loans, that allow people to buy houses they can’t afford; they end up defaulting, and losing more than they had before the loan, yet, they are convinced in the beginning that they will be able to get by and improve their lives. It is a vicious cycle.

There is a serious issue here, because this practice, especially with relation to foreign countries and federal funds, is illegal. Currently, there is a call for debt cancellation in these cases, but there are still a few people over here (in the US) getting big bucks from this swindling game. They know these people can’t pay back the debt, yet they force them to with whatever they can come up with; which ends up being the aid we provide in the name of AIDS relief and other federal aid programs.

Even though these people go around buying these loans, and use courts to force these countries to pay back these loans, President Bush can sign a statement locking all federal aid funds into place. This would work to prevent the siphoning of those funds to corrupt government schemes and wealthy debt collectors; but that hasn’t happened yet. I hope that he will, and protect funds like the great AIDS relief that I spoke about a little while back. I can’t believe that people are able to do things like this in the first place, and that the system doesn’t do something to protect those that really need protecting. Until the governments of other nations stop the corruption, and the wealthy vultures stop collecting defaulted debts with interest (debts that the people were never going to be able to pay in the first place), the aid is not going to those that need it, and as such, we aren’t helping the situation at all. That is really depressing, because we really can help, we just have to have a multi-tiered approach, addressing these issues in the process. This is great reporting from Greg Palast, as usual, which is how I found out about all of this. It really makes you wonder what is going on with these uber-wealthy people that literally have no problem taking money from those that simply do not have it, just for the sake of getting richer. When is enough money really enough?

I know that this is going to stir up a few bee’s nests, but I just think that there is a point when you have to say that someone is rich enough, and let that be that. There should be limits on how you can swindle money, and the consequences of your actions should be held accountable. Do I think that people don’t deserve the right to be rich? Of course not! If you are rich, good for you! But, if you gained your wealth by literally taking it out of the hands of the disenfranchised poor, especially in a way that is illegal, or at a bare minimum ethically questionable, should you be allowed to just keep raking it in? I certainly don’t think so. I know that the world isn’t fair, but the least we can do is try to make it more likely to swing in a fair direction. If not, we aren’t really doing anything but making rich people richer, and that certainly is NOT the goal of world wide aid, is it? Perhaps it is just a personal thing, but I don’t think I could sleep at night knowing that I am forcing a foreign government to cough up money that it doesn’t have, just because I could afford to buy their defaulted loan. The government of that country may not suffer (because of corruption, remember), but the people certainly do, and that is something that I couldn’t have on my conscience.

I agree that we should definitely cancel the debts of these poor countries that have suffered from corruption, colonization, and disenfranchisement. Punish those that seek to gain profit from their misfortune, by siphoning funds off of federal aid that we provide them. Or, at a bare minimum, we must prevent them from siphoning off those funds, and make sure that the money goes for what it is supposed to go for. The least we can do, if we aren’t going to stop corruption, is be accountable for the money we are handing out, right?

hmm interesting, is it just me?, jake gyllenhaal, listen up!, mixed media, music musings, music suggestion, politics, show the love, the catch-all-egory

presumably something for everyone!

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Happy Monday kids!!! So, things are a bit all over the place in my brain today, so I thought I would just jot it all down, and put it out there; since I am sure that there is a little something for everyone. Perhaps it will cure your boredom, or at least give you something to think about! Here we go… ready?

