Mentalgongfu

I am a blog

2009-07-25T01:51:00.000-04:00

Hey look at me.

Ahkmaninanajad rhymes with Hitler

2007-09-27T00:30:00.000-04:00

So how about that wacky Iranian president?

Sure, the Bush administration completely lied about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, but that's no reason we should question the claims Iran is helping the 'Iraqi insurgents.' That whole WMD thing was just an Intelligence failure, and it was a one time thing anyhow. We've got no reason to doubt the drumbeat for war against Iran is based solely on facts and the best interest of the American and Iranian people. ;)

Now I'm not saying I like or trust Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, because I don't.That's a whole different story I don't have time or energy to go into right now. Suffice it to say, everything he says seems to play into the hands of those who want America to start more wars, take away more freedoms and vilify anyone who questions government officials and the official line. It appears to me he's either complicit or naive and ignorant, and I no longer swallow that such coincidences are a matter of mere incompetence in most cases.

But isn't it kind of funny that the US Leaders are calling him a warmonger? In light of the fact the US supported Saddam Hussein in the Iraqi war against Iran a couple decades ago (before we declared Saddam a threat to freedom and oversaw his eventual [supposed] execution). And isn't it funny he's being called a warmonger by the same people who planned and authorized two pre-emptive wars in the last 5 years? By the same people who made the phrase "extraordinary rendition" into a benign- and ordinary-sounding term for allowing the CIA to abduct people and take them to nations where torture is commonplace and well known? By the same people who assure us the Abu Ghraib scandal was just a few bad apples acting against orders? By the same people who run Guantanomo Bay?

... I could go on and on, butothers have done a better job than I.

Isn't it funny?

No. It's hypocrisy. And despite how commonplace hypocrisy is in this country, it never fails to offend me deep inside and it never ceases to amaze me how many well-meaning Americans apparently lack the faculties for discerning this, even when the smell of manure is wafting right below the nose.

Makes me wonder about the real reaons the public Edumacation system is failing . . .

Apparently, Senators Lieberman and Kyl have introduced an amendment to the "emergency" defense appropriations bill stating:

3) that it should be the policy of the United States to combat, contain, and roll back the violent activities and destabilizing influence inside Iraq of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, its foreign facilitators such as Lebanese Hezbollah, and its indigenous Iraqi proxies;

(4) to support the prudent and calibrated use of all instruments of United States national power in Iraq, including diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and military instruments, in support of the policy described in paragraph (3) with respect to the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran and its proxies.

(note: language, but not intent, may have been altered in more recent version of amendment)

One safe bet: if the US goes to war with Iran, it probably won't help the value of the dollar too much. All the lefties and libertarians who have threatened to run to Canada are running out of time if they don't want to go as economic refugees.

Across the barren plains

2007-08-09T21:59:00.000-04:00

tumbleweed, tumbleweed
why do you blow
through dying fields
and across dusty roads
are you looking for the green grass
that grows far away
for the songs of the birds
long flown away
are you looking for the deep well
clear, dark and cold
for the water that brings
the green leaf to the fold

tumbleweed, tumbleweed
grit in the air
you're tumbling, fumbling
away from us here
our land once was fair
and the soil, it was rich
now our livestock decay
and our crops all are sick
now the earth is a curse
that once was a friend
and we're tumbling, rumbling
to our dry, dusty end

Right or wrong?

2006-07-12T00:27:00.000-04:00

Some would say

"My country right or wrong"

I prefer Mark Twain's

"Loyalty to the country always,

Loyalty to the government when it deserves it"

Ol' Ma Nature . . .

2006-07-02T23:46:00.000-04:00

. . . on steroids? ? ?
(more odd cloud photos from June 20)

Storm brewing

2006-06-30T19:26:00.000-04:00

Here is shown some crazy clouds over DeWitt, Iowa from Tuesday, June 20. The Cedar Rapids Gazette featured a number of reader-submitted photos of odd clouds in a storm front over the state.

And finally! I'm able to post pictures again!!!
This is excellent news.

Been a damn long time. Blogger was giving me photo errors for many months, which is one of the reasons my postings here have been in decline. Now that the power of imagery is back in my hands (worth 1000 words and all, ya understand), I might pick up the pace a little. I'm making no promises, mind you.

Another image, in the other direction. Check out the corn, too. Growing good. This line of clouds stretched for miles as far as the eyes can see, and beyond. I drove about 30 miles of the stretch. Might put a few more cloud pics up here as time allows. This was really amazing stuff.

Ministry of Truth (Minitrue)

2006-06-20T18:29:00.000-04:00

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

Abu means "father of"

2006-06-12T19:31:00.000-04:00

From all corners, rings the refrain:

"Ding - Dong - the Witch is dead.

Long live the Witch."

Killing for Christ

2006-05-25T23:31:00.000-04:00

Doesn't that just say it all?

To the adept, it must.

"Brevity is the art of communication," a friend said.

He was right.

But no, it doesn't say enough. Not for all. Not even for me. People want to read a little more than that, want to hear something deeper than that. People want some explanation, some digression. They don't want a Zen koan or some haiku, some abstract-go-think-about-that kind-of-thing.

Or rather, they do, but then they want more.

People want Something Deep, not just superficially Deep, or Deep-seeming.
Not something that's only Deep on the surface.

Deep on the Surface.
Go think about that for a while.

Implicit contradictions.

Killing for Christ. Hurrah . . .

Just dab a little white-out on a couple Commandments
and make sure the Google cache is down.

Absurdity can be the best (and sometimes only) vehicle for truth in an age of institutional madness.

Aberration. Anomaly. Praise be.

You HAVE to MESS with PEOPLE.
This is key.

Millions think America
Can run on Cruise Control

That's why there's
so many Hit-and-Runs.

That's what happens when you
Let your cousin Larry take the wheel.

He's an okay Guy, but not Quite Right in the Head.
Not to be mean, but He might be a Little brain Dead.

You know what I mean?

If I had Kids I wouldn't worry about Pornography
It's the TV Nooze that's really Obscene

And if I ever meet Nancy Grace in a Dark Alley
I'll wish I never mentioned it on the Internet.

Killing for Christ. Hooray . . .

Some people get it,
But not enough Say,
'No more killing shall be done in His or my Name.'

Mental note: I have added a word verification to the comments section. Few comments these days, but should help protect from SPAM litter.

SurReal Illusions

2006-05-19T01:35:00.000-04:00

Too much to say, too little time.

I've been reading a lot lately.

I've been watching America descend into some of my worst fears,

because I see FEAR! and Man-ipu-1ay-shon on the front of newspaper pages

& in partisan audio & celluloid mazes.

I've felt the Earth rotating and seen the

Moon shifting phases.

HALF FULL

HALF EMPTY

"The Horror! The Horror!"
Don't forget Kurtz.
Don't know Kurtz? Learn Kurtz!
You're on the Internet.

Google: "Kurtz"

The Heart of Darkness.

Punctuation is a blessing.
Automatic MS Word grammar check a curse.
Spellcheck - not so sure.

Too much.

Reading my emails, eh?
Tracking my phone calls, then?
Building a fence on the southern border,
with airplane drones & video surveillance, now?

So no one gets in OR gets out?
without the right say-so?

Planning RFID chips in all American passports?
Amazing what can be done with biometrics and GPS. . .

What's next?
Listening to Paul Harvey's personal conversations?
Flagging Al Gore's passport on the "Terrorist Watch List"?

If only it looked that good.

Are you ready for Condi Vs. Hillary '08?
How about Jeb Bush Vs. Token Democratic Strawman?
(Just my second guess. I've no real evidence Kerry is running again).

How many years will we fight in Iraq before Congress abides
the Constitution and declares war?

If history is the judge, it's been nigh on 50 years, since Congress agreed to call any American war a "War" in declaration.

Police actions, military exercises, & peacekeeping
missions are what we get.

Watch out.

"Please beware of potential terrorists and report any potential
terrorist threat to the local authorities.
Terrorists can be both male and female, or even transgendered.
Terrorists can come in any size, color and shape:
they can seem mild mannered or outrageous;
they can be quiet or rambunctious;

Anyone could be a terrorist, and that's why "The Guvmunt" has to investigate everyone."

Murderers are often described by neighbors and acquaintances as quiet-types who don't really bother anyone.

So Patriotic, Freedom-Loving Americans should be especially wary of people who mind their own business and don't bother anyone.

Terrorists are everywhere. It could be anyone.
It could be your boss. It could be your best friend.
IT COULD BE YOU!!!

Absurdity is important.

It's time for bed.

Goodnight.

Found items

2006-04-23T17:38:00.000-04:00

I found this while cleaning up and had to re-type it.
It's a letter to the editor I sent to the Des Moines Register one month ago today.
It never made the cut.

"A recent Associated Press story printed in the Register amounts to yet another sparkling example of what is wrong with reporting these days.

'Serious and charming, Bush makes his case' by Jennifer Loven appeared in the March 23 edition.

Whether or not the President is charming is clearly an opinion and belongs on the opinion page, as does the rest of the poorly-worded story..

Worse, while our nation is embroiled in two wars which have never been declared by congress(War in Iraq, War on Terror), the author chooses to focus on Bush's 'plainspoken manner' while the President, 'alternately serious and joking, charming and disarming,' 'bantered with the residents, his shoulders bouncing up and down as they do when he's pleased with his own jokes.'

If only the reporter had informed us which way his hair was parted that day, what color his tie was and whether he showed those pearly white teeth when he smiled.

After all, it's not enough to know the President is charming.

We need to know just how charming he is, for national security reasons."

-mentalgongfu

US Officials Say (Check your sources 1.2)

2006-03-19T12:57:00.000-05:00

I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pass on this tidbit, which serves as a good reminder to always check your sources.

The opinion, written by Robert Fisk of The Independent.
I found it at Information Clearing House, address:
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article12395.htm

and now, the excerpt:

"The farcical end of the American dream
The US press is supposed to be challenging the lies of this war
By Robert Fisk

It is a bright winter morning and I am sipping my first coffee of the day in Los Angeles. My eye moves like a radar beam over the front page of the Los Angeles Times for the word that dominates the minds of all Middle East correspondents: Iraq. In post-invasion, post-Judith Miller mode, the American press is supposed to be challenging the lies of this war. So the story beneath the headline "In a Battle of Wits, Iraq's Insurgency Mastermind Stays a Step Ahead of US" deserves to be read. Or does it?

Datelined Washington - an odd city in which to learn about Iraq, you might think - its opening paragraph reads: "Despite the recent arrest of one of his would-be suicide bombers in Jordan and some top aides in Iraq, insurgency mastermind Abu Musab Zarqawi has eluded capture, US authorities say, because his network has a much better intelligence-gathering operation than they do."

Now quite apart from the fact that many Iraqis - along, I have to admit, with myself - have grave doubts about whether Zarqawi exists, and that al-Qai'da's Zarqawi, if he does exist, does not merit the title of "insurgency mastermind", the words that caught my eye were "US authorities say". And as I read through the report, I note how the Los Angeles Times sources this extraordinary tale. I thought American reporters no longer trusted the US administration, not after the mythical weapons of mass destruction and the equally mythical connections between Saddam and the international crimes against humanity of 11 September 2001. Of course, I was wrong.

Here are the sources - on pages one and 10 for the yarn spun by reporters Josh Meyer and Mark Mazzetti: "US officials said", "said one US Justice Department counter-terrorism official", "Officials ... said", "those officials said", "the officials confirmed", "American officials complained", "the US officials stressed", "US authorities believe", "said one senior US intelligence official", "US officials said", "Jordanian officials ... said" - here, at least is some light relief - "several US officials said", "the US officials said", "American officials said", "officials say", "say US officials", "US officials said", "one US counter-terrorism official said".

I do truly treasure this story. It proves my point that the Los Angeles Times - along with the big east coast dailies - should all be called US OFFICIALS SAY. "

--

thank goodness someone else is saying it.
I can only do so much.

-GONG-

Stop the War on Iran

2006-03-13T20:54:00.000-05:00

No, that is not a typographical error. No, I am not confused about where in the Middle East our soldiers are risking their lives in this ill-begotten shame of a war.

I’m talking about the war that’s about to happen.

Stop the War on Iran.

For months now I have spoken to friends and acquaintances of the building war in Iran, and these days it seems to be getting closer and closer.

The rhetorical pattern building to an Iranian confrontation is an exact match for the build-up to the wonderfully disastrous War in Iraq.

I first called it sometime in the late summer or early fall of 2005, long before the debate over enriched uranium, long before the election of the new Iranian president and his subsequent unkind references to Israel, and long before the well-fueled “cartoon crisis” over images of the prophet Mohammed.

I called it way back when I saw an hour-long Fox Nooze Special with a title that was something like "Iran: the Nuclear threat." That title may not be exact, and I'm not sure if there was a question mark or not, but it was a great propaganda piece which sent me a strong signal – Iran is the next planned military target.

The Fox special was chock full of all sorts of FUN rhetorical questions, like "Iran says its pursuit of nuclear energy is for peaceful means only, but could they secretly be pursuing nuclear weapons?”

and

“Should the U.S. consider a pre-emptive attack on Iran?”

If Americans can wind their memories back to the fall of 2002, when weapons inspections were ongoing in Iraq and Bush was promising to exercise all diplomacy possible to avoid a conflict, they might remember the start of a media campaign full of misleading assertions and frightening rhetorical questions which grew and grew until America invaded Iraq and deposed Saddam Hussein.

They might also remember the President declaring victory a few months later, aboard an aircraft carrier and looking strapping in a flashy new flight suit. An observant American might also take Bush’s statements of late 2002 and early 2003, that war was a last option, and compare those to more recent statements where Bush proclaimed his administration WOULD HAVE INVADED IRAQ EVEN IF HE KNEW THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION.

A similar media campaign has been building around Iran since the fall of 2005. Coincidentally, as the rumble of an Iranian threat is now building to a furor, we find ourselves in the month of March, the same month in which we launched the invasion of Iraq three years ago.

Iraq was only the first target listed in the Bush Machine’s “Axis of Evil.”

The chances now seem very real that the U.S. will take military action against Iran in the near future. The media drumbeat has been pounding, and the majority of the masses seem to have bought into it, with no recollection of the disgrace of the pre-Iraq War war-mongers in the administration and the media.

I felt the War Drum pounding on Iraq in the second half of 2002, and it will always be linked in my mind to the death of my friend Pang Yang (She was a light in this world. God bless her.) because they both hit me at the same time.

The same Drum is now beating heavily with an impending sense of Doom.

A cynic such as myself has no trouble imagining how the nation might be nudged into allowing such a horrible plan to proceed, with the skillful propaganda of the Bush Machine and/or perhaps, under what conspiracy realists (or coincidence theorists)* call a “false flag” operation, which would be blamed on Iran no matter who carried it out.

It wouldn’t be the first time. The “Gulf of Tonkin incident” which precipitated the Vietnam War is just one of many fabrications used to justify throwing American youths by the handful at a mysterious enemy in a far away country.

So back to my point:
STOP THE WAR ON IRAN
Before it starts.

*Note: In the interest of the betterment of language, thought, and society, I will henceforth make a Gods-honest-attempt to refer to “conspiracy theories and theorists” under the more preferable terms “conspiracy realist” and “coincidence theorist.”

Pay attention to language.
Language creates meaning.
When language is distorted, meaning is distorted.

Politicians, press secretaries, public information officers, marketing writers, public relations experts and hordes of other disingenuous individuals and groups make a living by finding ways to control perception and action through language.

89-10

2006-03-08T23:26:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Senate voted 89-10 on Thursday, March 2, to re-authorize one of the worst travesties of justice to come out of the aftermath of 9-11, the constitutionally-impaired "USA Patriot Act."

I keep "Patriot Act" in quotes, even when I speak, because anyone who reads it will quickly see "Patriot" is a creative (read: deceptive) use of language, kind of like saying “Good with children” instead of “child molester,” or calling a serial-rapist "socially awkward."

10 Senators stood up against the crowd. I can't say I particularly liked any of them before or that I do now, but I have a little bit of newfound respect for those who said NO. I hope my respect is not misplaced.

Senate NO votes on the Unpatriot Act re-authorization

Robert C. Byrd. - West Virginia
Russel Feingold - Wisconsin
Daniel Akaka - Hawaii
Jeff Bingamen - New Mexico
Tom Harkin - Iowa
Patrick Leahy - Vermont
Carl Levin - Michigan
Patty Murray - Washington
Ron Wyden - Oregon
Jim Jeffords - Vermont

Not voting was Daniel Inouye - Hawaii

In case it matters, all of the list but Jeffords (Independent) are listed as Democrats, which means every Republican voted for approval along with most Democrats.

The Eve of Destruction

2006-03-02T22:45:00.000-05:00

There's too much going on for me to even know where to begin.

We've got Shotgun Cheney, the building U.S. war on Iran, renewal of the UNpatriotic Act, Scooter Libby trial progressing, Katrina murmurs building, Dubai port deal stinking, and I've hardly covered anything.

2006 elections are brewing, impeachment pot is stewing, the propaganda is still selling, Iran is the new Iraq and Syria is the new Iran. Osama bin Laden lays in waiting until the administration needs a boost in the polls.

Everyday I read the news, and I see it spinning and being spun, as common sense slips further and further away.

A six year old got stopped at the airport for six hours, because her name was on the "no-fly" list.

The government wants to see my google searches.

Because "Everything changed after 9-11."

The Constitution is hindering criminal prosecutions.

After all, how can The Guvmunt stop The Terrorists from hijacking planes with boxcutters, unless they know what library books I'm reading.

Ted Kennedy was on the no-fly list.
(He may be a jackass, but he's not a threat)

James Moore, the author of a presumably unflattering book about Karl Rove, somehow appeared on the no-fly list, or so the story goes.

There are a thousand insults to liberty each day in America. After all, it's a new Millennium.

When I read the news, I feel like I'm watching a eulogy for what my country once stood for, at least in theory.

I recently found an interview with Hunter Thompson, in 2002 just before the September anniversary which inspired in part his novel "Kingdom of Fear," in which Thompson suggested the increasing federal power after "everything changed on 9-11" smelled a lot like a military coup . . . .

I'm rambling now, as I knew I would, because I can't form sentences or put together paragraphs to explain how far off balance I think we have gone. It's all happening so quickly, and America has such a short collective memory.

I find myself unable to

exactly.

I think I'll continue to have this trouble as long as newspapers like the Chicago Tribune find time and space to get outraged over the lies in the pseudo-memoir of James Frey, "A Million Little Pieces," while ignoring the lies which took us into war.

Bush even says now that he would have gone to war with Iraq to take out Saddam no matter what; Nevermind in 2002 and 2003 he claimed war was a last resort to take out "weapons of mass destruction" and other vague and frightening threats.

Never forget, the Congress has never declared war against anyone to give Bush "war powers," as stipulated in the Constitution.

The failure of what should be respected media organizations to point out blatant contradictions such as this, and the failure of supposedly intelligent people to see the contradictions on their own, leaves me with too much to say and too little time.

I'm tired, I'm rambling, and I might delete this post in the morning. But I wanted to attempt to explain why my posts here have been so few and far between these days.

It is all wrong and it all has to change.

WE have to change, and to do so we have to change the way we think.

--Mentalgongfu

You're a Great American

2006-02-09T01:57:00.000-05:00

Gee, I love my Country, and the Flag, and the Judicial System, and the Federal Government.

I love the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms; I love the War on Terror and the War on Drugs and the War on Poverty

(Kill those penniless bastards!).

I have a big Stars and Stripes flag decal on the window of my automobile.
It was made in China, but it says “Don’t tread on me” along the side, in vertical printing, interwoven with a snake.

Most of all I love the President. I love him with all my heart, and I want to dispel any rumors otherwise. I love his dimples and I love the armies of attorneys and lifetime politicians who jump to his defense every time he’s accused (by traitors) of violating the Constitution of the United States of America.

The President is brilliant, and cute to boot. It would be a privilege to accompany that cowboy anywhere. He’s an accomplished orator and a pleasant person. I’d even take him to the local screening of Brokeback Mountain if he wanted, for policy purposes of course, (because banning gay marriage will reduce the deficit, somehow, and lower the price of gas).

Plus, it would qualify as a tax write-off.

Love the sin and hate the sinner, that’s what they say.

Oh wait.
I think I got dyslexic there.
Must be some problem with the educayshonal systim.
(Butt eye past all my ITBS tests! With nu ottomatic grayding sistms. Teechers are pade to mush.)

I think the country should just do whatever the President says, like Brittney Spears said.
I heard on the news her husband is pissy because she hasn’t lost the weight that she gained from having the baby.

We’re really in a war, and that means the President gets special authority.

Like the Divine Right of Kings, kinda. Even though the Congress hasn’t declared war. They never declare war. But somebody’s gotta get the job done. We know the French won’t do it. They’ll just talk about inspections and diplomacy and due process and freedom of speech. The damn intellectuals.

By the way, another thing I like about the President is he helps to teach me Geography.

I learned where Kuwait is (kind of) when I was a boy scout in the early 1990s under the other Bush. Bill Clinton’s two terms taught me where Kosovo is (kind of) and where Somalia is (sort of). Clinton mostly taught other courses.

Under our current President, I know where Afghanistan is (near Iraq), and where Iraq is (next to Kuwait). I’m pretty sure where Iran is (near Iraq, and near Syria too.) And a bunch of other countries around there, where people have names that end in things like “Ben al Aziz,” with prime ground for oilfields, pipelines and/or other projects.

North Korea is way over to the East, near China and Vietnam. Japan is over there somewhere too. We dropped two Atomic Bombs there, so the history books say, and now they are our friends. And Russia is big to the North, with a bunch of other little countries and that pesky Europe.

Oh yeah, Israel is in the Middle East too. I guess my geography isn’t all that great. I really remember the places we bomb the best. There is some continent called Africa somewhere, but . . . there are communists in South America. And they have Drugs!

I support the troops.

I’ve got a magnet on my car.
It is yellow and shaped like a ribbon.
It says “Support the troops.”
I do.

Sometimes, people ask me, “If you support the troops, why don’t you go fight?”

And I say, “I do support the troops.”

And if they persist, I tell them that I work in an important business, and a lot of people depend on me, not only my wife and three children but 13 employees, and that I can best serve my country in my current post.

“My cousin served,” I say, “and my friend Paul too, and my Father and my Grandfather in their own times, and I would go, but I am too much needed here. So I do what I can to support the troops from home. (I sell life insurance.)

But most people don’t ask, and I’m glad. Most people have yellow ribbon magnets too.
They support the troops.

Some have red magnets and pink magnets and multi-colored magnets for other causes.
They support the Fire Department and Breast Cancer Awareness and Gay Pride.

I wear red, white and blue underwear.

I don’t question authority. I respect authority.
We’re all on this boat together, so we’ve got to make sure it sails smoothly.
In other words, don’t rock it.

I talk LOUDLY, and I carry a big stick.
And if The Terrorists ever cut through my back yard, I’ll smack ‘em good.

And if The Government listens to my phone calls without warrants or detains me at the airport;
If they search my home in secrecy and put me on a list of enemies;
If they make mistakes to keep us free;

I’ll know it’s done only for my own security,
Because I love my country.

I’m a Great American.

A few things to chew on

2006-01-17T01:06:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I posted here.

Happy belated New Year!

2006 A.D. promises to be a real humdinger.

Apologies for my extended absence, but that is bound to happen from time to time.

Often, by the time I learn enough about a subject (particularly current events) to feel competent writing about it, I'm usually sick of hearing about it.

Besides, sometimes I just need a break.

I've begun and discarded a few tidbits which would otherwise have been electronically transmitted and digitally displayed for the enjoyment of the iris of your eye, and assuming you've got your head right (and I've got mine), your cerebrum and your cerebellum. Hmm... Iris, Osiris. Wonder if there's a linguistic connection....

Anyhow, I don't have anything complete for my humble audience to devour, but I did want to make a few notes related to some writings I've been working on.

1) The United States is approaching its debt ceiling of $8.2 TRILLION DOLLARS and must raise the debt limit in order to continue government operations, according to treasury secretary John Snow.

More on this in coming weeks.

2 The word "terrorism" is being applied in outrageous circumstances these days and the linguistic matrix is tightening its grasp on the mind. There are some examples in current events, but I need not reach that far. A friend of mine was charged with terrorism a few years ago for lighting off bottle rockets.

I am not kidding.

Bottle rockets are quite different from dirty bombs, and it doesn't take a nuclear physicist to see we are nearing the bottom of a slippery slope when we equate the two.

This line of thought will be explored in the future, if I'm not carted away as an "enemy combatant."

3)Iraq and Iran. There comes a time when every freethinking American must ask, are (the large majority of) our representatives naive and ignorant, or crazy and cunning?

I hear Deomcratic Senators and Representatives say of Iraq: "If I knew then what I know now, I would have (insert self-serving authoritative action which ocurred only in what-if world)." [such as, "voted against it"]

My first response was: Even a lowly peon such as I could tell the then-pending Iraq War was a sham back in 2002, why the hell couldn't a few Senators?

Of course, the question is rhetorical. A few understood and voted against, and many understood and voted for, giving Bush constitutionally-questionable "war powers" without ever declaring war, as the Constitution requires.

I've still got money on Iran as the newest named enemy. But whatever happens in the next months, I doubt we'll end up sharing milk and cookies with the Ayatollah.

4)2008 Presidential Election

I know there's an election or two before then, but the subject has been all the rage ever since the 2004 election. I just want to get on the record now with my hypothesis, not prediction, that we are being set up for of Hilary v. Condi, 2008.

I couldn't vote for either. More on that in coming years.

5)Jack Abramoff.

I don't have much to say about him, but he can't be forgotten. He will be the key to either weeding some deep corruption out of Congress OR pretending to weed deep corruption out of Congress while it becomes further entrenched.

6)NSA Spying

I can't avoid this subject, as much as I would like to. I think it is a red herring (DISTRACTION). If Bush is spying on "known terrorists" as he claims, it is hard to reasonably argue against spying on a "terrorist," if you mean the dirty bomb kind and not the bottle rocket kind.

But A) I don't trust that is the case.

And B) Warrants can be easily obtained and rubber-stamped to make such spying legitimate, but that process appears to have been circumvented.

Which begs the question, why didn't the President of the United States of America get easily obtainable warrants approved to spy on "known terrorists?"

I'll let you formulate your own answers to that question.

And it's late, so that's enough for now.

Come back soon.

-Mentalgongfu
J.A.H.

What are we fighting for?

2006-01-03T21:29:00.000-05:00

“Civil liberties mean nothing if you’re killed by a terrorist”
-Cal Thomas

Read that opening quote again. I’ll note, for purposes of explanation, Thomas is a syndicated columnist and ideologue who has consistently backed up the Bush Cabal over the last few years in this deceptive maze we call an administration. Thomas is regularly printed in one of Iowa's favorite farcical news-oriented publications, The Des Moines Register, as well as many other newspapers and would-be newspapers.

“Civil liberties mean nothing if you’re killed by a terrorist”

Now read that sentence above a few more times for good measure. It was the subject of a column Thomas wrote last week. I don’t think it’s necessary to summarize the column any further – the title says it all pretty well.

Now read it just one more time for me, baby, before we continue.

Now stop – and think.

The claim makes sense on its face, after all. I’ll give Cal that much. When unexamined, the statement seems intuitively logical.

Freedom doesn’t matter when you’re dead. Why not? Because you’re dead. You have no privacy left to be violated, no liberty left to exercise.

I can see how civil liberties might become a little superfluous to someone who has left the mortal coils.

Terrorists aside, civil liberties mean nothing if you’re killed by a falling toaster. Or a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Why not? Because you’re dead.

But that can’t really be what Cal means. He’s obviously criticizing those who think the current powers-that-be have gone crazy by stripping away our liberty in the name of fighting terrorism.

Is he trying to say you’ll wish you had given up more freedoms to an Orwellian nation-state when “the terrorists getcha”?

Methinks he is!

What he’s saying is the same broken record which has been playing for more than four years now. It starts with “Everything Changed After September 11,” a track which has been more overplayed than the Macarena. It then busts into the patriotic dance song “Do It! (For Your Country)” which leads into “We Don’t Call It Torture Here.” Later on is the melodious “They Hate Us ‘Cause We’re Free” and the raucous “Democracy In The Middle East.” The record ends with “Trust Me, I’m Doing This For Your Own Good,” which sounds like a love song written by Charlie Manson.

In the American revolution, we had “Give me liberty or give me death!”
A courageous, principled vow.

Imagine if a man of Thomas’ apparent disposition were to have written the Constitution.
“Habeas corpus - Who needs it? Bill of Rights? Ha! Bill of Lefts, more like it. Out the window!”

Our Founding Fathers certainly are not as clean as they are made out to be in fifth-grade History textbooks, but they did have a sense of reality.

Some of them were drunkards, slave owners, madmen and worse. They often settled disputes by dueling with pistols at dawn, a practice which certainly wouldn’t be tolerated by politicians today (although perhaps its not such a bad idea).

But they were bright enough to coin wisdom such as “The price of Liberty is eternal vigilance” and “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.”

Freedom isn’t free
So it is said. Yet how easily the fearmongers would have us relinquish the freedom for which so many have died over the ages.

The nation repeatedly is told “the terrorists” hate our freedom.
That’s why they want to destroy us, we’re told.
And in the next breath:
In order to fight “the terrorists,” we’ve got to give up some of our freedom.

Many citizens seem happy to give up a little bit of their freedom, and then a little more, if the people in government can persuade them “the government” will somehow protect them, and thus ease their nagging fears of atomic Armageddon, biological outbreak or immigrant populations.

And that’s what really scares me. Not the fact so many politicians could be so blind or corrupt as to allow America to enter ill-advised, illegitimate wars and run up $8.2 TRILLION in debt (absolute power corrupts absolutely, after all) but that so many people could enjoy it and support it wholeheartedly.

And just when some of the administration loyalists are starting to have second thoughts about our horrible misadventures in Iraq, here comes Syria, Iran, and maybe even North Korea!

There’s a whole “Axis of Evil” left to dismantle. And if that doesn’t fly fast enough, down south we’ve got Venezuela and Bolivia, just a few of the Latin American countries who are asserting enough independence from the U.S. to piss off the wrong people.

I felt the Iraq War coming in 2002, and wrote as much in a newspaper column back then. Well my friends, the drums of war are beating again. Against whom, I’m not sure, although I’ve placed $20 on Iran. My buddy took N. Korea.

As the new year gets old and your intellect gets pounded by propaganda, just remember:

America stands as a beacon of Freedom to the world. But that Freedom is under attack, and we are at War. In order to preserve our Freedom, we must sacrifice Freedom, lest “the Terrorists” use our Liberty and Decency against us.

And once our Freedom has been duly sacrificed, what then are we fighting for?

For your information: weather modification

2005-12-28T00:01:00.000-05:00

"S. 517"

I'll repeat, for emphasis.

"S. 517"

The S. stands for Senate. This is a senate bill regarding weather modification. Here are a few details, courtesy of govtrack.us :

109th Congress
S. 517: A bill to establish a Weather Modification Operations and Research Board, and for other purposes
Introduced: Mar 3, 2005
Sponsor: Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX]
Status: Introduced (By Sen. Kay Hutchison [R-TX])

Following is the opening text of the bill, for your review. It's just the first few sections. I've copied and pasted the text, and there appears to be a little html/javascript jumping going on, but it should be legible. I've corrected all the major trouble spots.

It should not be hard to locate the full text of the bill, but you'll have to care enough yourself to do an easy google search because I'm not going to post it here in full, at least not yet (and not without commentary).

I hope you go read the whole thing, because it offers some potentially frightening insights when one examines the language and objectives. I can't refrain from posting at least one additional sample, besides the intro below; so here it is, from the section which would establish the official weather modification board ("Board Established"), in the subsection dealing with membership:

16 (E) At least 1 member shall be a representa-
17 tive of a State organization that is currently
18 supporting operational weather modification
19 projects.

It doesn't take a college degree to figure out if one member must represent an organization supporting operational weather modification projects, there must be operational weather modification projects.

I wonder what "other purposes" means?

Without further babbling, here's the opening text to the bill:

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
MARCH 3, 2005
Mrs. HUTCHISON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

DECEMBER 8, 2005
Reported under authority of the order of the Senate of November 18, 2005,
by Mr. STEVENS, with an amendment and an amendment to the title
[Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic]

A BILL
To establish the Weather Modification Operations and
Research Board, and for other purposes.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

2 This Act may be cited as the ``Weather Modification
3 Research and Technology Transfer Authorization Act of
4 2005''.
5 SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

6 It is the purpose of this Act to develop and implement
7 a comprehensive and coordinated national weather modi-
8 fication policy and a national cooperative Federal and
9 State program of weather modification research and devel-
10 opment.
11 SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

12 In this Act:
13 (1) BOARD.--The term ``Board'' means the
14 Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board.
15 (2) EXECUTIVE
DIRECTOR.--The term ``Execu-

16 tive Director'' means the Executive Director of the
17 Weather Modification Advisory and Research Board.
18 (3) RESEARCH
AND DEVELOPMENT.--The term

19 ``research and development'' means theoretical anal-
20 ysis, exploration, experimentation, and the extension
21 of investigative findings and theories of scientific or
22 technical nature into practical application for experi-
23 mental and demonstration purposes, including the
24 experimental production and testing of models, de-
25 vices, equipment, materials, and processes.

S 517 RS
3
1 (4) WEATHER
MODIFICATION.--The term

2 ``weather modification'' means changing or control-
3 ling, or attempting to change or control, by artificial
4 methods the natural development of atmospheric
5 cloud forms or precipitation forms which occur in
6 the troposphere.

Fashion Faux -Pas

2005-12-19T20:31:00.000-05:00

Blanco and Brownie: fashion deities of Hurricane Katrina

I was reading the Des Moines Register today (insert laughter) and I noticed a column by syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts about Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and the fashion concerns on the governor’s mind and that of her PR staff during and immediately after the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

It turns out Blanco and her staff were more concerned with dressing so as to appear like she was out in the streets with the common man trying to help the recovery, rather than actually going out in the streets and trying to help the recovery. Blanco, a democrat, is the second high level official to fall victim to such criticism.

Lifted from Pitts' column is the following excerpt: ''Please put [Blanco] in casual clothes, a baseball cap, etc.,'' wrote Liz Mangham, a PR consultant to the governor on Sept. 2, four days after the storm. ``She needs to visit a shelter in prime time and talk tough, but hug some folks and be sensitive.''

If you’ll recall, former FEMA director Michael Brown was heavily chastised after newspapers printed a series of emails where Brown was discussing fashion concerns and his dinner plans, while hundreds of thousands of hurricane survivors endured horrible conditions at the Superdome, Convention Center and elsewhere.

That story revealed what would have made the list of Top Ten hilarious moments in government correspondence if it were not for the gravity of the situation - when FEMA regional director Marty Bahamonde responded to an email from Brown’s secretary about Brownie needing more time for his dinner plans. Bahamonde had this little gem, which still brings a Mona Lisa smile to my face:

“OH MY GOD!!!!!!!! No won't go any further, too easy of a target. Just tell her that I just ate an MRE and crapped in the hallway of the Superdome along with 30,000 other close friends so I understand her concern about busy restaurants. Maybe tonight I will have time to move my pebbles on the parking garage floor so they don't stab me in the back while I try to sleep.”

Pitts makes some very good (albeit rather obvious) points about the superficiality evident from these demonstrations, where those in charge of disaster recovery were more focused on the appearance of progress than actual progress. (Cough, cough. Iraq. Cough)

He highlights something bright Americans know instinctively – that politicians are generally full of crap and more concerned about how they look on TV than about whether they are serving the American people.

But Pitts missed something in his analysis. Recall a month or so before Hurricane Katrina, when members of Northwestern’s women’s lacrosse team visited the white house wearing flip-flop style sandals, revealing their sexy athlete feet (GASP- Jezebels!).

Recall also that this story made FRONT PAGE news on major national and regional papers. It was the topic of the day for political pundits all over the idiot-box and callers on talk radio nationwide.

If visitors to the White House wearing sandals qualifies as a front page story which lasts through several news cycles, as the Lacrosse story did, perhaps Brownie and Blanco weren’t so unwise in focusing on fashion as the public attention turned to Louisiana in the wake of the hurricane.

Don’t expect me to defend either of those jerks, because I cannot fathom a coherent response, let alone a defense, for something like Brown’s email boast that he was “a fashion God” after he made a slick TV appearance.

But weren’t Brownie and Blanco merely mirroring the majority of America in being more concerned about clothing selection than they are about liberty and justice for all?

I’d dare to wager more Des Moines residents show up at the annual American Idol tryouts than manage to make it to a D.M. city council meeting in an entire year. Sure, Law and Order and CSI have several successful spin-offs, but they can be counted on two hands. I tried to count the number of fashion shows on TV and I ran out of appendages - so I know there’s more than 21.

Let’s condemn the mammoth superficiality which would cause public officials to worry more about blouses than bodies, but let’s condemn it all around. Let’s condemn it where it begins and flourishes, which is not in politics, but in myriad aspects of our society.