  • I have been listening to Muse, Zwan, and a lot of ROCK lately. I am enjoying the hell out of it too; it totally reminds me of my alternative/rock days where Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins were all I listened to. For some reason, people find it odd that I love hard rock, but alas, there it is. To continue that thought, I cannot wait until July 24th; Guitar Hero Encore: Rocking The 80s comes out. I will be at Best Buy that day getting my copy. Want to come over and play? Hopefully, that can calm my intense hunger for Guitar Hero III; which I should probably be saving up for, since I have to get everything for the Wii.
  • This is fantastic news. I am really happy when justice is truly served. This guy didn’t deserve to go to jail for a consensual sex act; no one does. I am happy to see that he is finally free; although, the prosecutors are seeking an appeal. Ugh, leave the kid alone, he has already done 2 years in jail for no reason.
  • This is like my nightmare. I love roller coasters, and have always thoroughly enjoyed them, but this type of thing just scares me. I know it is highly unlikely, but still, I can’t imagine being stuck at the top of Acrophobia at Six Flags over Georgia for that long. I would pass out, piss myself, and probably have an aneurysm while they were trying to save us. That is probably why I don’t ride that one anymore; it is too much for me to handle, and I heard that it actually did get stuck at the top once, and they had to manually lower it. Fuck that. I feel bad for those people, because they are probably ruined on roller coasters now.
  • Here’s the only thing you will hear from me about the whole Paris Hilton thing: Paris, none of us think for a second that you are just “acting” dumb. You are dumb. And rich. And that is the only reason why anyone even pays you any attention. Just do your time for the crime you committed, and move on. I am certainly sick and tired of hearing about you and your grossly over-privileged ass.
  • Apparently, there are drugs in the water in Albania. I mean, that is the only way I can truly understand why these people think that Bush is such a symbol of democracy. Those in Rome had a better idea of exactly who he is; and it is sad that there are still herds of people that are blinded by how awful this man and his presidency truly have been and continue to be. Also, how can people really trust someone who doesn’t bother remembering his position on things? This is someone that we are trusting to keep us safe, and he can’t even remember his position on global affairs and foreign policies. Yikes. I am awe that people still think he is doing a great job; this is just another example of how out of it he really is.
  • This is just creepy, but it is immensely informative. I watched the video for my car, and I was pleased to see that it crashes “well”. One of the biggest selling features for my car was the air bags and the safety features. Any of you that live and drive in Georgia know that you have to be protected from these assholes that love to fly down the road, talking on their cell phones, and not paying attention to anything. It still blows my mind that people don’t take driving more seriously; you are gambling with your life people!
  • There is a whole mess of hotness out there these days; and I am not talking about the weather. I was at the gym the other day, and I noticed John Cena on someone’s TV, and I was reminded at how “DAYUM(!!!!)” he is. While I think the whole wrestling thing is silly, and that movie ‘The Marine’ was pretty bad, he is so fucking hot, that it is almost worth sitting through that crap to see him. What a hunk. *drool* Also, I am totally loving me some Seth Rogen. I have thought he was cute since I saw him in 40 Year Old Virgin, and now that he is all over the place because of his new movie, I am drooling over him heavy. I have to get to the theater and see Knocked Up! Man, I could seriously stare at men all day; I am definitely a visual person. Good thing there are so many hotties to look at!!! Side note: Don’t worry, Jake, you are still my number one, honey!
  • Finally, let’s end on an amazingly HIGH note: Sara Bareilles‘ album, Little Voice, is coming out July 3rd!!!!!!!!!! I am so fucking excited, because as I have said numerous times, I absolutely adore Sara, and have been following her for years. I love her music, and I am so looking forward to her getting more exposure, and hopefully the recognition she deserves. If you haven’t already, go and download her EP in iTunes. You won’t be sorry; she is one of the best singers out there, and you must do yourself a favor and check her out!!! Congrats Sara!!! I will probably blog more about this as we near the release date; as I said, I am super excited about this!

Whew! Did you get all of that!?!?! Have a great afternoon!

is it just me?, venting, well?, wtf?!

when patriotism becomes something else

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Today, when I was driving in to work, I saw a car being towed by a rather large tow truck, and noticed that the tow truck was emblazoned with “patriotic” symbols, such as flags, planes, and other red, white, and blue themed “USA is great”-ness. While I am all for showing your patriotic side, I think that there definitely is a continuum on which people fall with regards to displaying that patriotism; especially we Americans.