If these scandalous emails had come out of a lesser disaster than Katrina, where the suffering and the publicity of the suffering was not so great, would there be such an uproar? Is it the scale of the Katrina disaster that makes Blanco’s and Brownie’s fashion focus so distasteful, or would it be just as distasteful in a minor disaster?

It’s my impression the outrage does depend on the scale.

Try running for high school student body president while wearing high-water jeans and a ratty T-shirt.

Tell your neighbors that you volunteer at a soup kitchen on the weekends, and that’s why you haven’t had time to mow the overgrown grass on your lawn.

Men, go to work in a sun dress.

Women, go to work in sweatpants and a Dallas Cowboys jersey.

Then – and only then – start talking about the importance or lack of importance in appearances.

Brownie and Blanco obviously had their priorities out of wack. But not any more than the majority of the American electorate.

America without superficiality is like Pamela Anderson without a career. I can imagine such a world when I close my eyes, but when I open them again, Baywatch is still listed in the TV guide; C-cups in sandals with the (alleged) brains of a Jessica Simpson clone still drink for free all night at the bar; and job listings still ask for applications from a “clean-cut professional.”

-J.A.H.
Mentalgongfu

The New Sacco and Vanzetti: Alpizar and de Menezes

2005-12-17T16:29:00.000-05:00

Editor and Publisher has printed a great story on the LIE told by federal authorities and perpetuated by an unquestioning media, that passenger Rigoberto Alpizar claimed he had a bomb before he was fatally shot by undercover marshals last week in Miami.

Here’s a snippet:
Fact Checking the Feds in Airport Shooting
Two air marshals gunned down an American citizen last week in Miami, and the press swallowed the government's now-flawed explanation of a "bomb threat" hook, line, and sinker.

Here’s the link:

Fact Checking the Feds in Airport Shooting

And if for some reason it doesn't work, here's the address:
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/columns/shoptalk_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001699287

Be sure to check it out.

Kudos to columnist James Bovard and Editor and Publisher.

I’m glad to see E&P step up to the plate with this one. I myself began work almost immediately on research for an article on what I am not afraid to call the MURDER of an innocent civilian by overzealous authorities, and the subsequent efforts to cover their tracks.

There are striking similarities between the murder of Jose de Menezes by British authorities following the London subway bombings last July. If you’ll recall, authorities claimed and the news media perpetuated the claim that de Menezes was dressed in baggy clothes (possibly carrying a bomb), jumped a turnstile, and ran from police before he was executed by 8 or 9 bullets at close range.

Only it turned out none of the authorities claims about De Menezes behavior were true – in fact, de Menezes had tight-fitting clothes, swiped his subway card just like you’re supposed to, picked up a free newspaper, and walked calmly into a subway car before police officers slaughtered him.

And there are many more suspicious circumstances with the de Menezes killing, such as why police would follow a suspected terrorist they believed to have a bomb for multiple blocks and fail to intervene until after he entered a subway station, walked all the way through, and got on the subway. Supposedly, part of the story has to do with a surveillance officer leaving his post to take a piss at the wrong time. Talk about cause and effect.

But let us get back to the latest victim. Like de Menezes, it was a public execution and the official story is bunk.

I’m sure most of you heard the official version of this latest tragedy, that this airline passenger named Rigoberto Alpizar freaked out and started running down the aisle of the plane shouting something about having a bomb. He was then shot multiple times by undercover air marshals on the jetway. The jetway is the connecting piece between the plane and the airport terminal.

In my research when the story broke, I noticed one thing quite quickly: every claim of Alpizar saying the word “bomb” was made by the spokesperson of an agency, from the FAA to Homeland Security, with no supporting evidence or quotes. Often it was phrased as “passengers heard him shouting about a bomb.”

Yet, in every story I could find (I searched the internet for several hours) in which the reporter spoke to passengers actually on the plane, those passengers never heard the word “bomb” or any such threat. Many recalled hearing Alpizar’s wife yelling that her husband was sick. In the notes from my initial research, I recorded these two quotes, although I did not record the source:

She was yelling "That's my husband, that's my husband I need to get to my husband!" Mary Gardner said. "She said, 'My husband is bipolar. He didn't take his medicine.'"

Mike Beshears heard her say, "'My husband is sick. I've got to get my bags.'" Then the shots rang out, and a flight attendant stopped her and guided her to a seat, he said.

And compare and contrast these two excerpts:

Miami-Dade police spokeswoman said Thursday that multiple witnesses reported that the 44-year-old was yelling that he had a bomb as he made his way down the aisle with a backpack slung across his chest. Later, the agency's chief of investigations insisted that Alpizar was yelling about a bomb but declined to say whether he was on the plane at the time.
___

Seven passengers interviewed by the Orlando Sentinel--seated in both the front and rear of the main passenger cabin--said Alpizar was silent as he ran past them toward the exit. One thought he had taken the wrong flight. Another thought he was going to throw up.

Many stories filed the day after the shooting made reference to the fact Alpizar was “agitated” before the flight and was heard to be singing “Go down Moses.” Some stories vaguely stated he was singing hymns. Perhaps both can be explained by the fact Alpizar and his wife were returning from a mission trip in South America. So they are obviously religious, thus the singing of the hymn. I learned “Go down Moses” is the song also known as “Let my People Go.” While on the trip, Alpizar had apparently run out of his medication. He did not want to board the plane. His wife coaxed him into doing so, but he obviously remained uncomfortable.

Other intriguing information can be culled from the news reports, as I did in the days immediately following the incident.

The shooting occurred shortly after 2 p.m. as Flight 924 was about to take off for Orlando with the man and 119 other passengers and crew, American spokesman Tim Wagner said.
___

Passenger Mike Deshears, who works for the Marriott vacation club in Orlando area, said that as the couple ran, "a gentleman in a Hawaiian shirt immediately followed. ... It was a matter of seconds before there was six pops."

He refused to surrender

While running in a crazy panic

We are now so afraid, that any abnormal or unexpected behavior is cause for the authorities to shoot you.

The couple were on the last leg of their lengthy journey home to central Florida from a missionary trip to Ecuador, where he was handing out spectacles to the poor. Mrs. Buechner works for the Council on Quality and Leadership, a non-profit group focused on improving life for people with disabilities and mental illness.

From the Chicago Tribune:
"With all the advances that the U.S. has supposedly made in their war against terrorism, I can't conceive that the marshals wouldn't be able to overpower an unarmed, single man, especially knowing he had already cleared every security check," Carlos Alpizar said Thursday of his brother's death.

"I will never accept that it was necessary to kill him as if he was some dangerous criminal," he said in a phone interview from Costa Rica. "And I want to make this distinction: He did not die. He was killed."

But to federal authorities and security experts, Alpizar--mentally ill or not--was responsible for his own death.

After the murder of Alpizar, police boarded the plane and made passengers exit at gunpoint with their hands behind their backs. They apparently laid out some bags on the tarmac, brought in dogs to sniff for explosives, and blew up at least two bags. They found no bomb.

This next quote pretty well sums up the official stance. However, if one reads too much and thinks about the implications for too long, it starts to look like a real bad idea to go jogging with a backpack or talk back to an armed authority figure, uniformed or not. Especially if you’re a dark-skinned male.

Taken in context of the recently announced expansion of the Air Marshals to the rest of the public transportation sector (planes, trains and buses; automobiles next), this is a very frightening philosophy. The first time federal air marshals have used weapons to defend America from terrorism, they killed an innocent man. And this is called a success. Say Hello to Police State 2006.

John Amat, national operations vice president of the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and a deputy with the US Marshals Service in Miami, said: "The bottom line is, we’re trained to shoot to stop the threat.”

There is much more to be said on this story. I hope the American consciousness will pick it up.

Chemtrail blindness

2005-12-16T00:10:00.000-05:00

I wrote this letter to a group I'm in, and I thought it would translate here as well.
America will never get anywhere until we challenge the myths which empower criminal leaders to bleed the citizens of the Union dry.
___

Chemtrail blindness is a small part of a greater institutional indoctrination. Any serious movement to "awaken people," as it were, must recognize the self-imposed barricades by those we would try to awaken.

There are some things we are taught in an organized and deliberate fashion to NOT think about. That same training is now going on with the Cloudscapes stamp set, insertion of chemtrail images into TV, movies, the weather channel and such, and the daily laying of the lines which is habituating the population to believe a chemtrail sky is "normal," simply because they see it often.

One has to get up pretty early to see a clear sky these days.

It is a type of mind control - not the tinfoil hat electromagnetic weapon type, just a stealth rhetorical war to frame a new reality. It is the same type of indoctrination which causes people to say we live in a Democracy, when it is in fact a Republic (if it is still even that). People talk about spreading democracy in Iraq ignorant of the fact we have no democracy here. We do not have "one man, one vote." We have Electors. It is a representative government.

In my opinion, it is the same type of doublethink which allows people to equate the curtailing of civil liberties with "protecting freedom."

It is a type of Disbelief which often crosses the line into fanatical denial. It is at best naive to believe the U.S. Government has ever been so dignified it would not experiment with horrible weapons on its people. Look up info on WWII era nuclear tests or Agent Orange in Vietnam. But many people are not willing to even consider such facts, and it is that same mindset which prohibits them from seeing the skies with their own two eyes. They look but the do not see, they listen but they do not hear.

I've considered the theory chemtrails are somehow to protect us from global warming, but I just don't buy that one. First of all, I never appreciate anyone silently "protecting me" without my knowledge or consent, especially when I'm paying for it. Secondly, I'm no scientist, but it doesn't make logical sense to me. It's like tinted car windows parked in the sun on a summer afternoon. Chemtrails, like tinted windows, may block out some of the sunlight, but the greenhouse effect inside the vehicle and inside the belts of these artificial clouds will cause the temperature to rise.

It would be interesting to find some studies on the effects of barium and aluminum on the body when ingested at high levels through the air and water. I wonder if the elements accumulate in tissue, if there are known effects, etc. Of course, the health effects could be just collateral damage from a greater mission. I wonder about nanotechnology, and the nightmare scenarios which can be envisioned with armies of self-replicating, semi-intelligent, nanoscopic machines.

That's enough for now.

Mentalgongfu

Boo!

2005-12-15T00:39:00.000-05:00

Scared yet?

Life today is like a roller coaster with no brakes and an unfinished track somewhere down the line. Who needs horror movies or conspiracy theories when you've got the Iraq War? Everyday, the headlines tell us what George Bush said the day before. Rarely do they dare to put his claims in the context of what he said two years or two days before.

I'm tired.

Prostitution Nation

2005-12-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
I Timothy 6:10

Often misquoted as “money is the root of all evil,” the first simple phrase in this passage, when accurately presented, conveys immeasurable wisdom. Money itself is not the root of evil; money is simply a means of exchange.

“The love of money is the root of all evil.”

And what is more evident in our society than the consequences of the love of money? One need only look around.

A love of money runs rampant; It has become ingrained in our culture. “Bigger, better, faster, more” is the credo. Money is the totem which transcends all other devices. A rich man can be forgiven his vices, and nothing is too horrible if it makes a healthy profit.

Sex sells, and thus is sold, without shame, wherever people are buying. And it matters not if the buyer is a dirty old trucker handing a wad of cash to a truckstop whore, a 14 year old boy gaping at the cover of Maxim magazine, or your 10 year old daughter in one of those classy “Who needs brains when you’ve got these?” (boobs) t-shirts from Abercrombie and Fitch.

We have become a nation of professional prostitutes.
Though the real deal is still illegal – you still can’t sell your body for literal sex – you CAN sell your body or anything else in any other way you can imagine.

Nothing is sacred.
Legitimized prostitution is everywhere.
And it is certainly not confined to the easily scapegoated examples cited above.

A recent proposal has been floated to sell commercial advertising in our national parks. Wonderful. Goodbye to the old standby slogan from Smokey the Bear, “Only you can prevent forest fires.”
Get ready for “Only heavy timber-harvesting by Halliburton subsidiaries can prevent forest fires. Shop at Wal-Mart!”

Thankfully they haven’t yet proposed selling the Names of the national parks, as both sports and entertainment venues have done. I’m not quite ready for “U.S. Cellular Yellowstone Park” or “The Grand Canyon, brought to you by Time Warner.”

Frankly, I hope the Wells Fargo Arena goes bankrupt. For the pure sake of irony, if nothing else.

I pray Carver-Hawkeye Arena doesn’t become the Papa John’s Pizza Emporium.

But college sports and entertainment venues don’t run the game on prostitution either.
If that were the case, a whole youth market would be overlooked!

That’s why Pepsi and Coca-Cola buy scoreboards for junior and high school athletic teams. They’ll buy basketball scoreboards, football scoreboards (the suckers can range in cost from $20,000-50,000 at least). They’ll buy whatever, so long as they get to put a big company logo in the center.

Often, the Pepsi and Coke bandits work exclusive distribution deals into the contract, and even offer incentives for schools to celebrate a yearly “Coke Day” or “Pepsi Day.”

Coke Addiction

They had a Coke Day (or was it Pepsi?) when I was in high school. I hated it.

Where the hell do they get off?
Talk about indoctrination.

Did you ever hear the stories of students getting suspended for wearing a Pepsi T-shirt on Coke Day, or vice versa?

Well, whether you heard it or not, it happened.

Think about that for a minute – a school suspension, on your permanent record (if such a thing really exists), for supporting the wrong soda product. (The wrong one being whichever company failed to pay your school thousands of dollars)

But it extends even further. Prostitution has become a common cultural mindset, and an accepted one. It is not questioned. It is simply the way of the world.

An illustrative real-life example is this: I was at a school board meeting over the summer. Two state legislators were there. They were discussing a possible change in how the state handles the “local option sales tax,” a one-cent tax many schools districts have approved through a popular vote.

The proposed change would cut out the “local option” part of the tax, institute a statewide one-cent sales tax, and distribute the money on a per-student basis to all school districts in the state. This would even out the playing field for small and rural school districts, where less shopping takes place.

The local school board loved this proposal because it meant more money, and they were encouraging the legislators to approve it. They spoke valiantly of fairness, equal opportunity, and a sincere desire to see all of Iowa’s children receive a quality education.

Then the business manager chimed in: “Actually, I’ve run the latest numbers, and we’d lose money if they approved it now.”

“Oh, well nevermind then. Forget everything I just said,” the school board president backtracked.

What was that thing about the love of money, again?

And hell, I know she was just being practical, looking out for No. 1 and all that – but that simply shows how principles have been tossed aside in the name of the almighty dollar.

And we’ve got people selling space on their foreheads for permanent advertising; we’ve got people sleeping with poisonous snakes and eating horse penis to get rich on Fear Factor; we’ve got bastards stabbing each other in the back on every reality TV show there is in order to win fame and riches.

Everyone has their price, they say, and there have never been more buyers.

We’ve got the lottery, The Apprentice, and Dukes of Hazard the movie.

We were even told the best way to fight terrorism was to maintain our spending habits.

Politicians still sell themselves to the highest bidder.
Lobbyists remain professional prostitutes.

But worse, the average American seems ready to put on the red light and screw all comers in the World’s Biggest Gang Bang 7, so long as he ends up with pretty figures in the bank ledger.

I wouldn’t even be exaggerating or dramatizing if I said people were selling their souls. They are.

A buddy of mine bought one from this kid named Matt a few years ago. Matt sold his soul for a cigarette. He eventually got it back, through no fault of my own. Not to sound coarse, but Matt didn’t yet deserve his soul back. He needed to earn it, like Bart Simpson did in my favorite Simpsons episode ever.

You should have heard Matt beg for that cigarette. He bugged me for an hour beforehand and I wouldn’t give him one. He begged and bugged everyone in the building for a cig, until Brad took him up on the offer.

“I’ll do anything for a smoke. Anything! Please! I’ll even sell you my soul.”

Brad made Matt sign a contract transferring all rights to his soul to the bearer of the contract.

As I noted previously, Matt eventually got his soul back. It was several weeks later, and he was demanding it desperately, with tortured eyes. The soul was just laying around under a candle, where we had finished playing with it.

Personally, I wanted to hear him beg for his soul the way he begged for that cigarette. The way Bart repented after he sold his soul to Milhouse. I know it sounds bad.
Sometimes I’m hardcore.

Daryl (the only one there at the time) turned it over to the previously soulless creature without question.

But not all items sold are so easy to regain.

We once had “Give me liberty or give me death.” We now have “Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?”

The saddest thing is, millions of people glaze their eyes and brains watching Millionaire, then upon seeing a man in the street with a sign proclaiming “Liberty!” they are quick to presume HE’S the one who’s off-balance.

Everybody’s gotta pay the bills. But I, for one, am working diligently to repair my broken parts, recycle the unused material, and to barter for anything else I can use. I’m not about to sell what little freedom, dignity and self-respect I have left just to replace iron shackles with golden handcuffs. Not if I can help it.

-J.A.H.
Mentalgongfu

“Money can’t buy you love, but love can’t buy you shit”
--An extreme capitalist I heard somewhere

Breaking news: Jessica Simpson farts!

2005-12-01T20:28:00.000-05:00

I’m not up for writing a long treatise tonight, but if I were, this is what it would be about: if mainstream media invested the same amount of time, energy, money and investigation into the build up to the Iraq War in 2002 and early 2003 as they have given to the marriage and breakup of Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey, then there might a few thousand Americans and a few hundred thousand Iraqis still alive today.

Miami police to "shock and awe" terrorist citizens

2005-11-28T23:48:00.000-05:00

Who knows, maybe I am an alarmist, but I don't like the guts of the following story, which involves police surrounding random buildings, checking all IDs, and "reminding citizens to be vigilant."

Can you say "Papers, please?" What if you're in one of these buildings, after taking the bus, and you don't have a driver's license?

Vigilant for what? Should we all get high powered microscopes, learn biology and genetics, and look for biological weapons?
Should we be atomically afraid of anything called "Enola" or "Gay?"
Should we be on the lookout for "jihadis?"
Or should we worry about which shopping mall is going to be invaded by the local police, you know, for shock and awe.?
Don't worry, it will make sense when you read the article below. It's the short version. If you go into Google News and search "Miami police" and terrorism, you'll have a plethora to choose from.

Miami Plans Anti-Terrorism Sweeps
Written for the web by C. Johnson, Internet News Producer

MIAMI (AP) -- The idea is to keep terrorists guessing, and to keep the public on its toes.
Miami police said they will stage random, high profile drills, including surrounding a building and checking everyone's ID, to remind citizens of the need to be vigilant.
Deputy police chief Frank Fernandez called it "an in-your-face strategy" that would keep al-Qaida and other groups off guard.
The plan also called for posting uniformed and plainclothes officers on buses and trains, and for long-term surveillance operations.
Fernandez told reporters that the department wants people to notice the increased security. He said, "We want that shock, we want that awe," while not threatening a person's rights.
11/28/2005 2:04:21 PM

It depends on what the definition of BS is

2005-11-28T21:51:00.000-05:00

"Sharp dart spitting master, spitting darts faster; shut up, I'm the driver you're the passenger. I reign superior; the pressure blows the dial on your barometer. Do you understand or do you need an interpreter?"
-The Streets

Bill Clinton said his crimes (lying under oath about illicit blow jobs on the job) depended on what the definition of “is” is.

Fast forward, past Sept. 11, past the Patriot Act, past the Iraq invasion, past the election, to President George W. Bush's second term in office.

Dick Cheney’s gang says (one of?) their crimes depends on what the definition of “torture” is.

Another crime depends on whether or not leaking the name of a CIA agent to further the propaganda campaign for the planned Iraq war falls under the proper legal statute for a successful prosecution.

However, one accused crime, the accused being Cheney's former chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby, depends only on proving the accused lied to the grand jury. Recall, Libby is not charged with any leak, but of lying and obstructing justice. I have previously listed the specific charges in earlier posts.

Curiously, Clinton was accused during his two terms of many horrible things, but none ever got the publicity or call to impeachment brought by the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Tonight President Bush made a speech on border security. I listened to about five seconds of it. I'll read a transcript tomorrow, if I haven't been dulled by the incessant droning on the story which I'm sure will come when I turn on the airwaves.

I find a Bush initiative on the border laughable at this point. Gee whiz, only four plus years after September 11, 2001, a day which has been used to justify two wars and countless pieces of legislation which hinder civil liberties, Bush realized America has borders and people crossing them. He specifically noticed the southern border, which only leaves three other borders for him to find. It's kind of a Presidential "Where's Waldo?"

Switching gears slightly
I have many theories and hypotheses, but I have one theory about G-Dub to which I'm quite partial. It is that the reason he so often looks like a deer in the headlights when faced with a tough question or an awkward situation, is because he really doesn't know what is going on in the world. Bush says he doesn't read newspapers or watch TV. I'm not sure if he specifically ruled out radio or the Internet, but I would bet cold cash they're on the list. Bush only gets his information from the people around him. And look who's around him!

Maybe when Bush mentioned Iraq's numerous battle-ready battalions, while an American general reported to Congress there was in fact now only one such battalion - Bush never heard about it because his buddies never told him.

When Bush told Mike Brown formerly of FEMA he was doing "a heckuva job" during Hurricane Katrina, maybe that's because Brownie told him he was doing "a heckuva job" down there in N'awlins.

When he says Saddam and Osama were pen pals, when he says weapons of mass destruction, when he says bird flu - it's only because that's what he has been told by his circle of advisors. If anyone alleges something Bush has never heard about or is not acknowledged by his circle, it simply isn't real.

Everyone who said the Iraq war(which still hasn't been declared by Congress, by the way) would be a long and difficult war was dismissed, in favor of a rose-colored illusion. Now people I know are facing their third tours of fighting in Iraq and/or Afghanistan in what has proven to be two long and difficult wars.

It's a theory, anyhow.

And that's enough for now.

-Mentalgongfu

"Hey, don't you know that I am caught here in the middle, making ribcages into coffee tables."
-Blind Melon

Talk

2005-11-26T15:05:00.000-05:00

You're a brave man they tell me.
I'm not.
Courage has never been my quality.
Only I thought it disproportionate
so to degrade myself as others did.
No foundations trembled. My voice
no more than laughed at pompous falsity;
I did no more than write, never denounced,
I left out nothing I had thought about,
defended who deserved it, put a brand
on the untalented, the ersatz writers
(doing what had anyhow to be done).
And now they press to tell me that I'm brave.
How sharply our children will be ashamed
taking at last their vengeance for those horrors
remembering how in so strange a time
common integrity could look like courage.

___

A poem, by Russian writer Yevtushenko, as translated by Robin Milner-Gulland and Peter Levi, S.J. Penguin Books. Baltimore. 1962.

Sick of it all

2005-11-24T00:46:00.000-05:00

I’m sick of the whiny liberals. I’m sick of the fascist conservatives. I’m sick of the administrative assholes and I’m sick of the bureaucratic bamboozlers.

I’m really tired of people who complain about Wal-Mart but still shop at Wal-Mart.

I’m fatigued by ideological reactionaries, who believe only what their Idols tell them and refuse to consider anything else.

I’m incensed at hypocrites residing in places of prestige and honor, sipping champagne in palaces of power behind windows, walls and gates which separate them from the cries of the governed.

I’ve had enough of ignorant fools and ungrateful allies.

I’m bored with pointing fingers.

I fear the fear of others.

I’m disillusioned with illusionary news.

I abhor this adolescent argument masquerading as debate.

I dismay the disgrace of my nation’s ideals.

I bemoan the bequest of mine and my children’s future to further enrich the filthy rich.

I regret religious fundamentalism.

I despair dreams of destruction.

I despise demolishing beauty and uniqueness in favor of standardization and compatibility.

I’m enraged at irresponsibility.

I'm angry at arrogance.

I'm repulsed by relentless irrelevance.

I’m grappling with hopelessness.

I decline to give in.

I dislike deception.

I hate liars.

I believe things can be better.

I hope I’m right.

Maybe I’m just crying over spilt milk.

But I’m just so sick of it all.

To turn it around, since it’s Thanksgiving and all, I’ll just say that I'm thankful for many things.

Most of all, I’m thankful this is still a country where I can speak my mind freely in forums like this without being arrested or killed.

Yet.

Unfortunately, things don't seem to be going in favor of the Patriots these days. The water hasn't sunk the Titanic yet, but the lifeboats are filling and the band is warming up.

But you’re probably sick of hearing about that kind of truth. I know I am.

Nothing going on?

2005-11-22T21:30:00.000-05:00

Contrary to what some have assumed, the reason for the tumbleweeds blowing across the screen (i.e. no postings) is not because there is nothing interesting going on. It’s sad, I know, that I haven’t updated the site in more than a week. But in fact, the reason for my lag is just the opposite of what some have suggested. There has been WAY TOO MUCH going on in my life and the world these days. I’ve got a lot of balls in the air, including several writing pieces I hope I will soon finish and post in this space. But they require research.

Until then, I’ll just make a few observations:

TODAY, NOV. 22, IS THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE ASSASINATION OF JOHN F. KENNEDY.

Probably the magic bullet will continue to circle the Earth, waiting for another target and contributing to global warming.

Speaking of global warming, how come no ones talking about global worming?
You know, all these worms and snakes dressed as real human beings who are running the world, spewing their deceptive invective and working to consolidate power and wealth even further into the hands of an elite few.

International events have my head spinning. What with the debacle over congressman John Murtha and the Iraq War, more and more high-level criminal indictments (including another one by Patrick Fitzgerald), bombs exploding in Jordan, secret CIA prisons revealed, lawsuits over Sony spyware in CD’s, Bob Woodward, Bush drinking again, and whowouldathunkit, John Kerry finally growing a pair of balls and coming out of the darkness and in front of cameras and microphones – with all that and more, I’ve had a lot to think about. Too bad Kerry couldn’t strap on a pair back in November 2004. I don't know about you, but I get a dark laugh when I think about G.W. Bush telling China to learn about democracy and freedom.

There’s been a lot of synchronicity going on in my life lately, and it ties in to synchronicity I’m seeing in outside events. Something big is going to break soon, but what it is I can’t say. But when tension gets this high, something always pops.

I don’t know exactly why, but besides all the obvious suspects, keep an eye on Guatemala. There’s been some weird Guatemala connections.

Excuse these disconnected thoughts, but tis the season.

Much work to do.

Till next time:

-Mentalgongfu

p.s. Don’t forget this holiday season that Santa Claus died on the Xmas Tree for your sins. (That's how the story goes these days, isn't it?)
BUY NOTHING on the day after Thanksgiving. Fight the commercialization of Christmas because it commercializes God, and I'm told God doesn't like that one bit. And if you don't believe in God, you've still got to admit those giant blow up displays of Santa and Frosty which begin to appear outside Wal-Mart in October are annoying and deserve your contempt.

p.p.s. Dick Cheney's Xmas list: "All I want for Xmas is my two front teeth. VAMPIRE TEETH!!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Check your sources!

2005-11-11T18:58:00.000-05:00

The information is only as good as the source.

A snippet from this AP story on some Iraq news will get us started. It’s really not unique, but it struck me poignantly the other day.

Flee Iraq, Foreign diplomats warned
By ROBERT H. REID
Friday, November 4, 2005 Posted at 3:24 PM EST
Associated Press
Baghdad — The country's most feared terror group warned foreign diplomats Friday to flee Iraq after announcing it will put to death two kidnapped Moroccan Embassy employees. Insurgents killed 11 Iraqi security troops and an American soldier in separate attacks.

The warning came in a statement posted on an Islamist Web site in the name of al-Qaeda in Iraq, which also claimed responsibility for the July kidnap-slaying of two envoys from Algeria and one from Egypt as well as the abduction and beheading of many foreign hostages.

On Thursday, another Internet statement attributed to al-Qaeda said the two Moroccans had been condemned to death. There was no indication Friday that they had been killed.
___

Notice the highlighted portions of this excerpt show the reporter’s main source for the story is an unnamed Internet website. That’s it. How often have you been reminded not to believe everything you read? Are you convinced everything posted on the Internet is true? Yet this reporter doesn’t even bother to name the website which is his only source for the story.

When did it become acceptable for “journalists” to quote unidentified websites as the single source for stories about major developments in a war or other international affairs, or any news, for that matter? In theory, news is supposed to be substantiated. I know a large chunk of the mainstream media is prone to outside influence and doesn’t really follow this rule, but DAMN! I wonder how much of the major war reporting comes from unidentified Islamist websites?

And if we can turn messages from unidentified websites into “hard news”, why do we have to stick to Islamist websites? We can repeat claims from Louis Farakhan and Larry Flynt. It’s about time something like that hit the front page of the New York Times. Better yet, we can repeat claims from all sorts of characters without doing any investigation or fact checking. Plenty of websites make controversial claims backed up by mountains of evidence; but we can just pick the neat crazy-sounding ones about things like how flu shots are actually designed to make people spend money at Christmas.

At least the authors of conspiracy websites identify themselves as such, like Homer Simpson eventually did with Mr. X. In the AP story we began with, we’re taking the word of reporter Robert Reid who is getting his info from a website he doesn’t name, reporting scary messages on the Internet “in the name of” and “attributed to” Al-Qaeda.

If I were to put up an internet posting from “PETA in Iraq” and ordered all dog and cat owners to leave the country or face death, would it be reported in the Washington Post and the New York Times? Would they be kind enough to leave out the website name or any other identifying information, so people would just have to assume that I’m credible? I hope not, but it might happen. Of course, any responsible reporter would name the website and attempt to give some context and evaluation of the credibility of the message-poster and the PETA in Iraq organization, instead of simply invoking the name of the Boogeyman and running with it.

As a writer, I put my name on every word I issue, both in my news reporting and in my personal opinions in this space. I put myself at risk on several levels by doing so on. I face the risk that someone who doesn’t like what I write (and has a fascination with cannibalism) could hunt me down with the idea of eating my entrails in mind. On a different level, by speaking my mind on the record, I open myself up to evaluation and criticism from every angle.

Now that I really think about it, almost every major story on terrorism alleged to be the work of Al-Quaida that I can recall included citations from anonymous internet sites purportedly run by terrorist groups. And maybe they are. But how would you ever know? I can’t read Arabic. Can you read Arabic? Even if you could, would you be able to find the unnamed websites cited in the increasingly negligent mainstream media?

The popularity of sourcing anonymous websites rivals anonymous sourcing of government officials in terms of its complete lack of reliability, responsibility and accountability. Besides that, it makes a complete affront to rational discourse and accurate information. It’s hard to hold a debate based upon invisible sources, particularly when they contradict each other.

It’s impossible to accurately evaluate a statement without knowing who made it and in what context.
Yet many mainstream media reps commonly allow government officials to selectively make statements to which they will never have to own up. Nearly every major story out of Washington D.C. these days relies on anonymous sources. Government officials won’t even cough on record around a reporter. What does that say?

If it only happened every once in a while on stories that are extremely sensitive, it wouldn’t bother me so much. But it appears to have become an indispensable practice. Reporters for the major national papers can’t manage to write a compelling story without citing unnamed sources.

If the unnamed officials feel so strongly, why won’t they put their asses on the line for their beliefs? Is this not “the land of the free and the home of the brave?” You tell me.

Maybe I should just quit complaining and start playing the game. You know, one of those “If you can’t beat 'em, join ‘em” type of things.

The headlines might look something like this. I have to keep my sources secret, you know, so just trust me.

BUSH, CLINTON FAMILIES INVOLVED IN MASSIVE INTERNATIONAL CRIME SYNDICATE
Sealed indictments sight in-progress plans of Masonic New World Order.

BEATLEMANIA: PAUL IS DEAD?
Recent investigation suggests urban legend is fact: the real Paul McCartney died more than 30 years ago.

FORMER HOMELAND SECURITY CHIEF, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HEAD AND OTHER HIGH LEVEL GOVT OFFICIALS APPOINTED TO HUMAN TRACKING IMPLANT COMPANY
Ridge, Thompson, just a few of the appointees to Applied Digital, Verichip, Digital Angel and other subsidiaries whose stated goal is to “implant the world.”

CONGRESS CONTINUES TO VIOLATE CONSTITUTION
No declaration of war in 50 years despite numerous WARS in violation of Article 1, Section 8 (clause 11) of the Constitution of the United States of America.

WEBSTERS DICTIONARY CONSIDERS DEFINING ACTIVIST JUDGES
Judges only considered “activist” when legal rulings anger partisan opponents. The idea is that activism is only activism when you disagree. If you agree, it’s just politics.

MULTIPLE CHOICE TESTS SCORE LOW IN EDUCATION VALUE
Studies prove good-guessers get away with ignorance. Essay and short answer tests actually require students to learn, but cannot be scored by computers or illegal immigrants.

OPTIMIST DROWNS IN HALF-FULL TUB
Pessimist survives by breathing through nose

FUNDAMENTALISTS WANT COMMANDMENTS DISPLAYED, NOT OBEYED
Religious fundamentalists want people to know “Thou Shalt Not Kill,” but support “killing for democracy” in Iraq War. Pat Robertson continues to covet his neighbor’s wife and goods in addition to advocating assassination.

TWO WRONGS DO MAKE A RIGHT
Republican diehards say Bush is not to blame for claiming Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and starting a war, because Clinton, Kerry et al. claimed the same thing before him. And my brother told me it was okay to steal from the supermarket, so it’s not my fault I got caught snaking a bottle of Absolut vodka.

-J.A.H.

Limbaugh Logic

2005-11-10T23:03:00.000-05:00

Radical radio talk show hosts love to spew hate and disinformation. Even some of the Air America hosts do it, although they don’t do it anywhere near as well as Rush Limbaugh and Shawn Hannity. I was listening to one of the usual jokers recently and I realized what they were really trying to say, but they kept pussyfooting around the issue. So I decided to translate. I’ll keep it short and simple, even though I know the pompous talk show types love to ramble incoherently.

Limbaugh logic:

Liberals are aiding and abetting The Enemy by speaking out against the war and the President.

Aiding and abetting the enemy is treasonous, and it essentially means liberals, even those who are perfectly good tax-paying and law-abiding American citizens, are also The Enemy.

Since the Geneva Convention against torture applies only to uniformed soldiers on the battlefield, and liberals are not wearing uniforms and are not on a battlefield, they are not subject to the protection of the Geneva Convention or the Constiution.

In fact, they should all be rounded up and tortured until they tell us why they hate America.

God save the Queen.

A thought

2005-11-10T21:36:00.000-05:00

All the great wars of the last half century have been framed as wars between the east and west, and increasingly so with the American wars in the Middle East. But something tells me the next big war will be more about the north and south. The globe divides nicely along the equator.

Beat this horse until it is dead and rotting

2005-11-10T00:07:00.000-05:00

I love the taste of Barium in the morning. Good thing, too, since I’ve been getting a lot of it lately. For the uninitiated, Barium and Aluminum are the two main heavy metals which are suspected to be a major component of Chemtrails.

Chemtrails are a covert activity taking place in our skies whose purposes are unclear, although there are several legitimate theories as to the possible purpose(s). Planes are spraying a concoction on the American people (and in fact, all over the world) and all anyone needs to do to be sure is take their blinders off and look up. Many citizens have reported strange illnesses coinciding with the spraying of chemtrails, and some communities have even awoken to strange gunk and ooze over their cities after a night of spraying activity.

If you refuse to be convinced that a chemtrail differs from a contrail and consider the believers loonies, that’s your own bag.
But please check out the below photos. Retain your disbelief, but at least consider the enormous negative health effects from the immense air pollution in the following images.

A contrail:

A contrail is short for condensation trail. Water vapor released from the jet engine cools in the atmosphere and forms icy particles which leave a short trail. Typically the trail dissipates within a very short period – seconds to minutes. At certain altitudes and temperatures contrails can persist for longer periods of time, however the circumstances for this are not often met in the Iowa skies, where these images were taken. Furthermore, when one witnesses jets leaving normal contrails flying at the same altitude as jets leaving chemtrails at the same time, the difference becomes obvious.

A chemtrail:

A chemtrail is short for a chemical trail, because chemicals are being sprayed on us. A more scientifically accurate term for chemtrail may be an aerosol trail, but chemtrail is a better term for convenience purposes if nothing else.

Unlike contrails, chemtrails often persist for hours on end rather than dissipating. Small trails slowly expand and fill the sky. They tend to form a grid like pattern, with parallel and perpendicular lines visible. X’s are quite common. Chemtrail spraying usually begins in the early morning and lasts through the sunlight hours, although it has been documented to occur at night as well. Over time, the trails left by the jets spread across the sky. A typical spray day turns an otherwise clear blue sky into a gray haze. The aerosol spread from the chemtrails often forms artificial cirrus-type clouds. Odd striations and holes are commonplace in these formations.

A chemtrail sky:

Chemtrails in action:

Further information on chemtrails can be found all over the Internet. I recommend http://www.carnicom.com as a good starting point, as well as http://www.weatherwars.info.

All photos by Mentalgongfu.

Riots continue in France

2005-11-08T00:51:00.000-05:00

The voices on the radio are telling me it is day 13 of France in flames....

All the latest reports say France is engulfed in riots across the country. What started in Parisien suburbs has spread to the heart of Paris and to cities beyond. As someone who has traveled across France and even lived in Paris for a short while, I have been quite disturbed by the stories coming out of the land of liberty, equality and brotherhood.