I tend to fall on the low end of the continuum, as I don’t have a flag anywhere in my house, on my property, or on my car. I don’t see the need to display the American flag to prove that I am in support of America, our troops, and our freedom. I have no problem with people putting flags, bumper stickers, and those awful “support the troops” ribbons on their cars, houses, and whatever they can find standing still long enough to attach them to; as long as it makes them feel somehow more patriotic for doing so. I do however, think that it is all a bit over board, as I said, I fall on the low end of the continuum, and these people clearly fall more in the middle, with many sitting close to the high end of the continuum.

Now, with that being said, I absolutely despise those people that take the notion of displaying patriotism beyond simply showing support through images of flags, words of support, or even those silly ribbons. (I say silly ribbons, for clarification purposes, because a ribbon on your car saying that you support the troops doesn’t make it any more real, or any more supportive than the rest of us that support them. If you really support them, send them a care package with the money you used to buy that ribbon; it would show more true support.). See, what I didn’t mention when I spoke of the tow truck earlier, was that as I took notice of the patriotic images plastered all over the truck, I started to notice that it went far beyond the simple flag and “we support the troops” display; it had a plane, dropping a bomb, with flumes of smoke and fire, to represent the destruction that we would bring on anyone that fucks with us. Now, in my opinion, that goes beyond patriotism, and clearly turns something that is meant to show that we are proud and supportive of our country and our troops, into something that represents a sadistic mindset where killing and destruction are somehow representative of our support of this country. And I think that is going too far.

If you feel the need to display this form of sadistic extreme “patriotism”, fine, but in my opinion, you have taken something that is supposed to be a positive affirmation of support, and turned it into a sad excuse for you to show your potential for hateful retaliation, under the guise of “support”. If you truly support our country, you don’t have to kill everyone else in the world to do so, so why not focus on the positive? I guess I just can’t understand the need to do that, because I don’t equate patriotism with bombing men, women, and children in the Middle East. We can be proud of who we are, without killing tons of other people in the process, and we can certainly show that we are proud of who we are without representing that pride as a bomb-dropping mural on a tow truck.

happenings, is it just me?, mixed media, the catch-all-egory

reality tv, fire drills, and little bags of poop

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With all of the “good” programing over, and the summer programming kicking off in full swing, I find that there are less and less “real” shows to choose from, and more reality tv options that keep popping up on my television. There’s the good, most notably, Kathy Griffin’s My Life On The D-List, which started season 3 last night. I LOVE Kathy Griffin, and I was elated to know that her show was coming back, because it is a side-splitter, and definitely the best that reality TV has to offer; she is a brilliant comedian, and her show always has me in stitches. But she is an unusually bright light in the otherwise dark realm of reality tv. I don’t see myself watching many of the other shows, because they don’t peak my interest. Kathy is definitely the cream of the crop.

With that being said, I probably will find myself tuning in to shows like So You Think You Can Dance? and America’s Got Talent. I will admit that I got sucked into SYTYCD last year, although, I haven’t gotten pulled in yet this year. I will probably end up watching it because there is nothing else on, which is the main reason I find myself watching reality TV in the first place. That makes me think that they should call it “America’s Got Nothing Better To Do Than Watch, Because There’s Nothing Else On”, rather than America’s Got Talent; that title seems more fitting to me.

With the little good and all the bad things that reality TV represents to me, I do want to mention a great documentary that I saw last night on Logo. It focuses on the life of a handful of gay men in an extremely small, rural town. While they considered the small town home, because they had grown up there, they pointed out how there were few options for meeting someone, as well as the obvious discrimination for being gay. While they pointed out that it was significantly diminished, they didn’t feel comfortable being as “out” as many gay people in larger cities are, and even mentioned the fear of being hurt or killed due to the fact they were gay. While I know that all of us gays are susceptible to such retaliation because of who we are, it really had me question why you would want to live in such a small community (the one in the movie had a population in the low hundreds), if you could live somewhere more open? I guess it is an “to each their own” situation, but it just isn’t one for me. They seemed genuinely happy, and they managed to find partners and friends and stuff, and that made me happy. I just don’t see myself living on a farm in Idaho any time soon. But good for them.