Even after reading the French newspapers, it is not quite clear to me how and why these uprisings are growing at the rate they are. That's probably because the officials and reporters don't know themselves and have admitted such. Although authorities do seem to believe there is some organization behind the nightly fire-bombings. Even now, some news organizations are reporting similar uprisings in neighboring countries, although the reports I have seen so far are spotty.

It is no secret there are racial tensions in France, just as there are in the U.S. It was quite visible during my stay there, where I witnessed the 2002 French presidential elections. At that time there were mass protests, "des manifestations," across the country over extremist right-wing presidential candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen. Le Pen advocated kicking all immigrants out of the country,and had issued many statements teeming with prejudice adn hatred. But the vibe I got on the other side of the ocean never compared to the racial tensions I felt in America. Maybe I just didn't notice because I never visited Clichy-Sous-Bois.

I find it difficult to fathom cars burning at la Place de la Republique, an area where I frequently found myself, let alone all over the country. I hope everyone at my favorite bar the Shebeen is doing alright.

Bonne chance aux mes amis en France.

And when you hear right wing idiots on talk shows who know absolutely nothing about France, its people and its history (and are PROUD of it) trying to explain these riots in way that (gasp!)conveniently lines up with their own ideology and agenda, please don't believe them. First try and get some grasp of what France is like before you attempt to understand current events. (In fact, do that with your own country too.) You can't expect a reasoned opinion from those who have so often resorted to the juvenile tactics of calling the French smelly and artsy. The French-haters are chomping at the bit to play this story up as much as possible to the benefit of the Neocon agenda.

The story behind the story has yet to come out. For you unfortunate souls who are not multi-lingual, I'll be checking the French and other foreign press to see if I can shed a more focused light on these events. As with all things, time will tell. Or it won't.

UPDATE: The following website has a good summary of current events in France:

http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1762918

-J.A.H.

It started civil war before

2005-11-07T23:40:00.000-05:00

Serious actvists in Vermont are floating a proposal for the state to secede from the Union.

"If we had a right to join the Union, we certainly have a right to disband from it," says Thomas Naylor of the group Second Vermont Republic, as reported by the Christian Science Monitor.

Watch for this story to grow exponentially. A serious proposal for a state to secede from the U.S. is major news indeed, even if it has little chance.

A Series of Things

2005-11-07T21:27:00.000-05:00

Editor’s note: I have been experiencing difficulties with displaying images. I will get it fixed as soon as I figure out how. Until then, you’ll have to get over your mass media over-stimulation and learn to live with intelligent discourse alone instead of eye-drawing pictures and simplifying graphics. I know its hard, but do it for the children.

Anyhow,
To steal a phrase from George Carlin, this is just a series of things that are pissing me off:

Automatic garbage collection. The city where I live says it will save money. I enter my dissent.

It’s really not that complex. The city’s logic, as I understand it, is this: The city will buy a bunch of shiny new automated garbage trucks and fire half of the staff of the garbage collection department. The city will buy special garbage containers that can be picked up by the automated garbage trucks and residents will be forced to buy or lease them.

Now, I haven’t seen the financial tricks being used on this project, but I’m skeptical that spending millions of dollars on new equipment and adding more requirements and another “service fee” to residents will be in reality a money-saving move for the city or its residents. and if it is, that those funds won’t simply be added to the department of another budget.

It may be, that over a certain number of years, the garbage collectors no longer on the payroll will reach a point where the city has saved a little money in the long run. By then, we’ll probably need some replacement equipment beause the shiny new garbage trucks will be rusty, and the special collection containers will be corroded.

The city fathers are always giving away our money in the name of “job creation” and “economic development.” Well how about some economic maintenance, and let the garbage collectors keep their jobs. It seems to me they take care of business quite satisfactorily. I put it out my garbage in the morning, and when I get home it’s gone, and the can is set upside down. Without fail. They appear efficent. The automated machines have just a driver, who has to pull up to the right spot, use the arm, grab the can, dump it, set it down, drive forward 10 feet, line up the truck, use the arm, grab the can. . .
I like a guy who can walk a few feet and pick up cans of multiple sizes and shapes. Let the garbage collectors work. That’s fewer jobs the city will have to pay the casino to “create” in order to keep people living in the area to maintain the tax base.

While I’m in the mood, what the hell is the point of lawn and leaf bags and the overpriced stickers required to get rid of yard waste? They’re fricking leaves. They fall from the trees every year. It’s nature, dummy. You want me to pay for the growth of the trees and grass? Should I pay for the songs of the birds and the breeze in the air too? In that philisophical neighborhood, I guess the city’s new rain tax (it’s true) doesn’t seem so utterly illogical.

And all you people who love to hate and scapegoat smokers – if you’re so worried about your precious air and lungs, look at the noxious fumes coming out in giant plumes from the factories all around you. Don’t blame me for your asthma when ADM and MidAmerican Energy are filling the skies with a toxic haze and turning our waters into a chemical wasteland. The mercury in those clouds should be a much bigger concern than second-hand tobacco smoke. We’re talking about first-hand chemical emissions. Seriously. Look at the size of a cigarette. Even all the chemical-laden smoke of a roomful of people puffing on Marlboro Reds can’t compare to the the towering Smokestacks of Industry. And that is merely on comparision of scale. If we were to discuss the various toxins and poisons contained in tobacco compared to many factory emissions, and their acceptable levels in the human body, we would find industrial sites represent a much larger threat to human health and comfort than cigarette smoke. Yet ignorant people demand strict regulation of smoking while promoting free reign of industry and dismissing environmentalist concerns. Go to your state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) website and look at the tested levels of chemicals in the groundwater you’re drinking or bathing in.

Innocent until proven guilty? Following the recent indictment, both the President and special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald emphasized that vice presidential aide Scooter Libby is to be innocent until found guilty in a court of law, having been afforded all rights of due process. I noted and have seen others discuss the irony that to this day American citizens arrested in this country who have for some reason been classified as “enemy combattants” have been denied all right to charge, trial, representation or contact with the outside world at all. Are not average citizens innocent until proven guilty? With this renewed emphasis on the founding ideal of justice and due process, will the policy now be applied to those outside the echelons of power? I’d love to see it, but Methinks not.

Some people just don’t get it, that if one citizen can be called a “terrorist” or an “enemy combatant” and never heard from again, that means anyone can. It’s in situations like that where you put your money where your mouth is – so far we’re shown our love of liberty and justice is more rhetoric than reality.

Intelligent Design and Evolution. Actually, this one doesn’t piss me off. I find the whole debate hilarious. There are boisterous fanatics on both sides. My favorite part is that ID, as I understand it, could be interpreted by one so inclined to promote the alien intervention theory. For those unfamiliar, that theory revolves around the idea that an alien civilization influenced or even genetically engineered Humans. These “gods,” according to Sumerian mythology, created humans to be worker bees to help them mine minerals and metals from the Earth. Ninti is the god who “mixed the clay” to create man.

A universe Intelligently-designed: BY MARTIANS!!! I’d love to see that theory in a 6th grade science book, and the reaction from the parents. In a place like rural Oklahoma. I can’t help but chuckle that an attempt to give creationism scientific merit might result in such a thing. Creationism is a fine idea to believe as far as I’m concerned, but just don’t try and prove it with carbon-dating.

I’ll always wonder what the Martians were thinking when they designed parasites, especially intestinal parasites. Maybe they just knew that everyone needs a friend. In any case, I’ll take solace today in the fact that a quote in an advertisement for a popular radio program hosted by the son of a dead President showed that there still is such a thing as truth in politics:

“I’m the proudest homophobe on the planet.”
-Michael Reagan

That reminds me of a joke I heard on Garrison Keilor, Whaddaya Know, or some similar public radio broadcast:

“Recent polls show that 50 percent of Americans do not believe they have evolved

. . . and the other 50 percent agree.”

Seriously. That’s funny, no matter what you believe. Even my Martian buddy chuckled.

-J.A.H.

Disclaimer for the religiously sensitive, policitically correct, easily offended, perpetual whiners, constant complainers, sarcasm-impared, and other such troublemakers:

None of this discussion is meant to attack any of your ridiculous personal beliefs. I withold judgment on the merits of the various ideas on the origins of ourselves and our universe. I remain objective and will happily concede that Creationism, Intelligent Design, Evolution and other such theories are probably just as plausible as the Alien Intervention theory.

Average Joe talks to the Congress

2005-11-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

Joe:

I’m 35 years old and I have a wife, two kids, and a massive debt load. With the mortgage, car payment, utilities, and health and dental care for the kids, we’ve been having some trouble paying the bills. Susie worked at an airline, and after 9-11 she lost her job because of the economy. Now she’s got two part time jobs and we’ve put the kids back in public school. We got a debt counselor and that helped a little. We were going to file for bankruptcy, but then they had those rule changes. Plus, the attorney said it would cost about $800 to file. My Dad was going to help me out. He’s in Detroit, retired from GM. But then he lost his pension when the company declared bankruptcy, so he’s struggling too. We’re doing the best we can to make ends meet but it’s tough here in the Midwest. My brother might come stay with us for a while and help out. He lost his house in the Hurricane, and the insurance won’t cover it. He was in accounting, but right now he’s just looking for work. They just built a new Wal Mart in town and he’s applied to be a cashier for $7.35 an hour. Anyway, that’s kind of our situation. Is there anything you can do to help?

Congress:

First of all Joe, I’d like to say that I empathize with your situation. We at the Congress are concerned about the welfare of all Americans and we here in Washington are working exclusively on your behalf to solve the major problems facing this nation. We have recently taken a stand to save the life of Terri Shiavo, to ban gay marriage, outlaw abortion, expand the death penalty and allow warrantless searches and indefinite detentions of American citizens without judicial oversight. I want you to know we’re doing all we can to solve these pressing problems to benefit people like you Joe.

As to your financial difficulties, the Congress has been facing a similar problem. We have overextended our debt and continue to borrow vast amounts of money, but we found a way to get through it all. Basically, we gave out a few tax breaks, started a few new wars in the Middle East, borrowed a bunch of money from China, gave ourselves raises and created “free-speech zones” so citizens can express themselves freely away from cameras, crowds and elected officials. It’s all part of the Ownership Society package. Perhaps you could do something along those lines.

Best wishes,
Your Senators and Representatives

Snippets from Fitzgerald

2005-10-29T02:00:00.000-05:00

Following are some of the comments made by special prosecuter Patrick Fitzgerald at a press conference Friday afternoon, Oct. 28, 2005, regarding the indictment of vice presidential aide Scooter Libby.

It is an interesting but very incomplete sample of the statements at Friday's press conference. Audio and video should be available across the Internet. I do know a low resolution video of the first 17 minutes of the press conference is available at Crooksandliars.com. Almost every major news outlet aired the proceedings, so they shouldn't be hard to find.

The indictment itself can be read at a U.S. Dept. of Justice website. There is a link in the previous post.

From Fitzgerald:

“It was known a CIA officer’s identity was blown. It was known that there was a leak.

We needed to figure out how that happened, who did it, why, whether a crime was committed, whether we could prove it, whether we should prove it. And given that national security was included, it was important we find out accurate facts.

…

At least four people within the government told Mr. Libby about Valerie Wilson, often referred to as Wilson’s wife, working at the CIA and believed to be repsonsible for organizing a trip Mr. Wilson took overseas.

…

I think what we see here today, when a vice president’s chief of staff is charged with perjury and obstruction of justice, that does show the world this is a country that takes its law seriously. That all citizens are bound by the law.

…

Reporter question:
This began as a leak investigation but no one is charged with any leaking. Is your investigation finished? Is this another leak investigation that doesn’t lead to a charge of leaking?

Fitzgerald answer:
Let me answer the two questions you asked in one. Okay, is the investigation finished? It’s not over, but I’ll tell you this. Very rarely do you bring a charge in a case that’s gonna be tried and would you ever end a grand jury investigation. I can tell you the substantial bulk of the work in this investigation is concluded. This grand jury’s term has expired by statute. It could not be extended. But it’s an ordinary course to keep a grand jury open to consider other matters, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

Who will get coal and who will get presents on Fitzmas Eve?

2005-10-27T19:26:00.000-05:00

UPDATE OCT. 28 2005:
Today Patrick Fitzgerald gave out a little something for everyone. A 5-count indictment against Scooter Libby (who resigned) on the one hand, but some guarded language and secrecy regarding the rest of the investigation on the other.

The grand jury has expired, but Fitzgerald left open the possibility of another grand jury continuing the investigation into the Valerie Plame leak and peripheral matters. During a press conference, Fitzgerald adamantly refused to discuss individuals involved in the investigation who have not been publicly charged with a crime. He cautioned that Libby has not yet been convicted of any wrongdoing, but outlined a strong case for the charges of obstruction of justice, perjury and false statements.

He gave out just enough to leave everybody speculating for a long time to come.

A press release and the indictment itself are available on Fitzgerald’s Department of Justice website at:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/

Adobe Acrobat Reader is required.
___

Friday, October 28, 2005 ends one of the longest weeks in the history of American politics.

As the grand jury investigating the leak of a CIA agent’s name closes its proceedings, several things could happen:

Special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald could announce indictments against high level players in the Bush administration.

Fitzgerald could announce the investigation revealed no criminal offenses.

The investigation could wrap up, with no announcements and no comments at all.

The grand jury may expire, but another grand jury could be appointed to continue the investigation.

It could also be that indictments (true bills) were issued long ago and simply have not yet been unsealed.

The grand jury could be extended, as some news services are now reporting.

One thing is sure: the TV vampires will no longer be able to report such “Breaking News” as the grand jury taking a lunch break. Instead, they’ll have to focus on lunch breaks revolving around the Tom Delay indictments and show more pictures of pretty white girls from well-to-do families who have gone missing.

If indictments are released, liberals will have orgasms while conservative pundits will continue their assault on Fitzgerald which began in earnest this week. Shawn Hannity will continue to spew hatred about the Bill Clinton administration and pretend that somehow calling Clinton a criminal (which he very well may be) makes everything Bush does okay.

If there are no immediate indictments, liberals will cry in their dinners, commit suicide, or allege there has been yet another in a long series of political cover-ups.

What will it be? Climax or anti-climax, the world awaits.

Yes Virgina, there is an oil cartel

2005-10-25T22:03:00.000-05:00

“It was a good idea for the next 100 years - but not for the next fiscal quarter.”
-Daryl Aretz

Daddy, I have a question.

Yes sweetie?

How come all our cars run on gasoline or diesel fuel and why is it sooooo expensive?

And how come there aren’t any sidewalks or bike lanes where we live? And why does the public transportation suck so much? How come we don’t have any train travel, like Europe has? I don’t understand why they build suburbs out where there are no stores so everyone has to drive everywhere. Why do oil companies get subsidies? How come vehicle mileage standards haven’t changed in decades? How come-

Actuallly, baby, that’s a lot of questions. But I’ll try to answer as best I can.

You see Virginia, like many suppressed thoughts and innovations, “It was a good idea for the next 100 years - but not for the next fiscal quarter.”

The people and companies inolved in the oil industry are what we used to call “robber barons.” Robber barons are the opposite of Robin Hood. They steal from everyone, the poor, the middle class, the rich, Iraq, whoever, just to enrich themselves.

An interesting fact is that the diesel engine, named for inventor Rudolph Diesel, was orignally designed to run on vegetable oil. It had to be modified to run on petroleum. That explains why soy biodiesel works so well.

According to a book called Earth Oddessy, in 1932 major companies in the automobile and oil industries formed an unholy alliance to dominate American transportation. General Motors secretly joined with Standard Oil of California, Firestone Tire and Rubber, Phillips Petroleum and Mack (Truck) Manufacturig to form National City Lines.

National City Lines purchased railroads across the country and shut them down. The companies then used the taxpayers (you and me) through the Congress, to pay to build local and national highways and byways. In 1949 the conspirators were convicted in Federal court of antitrust violations and fined $5,000.

Oil and its many byproducts are a valuable commodity. A lot of people have an interest in exploiting it as much and as long as they can. Many governments and many companies have trillions of dollars to gain or lose in the oil market and its offshoots, as well as all the powers that go along with such wealth.

I could keep going because that’s just a small part of the story, but basically, Virginia, it’s all a big swindle. There are plenty of alternatives to oil as a fuel source; but there are plenty of people who stand to lose big if we start driving around in cars fueled by vegetable oil McDonald’s throws out every night. I even heard of farmers who were threatened to take down their windmills because they were putting too much power back into the grid.

What’s the grid?

The electrical grid sweetie, but nevermind that, you’ll get me started again. Just remember, in life sometimes you have to sacrifice for the short term because you’ll benefit in the long term, like when me and mommy gave up smoking crack so social services wouldn’t take you away. The oil people either don’t understand or don’t care about that kind of thing.

I care, daddy.

I know you do sweetie. Just remember:
Oil people say “We could have made things better, but that would have cut into our profits.”

Don’t be an oil person.

Ode to Scooter and Karl

2005-10-24T22:31:00.000-05:00

*Please note update on Fitzgerald/Plame story in previous post. And check out the images. Please be sure to ignore the speculations, exaggerations and bold-faced lies in talk radio this week, both from Air America hosts and the conservative talk radio base. And for the love of God, stop watching the TV News, unless it’s the Daily Show (which airs 10 p.m. Central Time on Comedy Central, weekday nights).

Prelude:
There were (I believe) 9 Presidential candidates on the ballot in Iowa in 2004, including candidates from the socialist, libertarian, and green parties. There was some right wing extremist party and some independents too. How many did you hear about? Maybe three, if you paid attention to Nader. He got some coverage, though he didn’t get in on the debates, and neither did any of the other candidates.

I do not align myself with democrats or republicans anymore, because both of the major parties are deeply corrupted. I do not absolve previous administrations from their crimes, but I am primarily concerned with the crimes of the current administration, where there may be a greater chance to rectify some wrongs. A more active and proactive citizenry is required to combat government wrongdoing. After all, when it comes down to it, “the government” is really made up of people, individuals who are supposed to represent us.

With that caveat, here’s a little poem/song I’ve been working on. It was inspired by a song at the end of a recent Simpsons episode, which seemed to be inspired by the REM song “It’s the end of the world as we know it.” It follows a similar tune.

So without further ado, here is the rough draft of my
“Ode to Scooter and Karl”

Scooter Libby, Karl Rove
Jeff Gannon wearing Johnny’s clothes
White House lies again exposed
Going down the rabbit hole

There are facts which must be faced
The entire nation’s been disgraced
We’ve let our leaders run amok
Now all three branches are corrupt

With major media machines
In complicity behind the scenes
Truth ain’t always what it seems
In TV print or magazines

Kerry was a straw man
A pin set up to be knocked down
He kept his seat in Congress
And gave up the fight without a sound

Clinton was a liar
Plain for all to see
But they investigated blowjobs
Not secret Chinese techno-leaks

Now he holds hands with Daddy Bush
Former head of CIA
Raising funds for the tsunami
And the rampant hurricanes

George Jr.’s sending soldiers
To fight and die for lies
He’s agreed to testify
But never under oath to God almighty

The liars are abundant
And the articles redundant
The buck gets passed around
Guilty parties never found

Yet the people keep selecting
And the electors electing
Criminals who use subliminals
To keep the people from reflecting

The names and faces change
But the theme remains the same
When wealth and power can be gained
Greedy folks come out to play the game

-end-

As a special note to Iowans, watch the Des Moines Register (www.dmregister.com) for my letter to the editor. They called me today to confirm I sent it, so presumably it will be published in the near future. It was short and sweet. I’ll let you know if it gets edited. My last published letter (Quad City Times) was edited to remove my criticism of the newspaper but not my criticism of the city council. Dirty bastards!

-J.A.H.

Judgment day may be near for the Bush League

2005-10-21T17:22:00.000-05:00

"When it rains, it pours."

Conspiracy-minded individuals are reporting special federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who has been investigating the (treasonous?) leak of the name of a CIA agent in 2003, is about to drop a bombshell which will shake the nation when he releases 22 indictments against members of the Bush administration’s Iraq group, including President George Walker Bush himself.

The grand jury (or juries?) assembled by Fitzgerald are set to expire next Friday, October 28. Expect all of the Pentagon’s weapons of mass distraction to fire in succession as the deadline draws near. It’s certain there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Watch for some of that action to leak into the limelight, but beware of rampant mass media misdirection.

Fitzgerald himself today (Friday, October 21, 2005) launched a website which includes several documents related to the investigation:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/osc/

Was this move intended to raise his profile before the axe falls, to place part of the historical record into the public domain before the talking heads crank up the spin cycle?

In any case, I think it is safe to say something wicked this way comes.

-J.A.H.

Monday, October 24, 2005
UPDATE:

The spin cycle went into full swing over the weekend and picked up with even more intensity on Monday. Finally Patrick Fitzgerald has become a household name. Conservative gatekeepers Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity, who hardly dared to utter his name before this time, are scrambling to paint Fitzgerald as a rogue prosecutor who has overstepped his bounds.

Whatever is coming down the pike from Fitzgerald’s office at the U.S. Justice Dept., it must be big, because the effort to discredit him is on full blast.

It is certain the media potpourri of Fitzgerald/Plame stories this week will leave many consumers confused as to how the case has actually proceeded. I’ve been following the ins and outs of the case for many months, as have many other soldiers in the war for truth and justice. If the river gets too muddied, I might try and clear it up a bit.

Until then – let’s wait and see what Fitzy has up his sleeve.

Contrail vs. chemtrail

2005-10-18T21:27:00.000-05:00

"The truth is out there"

On the day I left for Texas, at the end of September, I stopped at the Zippy Lube for a last-minute oil change. The bastard planes were out painting the skies again, leaving miles of artificial clouds in a depressing gray mass across my blue sky.

I struck up a friendly conversation with the mechanic. He told me about his old days in the military, stationed in Kansas, and how he and some buddies drove up to Maine and back on a four day leave and sent their commander a postcard. He had once told them “Don’t ever try to drive to Maine on a four-day leave because it can’t be done.” The mechanic said the look on the guy’s face when he got that postcard was worth all the extra duty they got.

The mechanic and I shot the breeze while his buddy emptied the oil, but I was focused on the sky most of the time.. What the hell, I thought. “You ever wonder what those planes are doing leaving all those trails in the sky?” I asked. He looked up momentarily from my engine toward the sky, but I guess it didn’t look as odd to him as it did to me.

“I think that’s from the water vapor of the jet engine, when it condenses” he replied.

Yeah…. I trailed off. I left it that. He was only half wrong. Contrails are water vapor from a jet engine. Chemtrails are something else.
See earlier posts for more info.

The following photos include both contrails and chemtrails. Can you guess which is which?

This is not what I remember the sky looking like when I was growing up.
How about you?

-Mentalgongfu

Watch the skies.

Time

2005-10-16T13:55:00.000-05:00

“You’re older than you’ve ever been and now you’re even older.

And now you’re even older.

And now you’re even older.”

-They Might be Giants

Mentalgongfu circa 1995
Photo by Brandon Drew

Time flies, and it doesn’t really matter if you’re having fun. (Though it helps.)

Where are we and how the hell did we get here? It never fails to amaze me, when I look around and remember were we used to be, 6, 8, 10 years ago. And for you old timers, 20, 30, 40 years ago.

Here I am, 24.5 years old, after many misadventures across Iowa and France, as a high school junior and a college freshman, as an exchange student and a super-senior, and now as a reporter dressed in khakis and a finely-knit collared shirt, sitting in school board and city council meetings, interviewing political candidates and reporting on criminal activity.

All the old crews I ran with are scattered to the winds like seeds in a hurricane. Connecticut and California, Minnesota and Wisconsin, Arizona, Texas, on and on. And the mental places where they find themselves are just as odd. The insurance industry, teaching, coaching, business school, the military, retail management, banking, law, and on and on.

And I look back on liquor and beer-filled nights, lazy afternoons, intense studies and examinations, wanton destruction and a search for brilliance and vision. I recall the good and the bad, the inane and the extraordinary. And when I look around, I’m in awe.

Time is working its magic.
Love, marriage, and children. And of course, heartbreak, pain, struggle, triumph and defeat. The natural course of things.

It’s October, the most beautiful month in the Midwest. November is the worst month, for many reasons. November brings the darkness and cold of winter to our doorsteps; November brings an end to the harvest. All the creatures of the air fly to greener pastures while the creatures of the earth curl up in their dens to wait the winter out. November historically seems to bring bad things my way. Maybe this year will be different. Being on the cusp of November, with a full moon in the sky, I reflect.

In the past year, I have witnessed or been party to a great reunion, a painful breakup, two marriages, several births, and a few divorces. One friend came back from Iraq. Another was sent over.
Two people I went to high school with were charged with some type of murder. Ryan M. was one. He pled guilty to shaking his baby to death. The other is some kid who was a grade or two below me that killed a passenger while allegedly drunk driving. As far as I know, that case is still ongoing.

One of my old friends went to prison (needle drugs). Another is about to get off parole and become manager of a fast-food restaurant. An old buddy works at a porno shop, where he sells various pornographic materials to our peers and their parents.
A few people I know died this year, although not as many as in years past. I got a raise and an increase in gas-mileage reimbursement and didn’t have any major health problems. Between my job, this blog, and my various notebooks I wrote hundreds and hundreds of pages of material of all kinds.

I learned a lot this year, about myself and others, about the world around me, about science, farming, music, government, journalism, the law, politics, Halo 2 and religion.

And here I am, one year further along, living in the town where I grew up, listening to music, singing songs, smoking cigarettes and working for a living. And everyone else I know or used to know is in his or her odd places, right where they’re supposed to be, I guess.

“No matter where you go, there you are.”

So here I am. But I don’t know where here really is. I know where the path began, I know the twists and turns it has taken, but without knowing where it ends, it’s impossible to know where I am in relation. We can only see the road as far as the next bend or hilltop.

No choice but to keep on hiking. I’ll get there someday. Wherever there is. There are many forks in the road; there are spoons and knives too.

-J.A.H.

"an ode to Mr. Waits"

so this is it
another November
falls heavy upon us
the trees are scattered shattered skeletons
underneath a fading jack-o-lantern moon

I'm waiting, hibernating
warm inside evading
winter's frosty frothy breath
sleeping dreaming death
'only the leaves
pile of dead leaves'
decaying into december

Lobbying

2005-10-13T22:45:00.000-05:00

Lobbying is a euphemism for bribery.

Lobbyist is a euphemism for bagman or runner.

Is the pen mightier than the sword?

-J.A.H.

Screw Christopher Columbus

2005-10-10T19:05:00.000-05:00

Yeah, you heard me – screw him.

And that’s all I have to say about that.

-J.A.H.

Data vampires and the power of information

2005-10-09T15:49:00.000-05:00

“Amateurs study strategy. Professionals study logistics.”
So I’m told.

(photos by Jeremy Huss)

In an “information society,” which I am constantly reminded is our current state of affairs, data vampires are coming out of their coffins everywhere.

The collection, storage, cross-reference, aggregation and ultimately, the marketing/sale/or other use of personal data, is big bizness. It’s fricking huge. If you think Google has a lot on you, you should see the info VISA, MasterCard, your insurance company, the IRS or the U.S. Dept. of Education are collecting.

From supermarket loyalty cards which track your purchases “to better serve our customers” to digital video recorders which track your media habits “for consumer marketing purposes,” more and more of our behaviors are being recorded and monitored.

In my lifetime I have watched as the Orwellian security-state practices have grown from what seemed like a minor inconvenience to what I now consider a major intrusion. That is, to be sure, the natural course of such philosophies. Orwell’s warnings have not been heeded.

Now, I am not unreasonable. When I go the video store, like I did last night, looking for a fix of Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Walken, (I settled on Kill Bill Vol. 1 and True Romance) I have no qualms about giving Family Video my name, address and telephone number. They need to be sure they’re going to get their movies back.

Other businesses, however, have no legitimate reason to request such information, yet they do so boldly and rudely. Some stores, particularly the “big box” electronic and home furnishing stores, have been doing so for many years. K’s Merchandise used to ask for a Zip Code. I was fine giving that out – it was vague enough. Now they ask for everything. They let me make my purchase without giving my Social Security Number (for Social Security), but told me to be sure to save the receipt. Yesterday I learned that Walgreens will not develop your film without a name, address and phone number.

I also read yesterday about a Wal-Mart photo center employee who reported a picture of a high school student’s anti-Bush poster to the police, who called in the Secret Service. See “Wal-Mart Gives Teen's Anti-Bush Poster To Police,” reported by Matthew Rothschild in The Progressive.

I hadn’t shopped at Best Buy in several years. They still have some decent-priced CD’s "on sale." I understand that’s because they undercut their margins on music to get people in the store for other purchases where they make a larger profit. Then again, the margins on compact discs have always been pretty sweet.

When I walked up to one of the 20 checkout registers a few months ago carrying my intended purchase, the Beck “Guero” album, the first thing the clerk said was “Can I have your phone number?”
“No,” I replied flatly.
She did a double take.
“I’d rather not give that out,” I said.
“Oh, okay.”
The transaction continued, although awkwardly, and I smiled and waved my receipt at the big burly security guard who looked me over at the exit.

Needless to say, most of the other customers shot off their home phone numbers unthinkingly at the first request. I doubt many of these individuals would give out their phone numbers to a stranger, such as myself, if I waited in the parking lot in a trenchcoat and asked them as they approached their vehicles.

You just don’t give out your phone number to random strangers. But I guess faceless corporations and mass retailers are a different story. Why does Best Buy want my phone number? Am I that sexy? Are they gonna call me up and ask me out on a date? Does Best Buy want to buy me dinner and do the horizontal mambo? Or do they “just want to be friends?”

They would probably say they only want to “serve me better.” Serve me indeed. To paraphrase George Carlin, whenever you hear that, BEND OVER. My idea of service is not playing 20 questions before I can purchase a simple item.

This summer I received, courtesy of the U.S. Federal Government, a copy of a new and wonderful government survey, called the American Community Survey or some such hokum.

The literature informed “my household had been selected” for the honor of spending “approximately one hour” to fill out the paperwork. The literature was filled with all sorts of friendly warnings that failing to complete the survey was a federal offense punishable with several years in prison. Hurrah.

The first copy of the survey my household received mysteriously found its way into the trash. The second copy was followed with a phone call from a govmunt customer service rep, confirming it had been received. I should have lied; but that’s not my strong suit.

On sitting down to complete the survey, I finished one page before I realized I was extremely offended. Eventually, someone else in the household finished it by phone. Afterward, the respondent agreed it was suspicious, if not downright out of order.

The survey asked all my favorite questions about age, sex, race and ethnicity, but it got even better than that. The survey also asked questions like how many miles I drive to work everyday, how much money I spend on food in a given week, and when was the last time I saw a movie in the theater. I could be wrong, but I think the Feds even asked if I had a preferred brand of condom and how often my bowel movements occur (Magnum and twice a month, if you were curious. See my video, “Bowels of Steel, available at Amazon.com).

The name of the game is Control. Mark my words, Applied Digital Solutions wants to implant the world population with RFID chips. The federal transportation department wants to put tracking chips in cars so vehicles will be taxed by the mile, rather than at the pump. So do insurance companies, car rental agencies and trucking companies, for other reasons. Cities are putting cameras and speed radar at stop lights and intersections. The congress has approved a bill (Real ID act) putting RFID chips in driver’s licenses. Passports also are in the works. Guest workers, Medicare recipients, the elderly, VIPs, sex offenders, hurricane survivors… the list goes on.

As a friend recently noted, within two generations there could be a population which has no collective memory of a world without being chipped. There already exists a generation or two who have never seen one of those five-inch floppy disks, an Apple IIE computer or a record album. Those who remember a world without automobiles everywhere are all but gone, as are those who remember flourishing railroads, a world without shopping malls, World War II and private property rights for people (not corporations).

But I digress. The next time you get a paycheck, just look at how much money is going out in taxes. Ask yourself what is being done with that money. Do you like it?

-J.A.H.

George Carlin speaking during the first Persian Gulf war in the early 1990s:
“We like war. We’re a warlike people. We like war because we’re good at it. And you know why we’re good at it? Cause we get a lot of practice. This country is only 200 years old and already we’ve had 10 major wars. We average a major war every 20 years in this country, so we’re good at it! And it’s a good thing we are. We’re not very good at anything else anymore. Eh? Can’t build a decent car, can’t make a TV set or a VCR worth a fuck. Got no steel industry left, can’t educate our young people, can’t get health care to our old people, but we can bomb the shit out of your country, all right.”

Fight Fascism

2005-10-06T22:14:00.000-05:00

Fascism is everywhere. It is a mental disease.

This summer one of the school boards I cover was revising its' student handbook. They do it every year. The Principal made his recommendations and they all were approved. While going through the polices, I came across a policy on “improper hair.” I asked Mr. Principal, “just what is improper hair in a high school?” as I instinctively adjusted my ponytail and fingered my beard. There were a lot of objectionable passages in the section on Student Appearance, and perhaps three reasonable ones. The entire section was merely a list of things which are prohibited. This one hit home for me, as it always does.

j. The wearing of hair in a manner that is disruptive to the learning environment

Disruptive to the learning environment?
Mr. Principal explained: If some teenager were to come to school with his hair died all red and up in spikes, like some punk rock loser, it could really distract the other kids. Why, they’d be saying “look at Jimmy’s hair!” “Wow, what a cocksucker!” “My what a big boy you are” and other such expressions which could interrupt the carefully structured indoctrination (ahem, learning process) which often does not allow a free moment or a free thought to go unpunished.

Idiocy.

Furthermore, why the hell is it Jimmy’s fault if he’s got some redneck classmates that can’t deal with the fact he likes the Sex Pistols and the Ramones and wants to grow up to be a heroin-addict rock star? Isn’t that the problem of his classmates? Aren’t they the ones being disruptive? All Jimmy did was sit down at his desk. They’re the ones that gawked and ooohed and ahhed.

And further-furthermore, if you just deal with a few turned heads for one school day, people are gonna get over it. Jimmy’s red, spiked hair won’t be news on Tuesday. Everyone will have seen it already. If they don’t, it simply proves they are the ones with the problem, not Jimmy.

That’s what I would have said to Mr. Principal, but I was wearing my reporter hat. When the hat is on, I reluctantly keep my opinions to myself.

The other side of the coin, is that oftentimes the fascist school decisions are a response to a fascist and idiotic civil law system. I’m sure school districts have been sued because the hair of some other boy named Jimmy “disrupted Johnny’s little learning environment.” Consider it a chance for Johnny to learn about the real world, where shit does stink and you do get burned when you touch a hot stove.

I’m sure some of the assholes that sued won multi-million dollar awards. Just put me in a room with THOSE jurors.

-J.A.H.

“I went on a low social-cholesterol diet. No more fat heads.”
-Utah Phillips

Peace or freedom?

2005-10-05T23:52:00.000-05:00

I support peace and peace of mind. I like quiet afternoons and relaxing evenings. I like getting along. But given a choice, I would rather be free and fighting than chained and submissive.

I dare to say I would rather be free and starving than enslaved and bloated.
If the worst fears of Patriots are right, I may soon have my chance to prove it.

All across America mass exercises in population control are occurring. The litany of abuses of the Bill of Rights is too long, and frankly, too depressing, to summarize here. Suffice it to say that Pat Robertson is allowed to advocate the murder of a foreign leader (Hugo Chavez, Venezuela) on national television, but librarians attending peace rallies have been investigated and harassed by FBI agents.

Silly me. Silly rabbit. I always thought walking in circles with a sign was a lot less threatening than a call to murder. I guess it depends on who you threaten.

The powers-that-be have (for a long time now) been ratcheting up the pressure and the rhetoric against freedom, in favor of fascism, disguised in words and phrases like “security,” “homeland,” “homeland security,” “terror,” “terror alert,” “the enemy,” “Islam,” “Jihad,” and on and on. In recent days I’ve noticed enormous amounts of newspaper stories on the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, but seen little if anything on the start of the Jewish Rosh Hashanah and the coming Yom Kippur. And as Calvin McGershom well knows, the Pagan holiday celebrations are usually either completely ignored or fire-bombed.

Meaning is created and communicated in several ways, including, among others, symbols, art, music and language. Language is not the least of these. Rhetoric, as the study of language and communication is called, is fundamental to how we perceive and act in the world. I’ve spent many years of my life studying words, language, argument, media and all the subjects which are related – I’ve been intrigued with words since I was a child – and I spent a few years of academic study on the subject in addition to diligent observation in my private life and work in my professional. I feel qualified to say everyone who consumes media, whether it be books, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, Internet, etc. should be required to study media and language. Only hermits with large weapons arsenals can afford not to.

Marshall McLuhan is an icon of Communication Theory. Google his name, read his writings. The most well-known is “The Medium is the Message.” Deep and thorough. He once said “Today the business of business is becoming the constant invention of new business.”

The masses have been distracted by Gay Marriage and Social Security while States Rights fall by the wayside and federal power congeals into a sticky, slimy pus. The Greed Disease causes every wound on the epidermis of America to spew forth this liberty-squashing pus. The patriot antibodies have to be quite strong to resist the cancerous Greed Disease.