On a different note, there was a fire drill at work today. While me and my friend Deb got out of the building practically first, it literally took everyone forever to get outside, and group with our monitors so that all could be accounted for. I would really hate to see what would happen if it wasn’t a drill; I fear that it wouldn’t be a pretty site. Let’s hope a drill is all we have to worry about. At least it killed a good hour of my day.

Finally, on an even more different, and definitely more disgusting note, when I was driving in to work today, I noticed a man walking his dog, and carrying that signature bag of poop that many dog walkers can be seen with. I have a dog, and I don’t mind being a good dog owner and picking up after him, but I’ll be damned if I am going to walk around with a bag of poop just swinging in my hand. Gross. That is probably one of the grossest things to me, and that is probably the main reason that we just let Sydney do his thing in the back yard wherever he pleases. This boy does not do bags of poop, okay? Yuck. I don’t know why, but I just felt compelled to share that information.

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irresponsible at best, and *shock* more blogger BS

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Shame, shame, shame. This TB scare-tactic bullshit has gone too far. They released the guy’s name, picture, profession, and even identified his father-in-law, who ironically, works at the CDC in TB research. Now, I am all for questioning why in the hell homeland security fucked up (again), in not checking the passport of someone that was specifically flagged (even though, he could have just come in by boat.. no one suspects anything there!), but I think that it is wholly irresponsible of the media to unleash the shit-storm that this guy could potentially face; especially since he cooperating fully with the medical authorities.

I am over this nonsense. This is not news. This is media bullying, and it has no place on the front page of the news. Remember that war in Iraq? Did you know that last month was the deadliest month since close to the beginning of the war for our soldiers? Why isn’t that a steady topic; that we are at war? Not that one man, one of the 50 (49 cases from 1993-2006 + 1 =…) in the past 14 years to get this strain of TB, has gotten TB and travelled; especially since even CDC says that the chances of spreading it during air travel is very low? Perhaps most of all, I would love to know why it was necessary to release his name and personal information, as I know that there were people that were talking about how they felt this guy should be lynched because of “what he did”. It is typical of a society to blame people for their illnesses, but I think that in this sensitive issue (which was only made as such by the media sensationalism), providing his personal information to everyone is adding fuel to a fire.

I for one, hope that nothing happens to this guy or anyone in his family, because I would hate for them to be subject to the blatantly irresponsible and thoughtless reporting done by the media in this case. I mean, you really have to ask yourself: did we need to know who this man was, especially considering that he is in quarantine? Did we need to know who his family is? If so, why? Is it so important to have a person we can point the finger at, and blame for this situation? Because I don’t think that it was necessary, fair, and even borders on being illegal. If the issue is homeland security, focus on the border guard that let him through!

Thank GOD we don’t go around publishing lists of names, with pictures, of people that are infected with HIV and other diseases, because we might have a situation like in the past with diseases like bubonic plague and leprosy; shunning, isolating, and punishing people for simply being sick. Why do we continue to blame sick people for their illnesses? Obviously he didn’t want TB, and he was told that it wasn’t “recommended” that he fly; so what did he really do wrong? He is a lawyer, not a doctor, so it is safe to assume that he didn’t understand the potential threat he posed; so why not give him some slack, especially since he is COOPERATING!

Treat him. Test those that were exposed. And let’s fucking move on already.

Finally, a teeny tiny side note. I have read the article that is making waves through the ATL blogosphere. I will admit, that it did make me slightly angry that the “high and mighty” feel the need to continually poke fun at what I write, and my style of blogging. But here’s what I have to say in response to the constant jabs at my subject material and writing: if you don’t like my blog, I DON’T GIVE A SHIT; don’t read it if you don’t want to. It is my blog. I can do with it as I please; and I always have, and always will. I am not writing my blog to make a “best of list”; I am writing my blog for my own enjoyment. It makes me happy to be able to have a space where I can share my thoughts and feelings, and I don’t need anyone’s approval to do that. If no one reads it, fine! If people do, fine as well!