G Dub (Bush) used the fiasco surrounding the Hurricane Katrina disaster to push for complete federal military control in emergency situations and to give away billions of taxpayer dollars to the usual-suspect government contractors. Just what I needed to remind me of democracy and freedom – soldiers walking the streets, pointing machine guns at U.S. citizens, and police and other law enforcement mercenaries guarding every exit in and out of the city.

Now G Dub has floated the possibility of a military-enforced quarantine in the event of an avian flu (H5N1) outbreak in the U.S., which rascal Senator Tom Harkin has called inevitable, “not if but when.” I get nervous anytime I hear the Feds say “not if but when.” They say it’s a matter of “not if but when” before another, larger, 9-11 style terror event. To me, that’s like saying it’s “not if but when” you’ll be in a horrible car crash. They tell everyone to buckle their seatbelts for impending doom, but they refuse to slow the car down.

I’ve never heard of Bush, Harkin, or any political bigwig mention the avian flu threat before, though I’ve been following the story for many months. And the first time bird flu is mentioned publicly by influential politicians, it’s side-by-side with martial law. Curious.

I’m reminded of a book by French author Albert Camus, “La Peste” (The Plague), about a plague-infested and quarantined city in France in the 1940’s. It was an allegory to the Nazi occupation of France and the Vichy (traitor) government. As this blog’s official Frenchie expert, I can assure, contrary to what you may hear from the French-hating right wing, during the Nazi occupation there were basically two Frances. The “official” and traitor Vichy government, and La Resistance which fought actively and with subterfuge against the German invaders. The two should not be confused.

To bring it back around – freedom or peace?
Today we have neither.
True, many Americans live in relative peace, in the fact they are not forced to go off to war and they do not endure gunfights in their neighborhoods (this is not true of all America). But if the strategic goals of our nation (empire?) continue to follow the PNAC path, more and more citizens must be called into to fight or have the fight brought to them.
True, we have more freedom than many nations. The fact I am able to post this writing is evidence of such. But freedom is being eroded on many fronts. When (not if) the hammer comes down, it may be too late. The preparations are being made for hammers to fall on all fronts at once, to minimize the possibility of resistance.

The legal fact is, if the right agent of the right agency designated me an “enemy combatant,” I now could be locked up indefinitely without charge or trial, and my friends and family would never be informed. I could disappear. I would become invisible to the public, and being invisible “they” could do anything to me. To me, U.S. forces kidnapping citizens in the night is no different than mercenaries doing the same. The right to having an arrest recognized and publicly justified in legal terms, let alone a trial by jury, is essential to the idea of America. Read the fucking Constitution.

Of course, the classic counter-argument is “America wouldn’t do that.” Let’s not argue what greedy politicians and so-called leaders would or wouldn’t do for their own benefit – it’s what they COULD do. And under the current system, those in power positions can do a lot in secret with absolutely no oversight. That is NOT a government of the people, by the people and for the people.

If I ever vanish or am found dead and CNN reports a suicide, don’t believe it. If it’s a “tragic accident,” question it. Burglary gone wrong or sudden heart attack – be wary.

How free are we? How ingrained and overlooked are the controls on your “freedom”? You cannot hunt or fish without a license. As far as I know, you CAN still grow a personal garden with little trouble, but if you want to farm, you’re in for a bureaucratic maze. The Supreme Court has ruled your home can be taken and given to a private developer for tax money and bribes, and crops (like Hemp or Cannabis) grown for individual use in your own home can be regulated by the Interstate Commerce Clause.

To get a job you need a birth certificate and a social security number, a VISA or an employer that hires illegals. You also need a permanent address, a home phone number and a list of references. To rent a car or reserve a hotel you need a credit card. To purchase property? Ha! I knew a homeless guy in Davenport years ago named Floyd, and he WAS crazy, but he tried to get back on his feet and couldn’t do shit without the right papers. Luckily, he was able to use an arrest record as a form of ID to help get an SSN # and a bus ticket out of here. God forbid if he tried to trap a squirrel and cook it for a meal. The knife to skin it might be longer than 5 inches (illegal) and he could be thrown in jail for trespassing on public or private property or being a “vagrant, not to mention fined by the DNR for hunting without a license.

How free are you when you need a license to feed yourself?

Maybe I’m “eccentric,” but I subscribe to a somewhat anarchist philosophy, “in the best sense of the word,” as Utah Phillips would say. Utah Phillips, folk hero and lyrical genius, tells a story of the ultimate anarchist, in the best sense of the word, who once told a judge:
“What good is the law? The good people don’t need it and the bad people don’t follow it.”

Spoken like a man who values freedom and uncommon sense. We need to resurrect freedom and uncommon sense.

The future is coming; oops, it’s here.
It’s the past, evolving and repeating.

-J.A.H.

The past didn’t go anywhere.
“I can go outside and pick up a rock that’s older than the oldest song you know, and drop it on your foot. Now, the past didn’t go anywhere, did it? It’s right here, right now. I always thought that anybody who told me I couldn’t live in the past was trying to get me to forget something that if I remembered it would get them in serious trouble.”
-Utah Philips

Recommended reading:
Biological agents used on peace protesters in DC?
http://www.freepress.org/columns/display/3/2005/1221

Recommended listening:
Utah Phillips with Ani Difranco

Iowa and the Journey to the Center of the Earth

2005-10-04T23:32:00.000-05:00

Other Guy [10:58 PM]: you logged on?
Other Guy [10:58 PM]: http://theantechamber.net/XArchives/VKDArchive.html#AnchorBBC
Mentalgongfu [10:58 PM]: hello
Mentalgongfu [10:58 PM]: what's at the link?

Other Guy [10:59 PM]: this vk durham thing is interesting
Other Guy [10:59 PM]: aparently she is the widow of some Russell Hermann
Other Guy [11:00 PM]: ...according to V. K. Durham, who told us, "Russell did more than two 20-year hitches in all five branches of the military. It would have meant a lot to me; but Clinton’s people destroyed his files and Senator Grassley and his aides obstructed the investigation."
Other Guy [11:01 PM]: Several U.S. intelligence agents spoke privately with Durham, informing her that the Cantor-Fitzgerald files identifying the bogus bonds were lost in what suppressed 9.11 television news footage in slow motion shows was a controlled demolition of the Twin Towers and WTC 7; moreover, ONI officials themselves--some of whom were probing the fraudulent 10-year debt instruments allegedly held by Cantor-Fitzgerald in the doomed North Tower--also perished along with the investigation files, all of which were curiously in the path of the 9.11 Pentagon impact.

Mentalgongfu [11:06 PM]: i looked for the grassley interview on kuni but its not up yet. you should have heard it. He unskillfully evaded questions about downing street memo, "pork sandwiches," social security fraud in congress, and more
Other Guy [11:07 PM]: how long lord how long
Mentalgongfu [11:07 PM]: it was great
Mentalgongfu [11:08 PM]: it was obvious he is full of shit. people are angry.

Other Guy [11:08 PM]: vk durham seems to be an interesting character
Mentalgongfu [11:08 PM]: who is vk durham
Other Guy [11:08 PM]: wife of colonel russell hermann
Other Guy [11:08 PM]: lives in iowa someone where
Other Guy [11:09 PM]: obviously connected to the vk durham trust fund that we here about every now and then
Other Guy [11:09 PM]: funny money

Mentalgongfu [11:13 PM]: there seem to be many clandestine things in iowa. more than one might expect. odd connections. maybe that's why we're still the first democratic caucus.
Other Guy [11:13 PM]: our walls don't have as many ears

Mentalgongfu [11:16 PM]: perhaps. I learned an interesting fact today. Apparently Union Pacific railroad (and presumably other railroads) now rely on laser sights to trigger the lights and bars at public crossings. Inside the same boxes with the lasers is equipment which records the speed of each vehicle which goes over the tracks and takes a picture of the license plate!

i heard this from a retired UP worker at a small town city council meeting. It just came up in conversation with the townsfolk.
Other Guy [11:17 PM]: nice
Mentalgongfu [11:21 PM]: i'm going to try and do a newspaper story about it. it will be interesting territory. but i thrive when i'm up against liars.
Other Guy [11:21 PM]: you should be doing well then
Mentalgongfu [11:21 PM]: he he
Mentalgongfu [11:22 PM]: check this out- i got a box of 100 copies of the pocket constitutions of the united states and iowa thanks to my correspondence with the iowa civil liberties union
Mentalgongfu [11:22 PM]: i gave one to everyone at work today.
gov't officials are next.
Other Guy [11:23 PM]: keep a couple for me
Mentalgongfu [11:23 PM]: sure thing.
Mentalgongfu [11:24 PM]: i have a feeling i'll go through them quickly. i'll have to ask for more.

Patents are key

2005-10-03T19:12:00.000-05:00

Information is not the same as Knowledge. The two are often confused these days. I would define Knowledge as the capacity to find, digest, frame and retain Information. Knowledge occurs when curiousity and discernment meet.

Wisdom has a long view, and being young in my current earthly incarnation I feel it would be presumptuous for me to try to define that essential idea.

Patents are a key to much information, and certainly to the kind of information that concerns commerce, science, and their intersections.

I have recently become aware that a great deal of information can be obtained by searching the U.S. Patent office.

In fact, many concepts which generally are considered far-fetched, far in the future or all-out tin-foil-hat looney can appear more realistic, if not validated, by the U.S. Patent Office.

I was first intrigued when I learned about a patent for weather modification technology.
See patent no. 4,686,605.
At

US Patent Office

Or see my posting re: Weather Modification below or at

iowaskies.blogspot.com

I soon began searching around the patent office website myself. I found this intriguing example:

Artificial Intelligence

Most recently, I was directed to this info on:

Behavior Modification

I apologize for posting so many links. I don’t generally like websites that just link to other people’s stuff. But there’s no way for me to reasonably include it all here.

One of the great features of the Net is you can link instantly to a connected thought and explore a subject further.
Or, if you want, you can ignore it, close the window and go look at some kind of pornography.

I recommend interracial-Alien-docudrama mentalpornography.

(Illustration courtesy of Brady Chrisman, Esq.)

But seriously. If someone is granted a patent, that means the material has been reviewed to the point that it deserves financial/copy protection from any other source.

“A U.S. patent for an invention is the grant of a property right to the inventor(s), issued by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The right conferred by the patent grant is, in the language of the statute and of the grant itself, "the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling" the invention in the United States or "importing" the invention into the United States. To get a U.S. patent, an application must be filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

More at:

US Patent Office

Patents and their cousins, copyrights and trademarks, are serious biz-ness. The unusual extension of the Mickey Mouse copyrights to Disney for 20 years gave Walt Disney Corp a huge chunk of CA$H.

The home page of the US Patent Office clearly states the agency is a divison of the Department of Commerce.

In my horribly logical brain the above leads me to believe that if someone files a patent, whether it is on electrical circuitry, polymer glue, Mickey Mouse, behavioral technology or weather modification, that the patent filer (and/or backers) intends to prevent other people from selling those patented devices, items, representations, methods/processes, etc. in the United States.

I would think, If you don’t want someone else to sell something, it must exist. That, or there’s a very elaborate hoax – a conspiracy, you know.

-J.A.H.

FEAR?

2005-10-03T02:59:00.000-05:00

I don’t like censorship, so though I have been tempted to delete some records, I have not yet done so (except for the spam).

Here’s one of the so-far two comments on my recent posting “Recommended Reading-Freemasonry”

The comment says:
“Anonymous said...

There is no real evidence to prove that cannibalism has ever happened in the history of man. It says so in the Bible.
God hates you, Mr. Huss. You are sinning by slandering those who do God's will.”

But in my post I said nothing about cannibalism. That makes me wonder – about a lot of things. I have two general guesses. One would make it funny, and the other… well, we’ll see.

But it's hard for me to take it lightly when someone says God hates me, especially when they refer to me by name, and allege I’m slandering against those who do God’s will. Please clarify. What is God's will and how have I slandered it?

Curious how they posted anonymously.
I have put my name to my words. So have many people who post here.

If anonymous reads this, I’m curious,
Could you please tell me which Bible passages reference cannibalism?

-Respectfully,

Jeremy Huss
Mentalgongfu

Bush Country

2005-09-28T17:35:00.000-05:00

I'm headed to Bush Country for a few days. I've never been to Texas, so it'll be an adventure. I plan to eat a big ol' steak, buy a big ol' gun and attend an execution.

Actually, I'm going to a wedding.
I won't be camping out at Bush's ranch or visiting the Alamo, cause I've got better things to do. If I'm lucky a might see a Zebra, an Elephant or a Giraffe, cause I'm told the ranch where I'm staying has such an enclave of odd animals.

I've been lax this week in writing for Mentalgongfu. Too busy elsewhere with work and such. Hopefully when I get back I'll have some time to put some pieces together, Texas-style.

Residents of the Athens area should beware. There will be a few hundred people like me flooding into your town Friday and Saturday.

While you wonderful readers anticipate the next slice of Mentalgongfu, you might want to look into a story of dolphins trained by the military to hunt terrorists, equipped with toxic darts and other weapons, now loose in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to the flooding in the Gulf Coast. It was recently reported by the Guardian (UK) newspaper and has been repeated even by Rush Limbaugh.

Terrorist-hunting dolphins with toxic darts!!!

I'm worried humanity may have signed its own death warrant by teaching the other animals how to fight back.

-J.A.H.

By The Way

2005-09-21T22:42:00.000-05:00

A few thoughts:

By the way,
Kanye West recently said, among other things, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.”

Kanye is complicating things.

All he needed to say is
“George Bush doesn’t care”

Unless you insert “about all his oil/pharma buddies” at the end, the statement pretty much rings true all by itself for everything I can think of.

By the way,
Have you noticed how Presidents always try to take credit for the Economy when it’s good?

When the Economy is bad, that’s the fault of natural disasters, market forces, dumb investors, isolated energy scandals, etc.

Still, you hear the candidates and pundits say:
“Daddy Bush passed on such-and-such economy to Dirty Clinton, Dirty Clinton passed on such-and-such economy to Little Bush, now Lil’ Bush’s Economy is such-and-such”

By the way,
where is the Economy anyhow? I’ve been looking for that sucker for damn near five years and I haven’t found him yet. I looked all over City Hall and I didn’t see him. I sent a buddy to D.C. but they must have passed each other on the way up. I even went over to the state Supreme Court, and when they didn’t have his records I drove all around Des Moines shouting “Eeeeconnnomeee."
He never showed.

If I ever find the Economy, I’m gonna tell him to straighten up and fly right; quit jerking us schlubs around, you know.
I’m gonna say, “Economy! Stupid! Quit playing this bullshit! And give me some money!”

But I’ve got a feeling the Economy is a little bit like Santa Claus and Unicorns and other people’s Gods– just another figment of the imagination. I know a lot of people believe in the Economy, but not a one I’ve asked has ever seen him.

By the way,
I heard second-hand FEMA is paying truckers $4 per mile to drive for Hurricane relief efforts. Where can I get a job application and when’s the next CDL test?

By the way,
John Kerry doesn’t care.

By the way,
In the wilderness, you are not at the top of the food chain.

By the way,
You can’t take it with you when you die.

By the way,
Fascism is not just a government. It’s a mindset.
There are only two places you have to get special permission to go to the bathroom – in prison and in school.

Buy the weigh.
Seriously, just buy it.
And some Kurds too.
But watch out for them tuffets and camel spiders, Miss Muffett.

And if you see the Economy, give him my message, won’t you?.

-J.A.H.

Average Joe Knows

2005-09-20T01:44:00.000-05:00

We live under a one-party system

I've got this friend named Average Joe.
Average Joe agrees, the system is screwed up.

Average Joe would like to see an honest government.
Average Joe supports low taxes, fiscal responsibility, little interference (government or otherwise) in his life, border security, freedom, education, and the chance to make a buck.
Average Joe likes to drink clean water and breathe fresh air.
Average Joe supports decent wages, families and the Constitution.

Average Joe knows most of the politicians are full of shit.

I ask him everytime I see him, and he always agrees, politicians are liars. They're greedy and deceitful. They've got lobbyists and parties and multi-million dollar campaigns with half-baked advertisements designed to twist Joe's brain.

They talk about fiscal responsibility but they keep spending all Joe's money, and congratulating themselves for their generosity.

Average Joe realizes something is wrong.

Average Joe knows, it's not Party or Race
but Class and the Throne

It's not that which you reap,
but that which you sow

Average Joe knows
It comes and it goes
You have only so much control
When you’re hanging low
on the totem pole

Average Joe walked by the corner store;
It wasn’t there anymore
But Average Joe was above-average smart;
So he went to the Wal Mart
And blew it apart

- Nah, I’m kidding -
just a fart in the place,
In some old lady’s face,
Cause he was angry but not suicidal

Average Joe didn’t know
He wasn’t alone
Joes were farting all over the place

They were angry at all they could think of
And everything was a disgrace
But they farted in hiding and secret
Afraid of the fart-smeller’s face

-J.A.H.

"Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean that they're not after you; and just because you're crazy doesn't mean that you are wrong"

-Kurt Cobain and I

Media Revolution

2005-09-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

Many people have not yet grasped the revolutionary media/communication/information distribution system the Internet has become/is becoming.

It is akin to the printing press, only in-line with the scientific laws of technology, its influence is increasing exponentially.

The Printing Press allowed the Protestant Revolution. It put the Word of God in the hands of the people, not just the clergy.

It allowed the American Revolution, putting Thomas Paine's Common Sense in the hands of the colonists.

The Internet allows unprecedented opportunity for anyone with a Web connection to post their own opinions, news, observations, etc. It allows unprecedented opportunity for anyone with a Web connection to access amazing amounts of information.

Pitfalls and promises abound. But without electricity, the Internet, like so much of the technology which encompasses our daily life, does not work. The electronic world offers much. But don't lose touch with the world of green grass, the earth and the sky.

-J.A.H.

Air Pollution

2005-09-15T23:48:00.000-05:00

What should you really fear?

So much has been made of the dangers of second-hand smoke. So much that it has been banned in bars and restaurants in entire cities across the globe.

Some places have even banned you from smoking in your car on their parking lot. Even with all the windows rolled up.

Everyone has gotten angry at Tobacco.
If second-hand smoke causes cancer, what does this stuff do?

ADDENDUM:
This recent posting from the Courthouse News Service (see links section):

Power Plants' Mercury Emissions Hurt Kids, Parents Claim
BALTIMORE (CN) - Sigman-Aldrich and other polluters have done neurological damage to children by polluting the air with Thimoseral, which contains toxic amounts of mercury, five couples claim in Federal Court. The emissions allegedly came from electric power plants. The parents seek more than $1.7 billion in damages. (The complaint, filed by Thomas Yost Jr. of Baltimore, was filed one week before the U.S. Senate refused, by 51-47 vote, to reject the Bush administration’s new EPA rules that would wait until 2018 to phase in controls of mercury emissions from coal-generated power plants.)
Also named as defendants are American International Chemical, Spectrum Laboratory Products, Eli Lilly & Co., Merck & Co., Sanofi Pasteur, GlaxoSmithKline, Wyeth, Baxter Healthcare Corp., Baltimore Gas & Electric Co., and Constellation Energy Group

Where is America headed?