So, I have to say to those that continue to do this, if you feel the need to point down from your “high horse” (or so you believe it to be), then fine. I just hope that you understand that your “mental and intellectual superiority” and the fact that you believe that you, or others, are somehow better because that is what you have convinced yourself of, then you are not only confused, but frankly, you are eerily focused on being critical and discontent with the world (in this case, the blogosphere). Why not move on? Find a hobby that doesn’t include staying so wrapped up in what other people are saying or doing that you feel the need to belittle them constantly, and actually live your life. So what if what other people write doesn’t measure up to your “standard”; does it really matter? I guess if you want to focus on it, so be it, but ask yourself: who is the one that is really exhibiting the asinine, those that write about what you deem unworthy, or the fact that you continually feel the need to bring it up over and over again in your own writing? Do you not have anything substantive to write about, other than the belittling of others that you believe to be intellectually inferior? Just move on. You might be able to gain some of that frivolity that makes us “underlings” so gleefully happy from time to time. Or not, either way, it’s your bag, not mine. It isn’t going to change me. (And yes, I know at least one person that is going to make fun of this, but yet, I am still posting it. I didn’t write it for them, and if they want to convince themselves I did, cool! Flattering much? I say make fun all you want to, because you seem to be the only one that cares enough to do so).

is it just me?, listen up!, mixed media, public health, venting, well?, wtf?!

look out! disease!! and I don’t want to admit it but…

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First of all, I want to respond to this picture that greeted me on the cover page of cnn.com this afternoon:

Now, this thing just screams, “run for the hills! Lock yourself in a fallout shelter! Tuberculosis is a’coming, and he is gonna kill your baby!”. Now, I am all for public health and awareness, but this much press to this case of TB is a little bit blown out of proportion. I say this, because even though it is a drug resistant strain of TB, this is what the CDC has to say about TB in the US:

…with increased funding and attention to the TB problem, we have had a steady decline in the number of persons with TB since 1992. But TB is still a problem; more than 14,000 cases were reported in 2003 in the United States.(source)

Now, that means that out of the millions and millions of people that live in the US, chances of getting TB are still pretty low. In fact, even all this press is stressing that those that were closest to the person on the flight were the ones that were most likely exposed; even though that doesn’t mean they were necessarily infected.

My point is, this form of scare tactic public health tends to do more harm than good. I bet those people are freaking out, and in turn freaking their families and friends out. Not only that, they have no way of truly preventing the fact that they have actually been exposed. What they should do, rather than splashing these terrifying images and headlines all over the news, is contact those that have been infected, test them, and move on.

I say this, because even CDC doesn’t use these scare tactics; that is all from the lovely media. More from the CDC website on TB:

In the United States, 49 cases of XDR TB have been reported between 1993 and 2006. (source)

This potentially makes this guy #50. Not too many people at risk here, so why the scare? Oh yeah, because he was on a plane. But wait, this is what CDC says about air travel and this specific strain of drug-resistant TB:

Air travel itself carries a relatively low risk of infection with TB of any kind.(source)

Well damn, there is pretty low risk, even to those people that were exposed to it. Again, why the media circus? Because, fear is what the media uses to manipulate us. It makes us feel less safe, and as such, gives them something to stir up. I just hate when it uses public health to do it; especially in cases like this that really don’t deserve the amount of attention this is getting. Sigh… I guess that is just part of living in this country; scared to death of everything, just because the media makes it seem that it is a direct threat to me, and may kill me. I mean, shit, TB is bad enough, but one they can’t cure!? I’ll never fly again! Well, that’s not true, but that is the kind of feeling they are going for. Shame on you “liberal” media, for twisting this story into something more grandiose than it really is.

Also… here’s the thing that I don’t want to admit: James and I have been shopping at Walmart recently. I feel so ashamed. I feel like I have given in to that deep down red neck side of me that still lives down in there somewhere. I mean, there’s nothing more ghetto-red neck fabulous than Walmart. But they have great prices! Damn, it is so hard to forget about how they rape their employees by preventing them from having company sponsored health care, so I won’t go often. Yeah… that will work. But I saved money! The humanity of it all. Damn you Walmart and your seductive prices!! Seriously though, I feel bad about it, but I guess not bad enough to never go back. I will just have to stay away from that side of the highway. That will make it a little better, I suppose.

Hope everyone’s hump day is humptastic! Thanks again for the support on the letter from yesterday, it was much appreciated.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, listen up!, venting, well?, wtf?!

wait a second… but I thought?

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Yesterday, our amazingly astute, president said that bin Laden was trying to set up terrorist camps and attack sites in Iraq, and as such, is the main reason why the war on “terror” in Iraq is so essential. But Mr. President… didn’t you say this about bin Laden just a few years ago(?):

Deep in my heart I know the man is on the run, if he’s alive at all. Who knows if he’s hiding in some cave or not; we haven’t heard from him in a long time. And the idea of focusing on one person is — really indicates to me people don’t understand the scope of the mission.

Terror is bigger than one person. And he’s just — he’s a person who’s now been marginalized. His network, his host government has been destroyed. He’s the ultimate parasite who found weakness, exploited it, and met his match. He is — as I mentioned in my speech, I do mention the fact that this is a fellow who is willing to commit youngsters to their death and he, himself, tries to hide — if, in fact, he’s hiding at all.

So I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you. I’m more worried about making sure that our soldiers are well-supplied; that the strategy is clear; that the coalition is strong; that when we find enemy bunched up like we did in Shahikot Mountains, that the military has all the support it needs to go in and do the job, which they did. (source)

So let me get this straight: the very man that we shouldn’t be focusing on, because he is, after all, just one man (per your words), is THE reason why the war in Iraq is so essential? Humnia humina huh? That sounds like, the complete and total opposite of what you have been telling us for years! It sounds like he has been the real threat all along, yet, you have told us time and again that we shouldn’t be focused on him, because even you don’t spend that much time on him.

I think someone has a case of “I don’t know what the fuck is going on” syndrome, with an unhealthy case of “I am sure that they won’t remember that I said the exact opposite a few years ago” addiction. Point is, if bin Laden is such a threat, why aren’t we going after him? He isn’t in Iraq, is he? And if he is, why aren’t we killing the shit out of him? Perhaps if we would have been focused on him all along, we might not even need to be in Iraq today. If the intelligence was there in 2001, and we knew that he was a threat, why didn’t we go after him? Now, you are saying, in 2007, that bin Laden is the problem, based on info you found in 2005. (!!??!?!) That confuses me, because it sounds to me, like he has always been the problem, yet for almost 5 years now, you have told us he isn’t worth our resources. (Again… ?!?!??!!!??)

If you believe that this president is capable of doing anything more advanced that opening a bag of potato chips, then please stay clear of me, I am terrified of people that will blindly back a person that clearly lacks a basic level of intelligence. It is blaringly clear that this administration is grasping at steadily disappearing straws, trying to come up with reason after reason to justify the needless war on “terror”. Continually using fear tactics, and talking ad nauseam about “the killers” that want to “attack us here”, only to say that you don’t spend any time on the very one that was responsible for ACTUALLY attacking us here, is not only irresponsible, it is sadistic and sociopathic; not to mention bordering on insane.

I am sick and tired of the bullshit. Kill bin Laden. Don’t kill bin Laden. Either way, he isn’t in Iraq, and continuing a war on the people of Iraq is genocide. There is so much blood on our hands, we will never be able to wash it clean, and I for one, want us to at least stop adding fuel to the fire. That will require a president that is able to comprehend basic intelligence, which, unfortunately, we don’t have. January 2009 cannot come soon enough.

Anyone else want to move to another country? Because I am about ready to jump this sinking ship.

all about me, hmm interesting, is it just me?, the catch-all-egory, well?

who, what, when, where, why…

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So, I am kind of “out of it” today, and I wanted to open up the floor to you guys. Ask me a question. Any question. I will try my best to give you an accurate and factual answer. While there are no “restrictions”, let’s place nice, okay? Don’t make me have to get the hose, because I will.

Now, to quote the fabulous Pat Benatar, “Hit me with your best shot!”.

hmm interesting, is it just me?, politics, venting, well?

a few gripes, I guess…

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First of all, gas prices still continue to rise, and there apparently is no end in sight. In fact, they are making historically high records, consistently. This is scary, because I know that I can’t afford $4 a gallon for gas, and I just wonder what people with tighter budgets are going through. Also, I find it interesting that they don’t ever mention premium gas when they talk about how high it is… I have to use premium, and the price difference is significant. I know I am feeling it a little more than the regular users out there. This is the first time I am wishing I would have gone with the Prius instead of the Acura. If it gets bad enough, maybe they will let us telecommute or something… something has to give. And do you people still believe that the Iraq war has nothing to do with this? Yeah… moving on.

This just bothers me. Not that a rich congressman lost his PB&J, but that this is the reality for tons of people, and I can’t believe that people continue to believe that “taking advantage of the system” is the norm. I can’t believe that people are expected to get by with just $3 for food a day. $3. A. Day. That is inexcusable. And worst of all, most of these people have families to feed, as well as themselves on that $3 a day. If we don’t start focusing on our own citizens, we are doomed as a society. Things are getting so far out of perspective, that it just seems that turning our backs on those that weren’t born with a silver spoon in their mouths is becoming acceptable. I think that it is pretty clear that we love shooting ourselves in the foot, but it seems to me that we have almost shot our feet off, and we are certainly not going to be able to walk away when the shit really hits the fan. I think we need to spend more time focusing on rebuilding our own nation, rather than nation building half way across the world. I mean, it is all about a little bit of perspective, right? The worst part, is that this burgeoning war on the middle class is forcing more and more people into these impoverished situations. This is enough to stress anyone out; I guess I just worry more than some others do, and so, I worry about this a lot.

I saw a story about this on discovery HD a few nights ago, and while I find the phenomena fascinating, I can’t believe that people still live in areas like this. Take for instance Pompeii. I mean, there are thousands of people that live right next to an active volcano that could seriously go ballistic like it did back in the day, and we would have an even worse modern disaster. The government even offers people money for them to relocate, yet people remain. While I know that the lake Nyos situation was slightly different (they didn’t know it would do what it did with the CO2), I can bet that people still live right around that area, much like Pompeii and other dangerous areas. I just wonder what the motivation is to live in areas that an imminent threat that could kill you and everyone around you at a moment’s notice. Like, I know for sure, that I would never want to live in tornado alley, nor do I think I could live comfortably on the San Andreas fault. I don’t even like living in a hurricane zone. I need to live somewhere that doesn’t pose imminent threat to my life, you know? Maybe that’s just me, but I just think that it is common sense not to want to live somewhere you couldn’t escape death if something completely unstable and out of your control is just outside your back door. But, apparently, there are plenty of people that live in those places and don’t seem to lose sleep over it. Perhaps I just worry too much…

I guess that is a three-fer, for this Tuesday, eh? Give me your thoughts, folks. Hope you are well, kids.

cream of the crop, funnies, is it just me?, near and dear, tragic

Why me? Dammit, Coke, you’ve done it again!

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I can’t believe that this is happening again.

Why me?

It is becoming more and more clear, that I must have a target painted on my chest that says, “hey Coca-Cola, feel free to fire at will.”.

Alas, unfortunately, what I speak of is not the first betrayal of my trust in tasty beverages. Coke has forsaken me in the past, and now, they have come back to re-open the wound. Although, it appears that this time, they seek to leave a permanent aching scar. This begs me again to ask, why, Coke, why do you do this to me?

To begin, we should probably reminisce for a moment, to gain a little perspective into the past betrayal I have fallen victim to. Back in November of 2005, I read that Diet Coke Vanilla, the tastiest tasty beverage in the world, was being phased out, to be replaced (as if) by Diet Black Cherry Vanilla. I was so devastated and hurt, that I wrote Coke a letter. My cries went unheard, and my pleas went unanswered. When Coke continued twisting the knife in my gut, I finally conceded defeat, and gave in to their demands; I bid farewell to my faithful friend, Diet Vanilla Coke. Fortunately, the wound healed, as Diet Black Cherry Vanilla proved to be an adequate, although definitely subordinate, replacement. Diet Black Cherry Vanilla was like a bandage on my wound (a second love, if you will), and over the years, it has truly healed, and I finally felt whole again.

I honestly thought, that I was on a plateau again. I could smell the flowers, breathe the air in peace, and enjoy tasty beverages again. I was me again. My faith in Coca-Cola was restored, and it showed me, that they had never truly left me, even though they had to hurt me in the process of showing me. But, I never expected, that again, we would be heading down this dark road. I never thought that Coca-Cola would stoop that low again, especially after I have proven time and again, that yes, I am loyal. Yes. I will stay. Yes. I do love you, Coke.

But I sit here, with a tear in my eye, to tell you, that a dark day has come once again. Three little words that should have meant excitement and the potential return of an old friend have left bitter feelings of betrayal once again: Vanilla Coke Zero. At first, I thought this was a new dawn for my old friend. A new, fresh start, in a place where I could proclaim my love openly and freely again, without fear of retribution. I hoped that I could once again frolic with my long lost tasty pal, Diet Vanilla Coke, but this time, it would have a new name, and a new look; but underneath have the same heart and soul that I had fallen in love with so long ago.

When I first saw the case of Vanilla Coke Zero, I gasped. It was like seeing an old friend after years of being apart. I couldn’t speak. I just stood there, welling up with excitement; this was going to be a good day. I could feel it. It wasn’t even on sale, but that didn’t stop me. I bought a case, put it in my car, and knew I was bringing an old friend home again. When I got there, I unloaded the car, and brought my friend inside, and made it comfortable amongst the other refrigerated items. The anticipation was very high, but I knew it was going to be worth it.

Several hours later, I was finally ready to be reacquainted with my old friend, and anxiously, I reached for a can. This was the time, I thought to myself. This is it. My hand was shaking as I popped the top, and in an instant, a sweet nectar was flowing from the can.

But what I felt wasn’t relief. It wasn’t a sense of togetherness, and reunion. It was a taste I had tasted before; the bitterness of betrayal. Only, this time, there was no light at the end of the tunnel. This “replacement” was no formidable, nor acceptable, equivalent to my new friend, Diet Black Cherry Vanilla. This new stranger was no friend at all. It was all a lie.

I asked myself, where was the vanilla flavor, the flavor that had gotten me through many nights of studying in grad school? Where was the sweet deliciousness that had quenched my thirst on many a hot Atlanta summer’s eve? Where was my desire that I had been longing for all these years? And perhaps most of all, I wondered, why would Coca-Cola give me false hope that they were bringing back a first love, when it was all a lie, and to make it worse, this new “beverage” will take away the new love too? I feel so alone.

The answers I seek are tragically simple. My love is lost. Forgotten. Tossed aside, and buried. Coca-cola has truly shit on our friendship. They have shown me that loyalty does not equal trust. Loyalty will be rewarded with second-rate less-than-tasty beverages that will phase out even your new friends, the friends that helped you recover after last time. Loyalty means nothing. And that truly hurts.

I can only hope, even though it is a small amount of hope, that Coca-Cola is still working towards perfecting this recipe, and that future shipments will contain more deliciously tasty vanilla flavor; because even through the cynical callous that has become my tastebuds, I can tell that there is at least a hint of it there. They want it to be there; even the name suggests that this is so. I, of course, want it to be there too. I can only hope, that it will be in the future.

Coca-Cola, listen to me, I beg you. Please. Please do not disappoint me, after this, your second betrayal. Please, send forth an adequate replacement for my new friend, who tried its best to replace my one true love. Please, for the sake of my tasty beverage enjoyment, think of us, those that provide you with the loyalty and brand recognition you desire, and give us what we need; a tasty, calorie free, truely vanilla coke. I pray my cries will be heard. But alas, at this moment, I am bewildered, lost, and afraid. I can only hope that the future will hold good things, but only time will tell. Only you have the power to truly fix this situation, and I will just have to wait and see if you will.

Yes, only time will tell.