2005-09-14T00:29:00.000-05:00

Where are we (America) headed? As far as the international and perpetual war on terrorism is concerned, we seem to have adopted policies similar to Israel, such as shoot first and ask questions later and launching airstrikes against the neighborhoods of suspected terrorists.

Considering Israel's results in stemming the terrorist threat over the last 30+ years, is that a good idea?

An intriguing story you probably haven’t heard these days is floating around some news sites. The story goes like this:

Apparently, a man named Doron Almog, a retired Major General with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has been charged with war crimes in Britain. He was due to land in Britain on Sunday for a charity event, and he did in fact land, but he never got off that plane because an ambassador informed him he would be arrested when he set foot on British soil.

From 1993-1995, Almog served as the IDF commander in the Gaza Strip, moving to head the Southern Command in 2000. He retired in 2003.

The charges were prompted by Daniel Machover, an Israeli citizen and lawyer who lives in Britain, and a group in Israel called Yesh Gvul, which is apparently well known in that nation.

Not being an expert on Israel and its affairs, I hesitate to draw strong conclusions from the few stories which I have come across regarding this event without further investigating the sources.

But one response to the charges caught my eye in a story reported by http://www.israelnationalnews.com. The quote is from Yigal Yasinov of the Shinui Party.

“There is a limit to the chutzpah of traitors as well. I expect the members of Yesh Gvul to give up their Israeli citizenship, assume Palestinian Authority citizenship, and to live on the other side of the border.”
He said he plans to ask the Attorney General and Justice Minister to declare Yesh Gvul a terror-sponsoring organization, outlaw it, and open investigations against its members.

(an aside: it becomes clear upon consideration that we Americans generally know little if anything about Israel, its creation, its politics or its leaders, despite the fact the nation is one of America’s closest strategic military allies. All most people know are vague headlines of retaliatory suicide bombings and retaliatory airstrikes, back and forth, and even then, the river of knowledge is so dry there is no context within which to frame these violent stories)

Peace activists (or war protesters, if you prefer) already are equated with terrorists by many influential sources in America. Even Senators and Representatives who dare speak too hastily or too critically against the administration and its agenda are portrayed as “aiding and abetting the enemy.”

I’m afraid this is where America is headed, if we’re not fully there already. Those who dare to question the authority will be declared the enemy. They’ll be lucky if they’re ever heard from again, let alone forced to publicly renounce citizenship.

I’d like to believe otherwise, unfortunately, the facts lead to depressing conclusions. Unless the Supreme Court says otherwise in upcoming cases, it is now legally acceptable to lock up indefinitely American citzens on American soil without charge as long as the proper vocabulary "enemy combatant" is used.

There are numerous documented instances in recent years of FBI and/or other “intelligence services” infiltrating, spying on, and labeling as threats peaceful dissident groups under the guise of national security.

Furthermore, It is established fact U.S. intelligence provocateurs as a matter of policy infiltrated mainstream and alternative media and other reactionary anti-administration forces during the Vietnam era with the goal of sparking conflicts and disseminating disinformation. What makes you think that has changed?

These days, the American Sheeple are distracted by things like gay marriage, family values, abortion, welfare, affirmative action, evolution, the estate tax, gas prices, hurricanes, etc.

The most important (as in immediate and challenging) issues are shoved to the side and irrelevant and frivolous arguments are pushed to the forefront. Sure, politicians talk about national security and illegal immigration and privacy rights, but they still confiscate my nail clippers at the airport while thousands of illegal immigrants pour across the border each year.

This is not to say that things like gay marriage and abortion don’t deserve discussion, but we have no real discussion on these issues in governmental forums - only he-said/she-said - and we have graver things to deal with right now.

Whether or not two homosexuals down the street, or two homosexuals you’ve never met, should or should not have a legally recognized marriage, should not be your first concern.

Every American citizen, white, black, gay, straight, christian, muslim, hindu, transgendered, zombie, vampire, should be concerned about the TRILLIONS ($1,000,000,000,000; exponential form, $1x10^12) dollars of national DEBT the Congress, White House and Pentagon (our “representatives”) have authorized in our name. According to the Constitution, federal debts are valid and payable by the CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES and us only.

We should all be concerned with the BILLION dollar deficit the country is running right now. DEFICIT means we’re spending money we don’t have, on top of the DEBT we already have. We’re borrowing money, most of it FROM CHINA, which is a major trade partner of the U.S., yet also and conspicuously a designated military, industrial and political threat.

Chinese investment is one of the few pillars holding up the bloated federal budgets. A Republican Congress and President who claim to stand for small government, states' rights, and fiscal responsibility have expanded federal powers beyond belief and have rocketed this nation into the most overwhelming debt we have ever faced.

I’m not generally a betting man, but I imagine if you totaled the entire NATIONAL DEBT and the real and projected ANNUAL DEFICITS for the next 10 years, and compounded that with the average INDIVIDUAL DEBT in credit cards, education loans, auto loans and mortgages of each person or household, balanced against projected revenue, considering current and planned tax manipulations, you would find most of the average American’s wealth is imaginary; i.e. on credit. We’ve leveraged our existence against our image. We’ve pledged immense future resources just to get by today with 142 TV stations and Minivans.

If our debtors were to come calling for collection tomorrow, we would have no choice but to default.

WHAT MIGHT THAT BRING?

America is (compared to many others) a prosperous nation; there is no argument against that. But I defy anyone other than a politician to explain how a country which has a TRILLION DOLLAR CREDIT CARD BILL can continue to consider itself wealthy.

At some point we will have to pay the debt. If that moment comes suddenly rather than gradually, horrendous things will result.

But don’t worry, TAX CUTS ARE THE ANSWER to American debt. I don’t understand how. But Politicians never lie, do they?

Many people say this is all depressing stuff, and they avoid politics for that reason.
They’re right, it is depressing. But I don’t believe ignorance is bliss.

It’s like ketchup or alcoholism or drug addiction.
You can’t get better until you admit you have a problem.

We have a perspective problem which demands correction.
If we don’t take action to correct our perspective, it WILL correct itself, regardless of our personal biases.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

A Leak (Ketchup is a gateway drug)

2005-09-12T22:38:00.000-05:00

Some say mirrors are leaks.
A man named Armstrong once said:
“Ketchup is a gateway drug”

How many people started with Ketchup, then moved on to Cigarettes and Alcohol? Then of course to Marijuana! Next thing you know, they’re hanging around hippy-musician-types and “tripping on things” and playing the bongos and singing and dancing all the time…free-loving and not working with tie-dye clothes and long beautiful hair. And even if they don’t run over a little girl on a bike because they’re laughing too hard and even if they don’t start thinking they’re Jefferson Airplane and try and fly off the roof, even if that doesn’t happen, it’s only a matter of time.

Before long they’re smoking crack in a dark alley out of an old shoe and shooting up speedballs while watching the Blues Brothers. They’ll be sleeping on cockroach mattresses and eating dead flies and maggots out of discarded dog food, all because they asked for a little extra ketchup full of corn syrup and “natural flavoring” (MSG) to go with them fries.

Disconnecting the dots

Economy of movement is the key to fighting martial arts style
Conserve energy
When you strike, it is focused, powerful and deadly

The same must be for mental gong fu

the enemy may strike 1000 blows to your chest
but still will fall with a single well-aimed strike to the throat

do not waste time pounding on chests,
your own or your enemy’s

if you attack, go for the throat

the initiate has a sixth sense for identifying the enemy
and an eighth for patient timing
the world’s not really so complex
it’s greed and power, same as always

Weather modification is real

2005-09-10T00:08:00.000-05:00

“In considering the evidence you may make deductions and reach conclusions that reason and common sense lead you to make. You should not be concerned about whether the evidence is direct or circumstantial. Direct evidence is the test of one who claims actual knowledge of a fact, such as an eyewitness. Circumstantial evidence is proof of a chain of facts and circumstances indicating the defendant is either guilty or not guilty. The law makes no distinction between the weight you may give to either direct or circumstantial evidence.”

--Jury instruction No. 5 from a recent criminal trial. (Interference with official acts. She was found guilty. Had a good case too. Don’t represent yourself, unless you have a firm and deep knowledge of the law. Even then, when you’re your own main witness, the cross-examination is always a little tricky.)

Weather modification is real

Weather modification is not just a theory. The idea has long since passed the theory stage, as demonstrated by the U.S. patent from 1987 which follows. No one should have any doubt the necessary infrastructure and equipment to generate weather changes exists today. Cloud-seeding for rain, which is practiced heavily in China as I understand, is one of the less monstrous examples. Time has shown when humanity develops a new technological capability, we generally decline to address whether or not we “should” use that capability. There is no should or should not; if it can be done, it must.

To paraphrase a scientist speaking of cloning, “I’m too excited about the possibilities to consider the consequences.”

The following patent outlines several potential methods of weather modification. Due to the length and detail in the patent I have omitted portions, highlighted key information and in some cases added keywords and comments.

I encourage you to read the entire patent by visiting the United States Patent Office website and searching for United States Patent No. 4,686,605.

United States Patent 4,686,605
Eastlund August 11, 1987
Method and apparatus for altering a region in the earth's atmosphere, ionosphere, and/or magnetosphere

Panoramic view of Alaskan HAARP site

Abstract
A method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region which normally exists above the earth's surface. The region is excited by electron cyclotron resonance heating to thereby increase its charged particle density. In one embodiment, circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation is transmitted upward in a direction substantially parallel to and along a field line which extends through the region of plasma to be altered. The radiation is transmitted at a frequency which excites electron cyclotron resonance to heat and accelerate the charged particles. This increase in energy can cause ionization of neutral particles which are then absorbed as part of the region thereby increasing the charged particle density of the region.

Inventors: Eastlund; Bernard J. (Spring, TX)
Assignee: APTI, Inc. (Los Angeles, CA)
Appl. No.: 690333
Filed: January 10, 1985

Current U.S. Class: 361/231; 89/1.11; 244/158R; 380/59
Intern'l Class: H05B 006/64; H05C 003/00; H05H 001/46
Field of Search: 361/230,231 244/158 R 376/100 89/1.11 380/59
References Cited [Referenced By]

Other References

Liberty Magazine, (2/35) p. 7 N. Tesla.
New York Times (9/22/40) Section 2, p. 7 W. L. Laurence.
New York Times (12/8/15) p. 8 Col. 3.

Primary Examiner: Cangialosi; Salvatore
Attorney, Agent or Firm: MacDonald; Roderick W.

__specific patent claims omitted___

DESCRIPTION

1. Technical Field

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region normally existing above the earth's surface and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus for altering said at least one region by initially transmitting electromagnetic radiation from the earth's surface essentially parallel to and along naturally-occurring, divergent magnetic field lines which extend from the earth's surface through the region or regions to be altered.

2. Background Art

In the late 1950's, it was discovered that naturally-occuring belts exist at high altitudes above the earth's surface, and it is now established that these belts result from charged electrons and ions becoming trapped along the magnetic lines of force (field lines) of the earth's essentially dipole magnetic field.

. . .

In the past several years, substantial effort has been made to understand and explain the phenomena involved in belts of trapped electrons and ions, and to explore possible ways to control and use these phenomena for beneficial purposes. For example, in the late 1950's and early 1960's both the United States and U.S.S.R. detonated a series of nuclear devices of various yields to generate large numbers of charged particles at various altitudes, e.g., 200 kilometers (km) or greater. This was done in order to establish and study artifical belts of trapped electrons and ions.

. . .

Other proposals which have been advanced for altering existing belts of trapped electrons and ions and/or establishing similar artificial belts include injecting charged particles from a satellite carrying a payload of radioactive beta-decay material or alpha emitters; and injecting charged particles from a satellite-borne electron accelerator. Still another approach is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,042,196 wherein a low energy ionized gas, e.g., hydrogen, is released from a synchronous orbiting satellite near the apex of a radiation belt which is naturally-occurring in the earth's magnetosphere to produce a substantial increase in energetic particle precipitation and, under certain conditions, produce a limit in the number of particles that can be stably trapped. This precipitation effect arises from an enhancement of the whistler-mode and ion-cyclotron mode interactions that result from the ionized gas or "cold plasma" injection.

It has also been proposed to release large clouds of barium in the magnetosphere so that photoionization will increase the cold plasma density, thereby producing electron precipitation through enhanced whistler-mode interactions.

Comment: Hmm…. Barium. Where have I seen this before? Oh that’s right, chemtrails.

However, in all of the above-mentioned approaches, the mechanisms involved in triggering the change in the trapped particle phenomena must be actually positioned within the affected zone, e.g., the magnetosphere, before they can be actuated to effect the desired change.

. . .

from the HAARP Homepage

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for altering at least one selected region which normally exists above the earth's surface. The region is excited by electron cyclotron resonance heating of electrons which are already present and/or artifically created in the region to thereby increase the charged particle energy and ultimately the density of the region.

In one embodiment this is done by transmitting circularly polarized electromagnetic radiation from the earth's surface at or near the location where a naturally-occurring dipole magnetic field (force) line intersects the earth's surface

. . .

Sufficient energy is employed to cause ionization of neutral particles (molecules of oxygen, nitrogen and the like, particulates, etc.) which then become a part of the region thereby increasing the charged particle density of the region. This effect can further be enhanced by providing artificial particles, e.g., electrons, ions, etc., directly into the region to be affected from a rocket, satellite, or the like to supplement the particles in the naturally-occurring plasma. These artificial particles are also ionized by the transmitted electromagnetic radiation thereby increasing charged particle density of the resulting plasma in the region.

In another embodiment of the invention, electron cyclotron resonance heating is carried out in the selected region or regions at sufficient power levels to allow a plasma present in the region to generate a mirror force which forces the charged electrons of the altered plasma upward along the force line to an altitude which is higher than the original altitude.

. . .

By this embodiment, a plume of altered plasma can be established at selected locations for communication modification or other purposes.

In another embodiment, this invention is used to alter at least one selected region of plasma in the ionosphere to establish a defined layer of plasma having an increased charged particle density.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
____Drawing descriptions omitted here. ___

Another official HAARP shot

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The earth's magnetic field is somewhat analogous to a dipole bar magnet. As such, the earth's magnetic field contains numerous divergent field or force lines, each line intersecting the earth's surface at points on opposite sides of the Equator.

. . .

At various altitudes above the earth's surface, e.g., in both the ionosphere and the magnetosphere, plasma is naturally present along these field lines.

. . .

The production of enhanced ionization will also alter the distribution of atomic and molecular constituents of the atmosphere, most notably through increased atomic nitrogen concentration. The upper atmosphere is normally rich in atomic oxygen (the dominant atmospheric constituent above 200 km altitude), but atomic nitrogen is normally relatively rare. This can be expected to manifest itself in increased airglow, among other effects.

. . .

Some embodiments of the present invention require large amounts of power, e.g., up to 10.sup.9 to 10.sup.11 watts, in continuous wave or pulsed power. Generation of the needed power is within the state of the art. Although the electrical generators necessary for the practice of the invention can be powered in any known manner, for example, by nuclear reactors, hydroelectric facilities, hydrocarbon fuels, and the like, this invention, because of its very large power requirement in certain applications, is particularly adapted for use with certain types of fuel sources which naturally occur at strategic geographical locations around the earth. For example, large reserves of hydrocarbons (oil and natural gas) exist in Alaska and Canada. In northern Alaska, particularly the North Slope region, large reserves are currently readily available. Alaska and northern Canada also are ideally located geographically as to magnetic latitudes. Alaska provides easy access to magnetic field lines that are especially suited to the practice of this invention, since many field lines which extend to desirable altitudes for this invention intersect the earth in Alaska. Thus, in Alaska, there is a unique combination of large, accessible fuel sources at desirable field line intersections. Further, a particularly desirable fuel source for the generation of very large amounts of electricity is present in Alaska in abundance, this source being natural gas. The presence of very large amounts of clean-burning natural gas in Alaskan latitudes, particularly on the North Slope, and the availability of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), gas turbine, fuel cell, electrogasdynamic (EGD) electric generators which operate very efficiently with natural gas provide an ideal power source for the unprecedented power requirements of certain of the applications of this invention. For a more detailed discussion of the various means for generating electricity from hydrocarbon fuels, see "Electrical Aspects of Combustion", Lawton and Weinberg, Clarendon Press, 1969.

. . .

Put another way, in Alaska, the right type of fuel (natural gas) is naturally present in large amounts and at just the right magnetic latitudes for the most efficient practice of this invention, a truly unique combination of circumstances. Desirable magnetic latitudes for the practice of this invention interest the earth's surface both northerly and southerly of the equator, particularly desirable latitudes being those, both northerly and southerly, which correspond in magnitude with the magnetic latitudes that encompass Alaska.

. . .

For example, as a plasma moves upward, other particles at the same altitude as the plasma move horizontally into the region to replace the rising plasma and to form new plasma. The kinetic energy developed by said other particles as they move horizontally is, for example, on the same order of magnitude as the total zonal kinetic energy of stratospheric winds known to exist.

. . .

It can be seen from the foregoing that by appropriate application of various aspects of this invention at strategic locations and with adequate power sources, a means and method is provided to cause interference with or even total disruption of communications over a very large portion of the earth. This invention could be employed to disrupt not only land based communications, both civilian and military, but also airborne communications and sea communications (both surface and subsurface). This would have significant military implications, particularly as a barrier to or confusing factor for hostile missiles or airplanes. The belt or belts of enhanced ionization produced by the method and apparatus of this invention, particularly if set up over Northern Alaska and Canada, could be employed as an early warning device, as well as a communications disruption medium. Further, the simple ability to produce such a situation in a practical time period can by itself be a deterring force to hostile action. The ideal combination of suitable field lines intersecting the earth's surface at the point where substantial fuel sources are available for generation of very large quantitities of electromagnetic power, such as the North Slope of Alaska, provides the wherewithal to accomplish the foregoing in a practical time period, e.g., strategic requirements could necessitate achieving the desired altered regions in time periods of two minutes or less and this is achievable with this invention, especially when the combination of natural gas and magnetohydrodynamic, gas turbine, fuel cell and/or EGD electric generators are employed at the point where the useful field lines intersect the earth's surface. One feature of this invention which satisfies a basic requirement of a weapon system, i.e., continuous checking of operability, is that small amounts of power can be generated for operability checking purposes.

Further, in the exploitation of this invention, since the main electromagnetic beam which generates the enhanced ionized belt of this invention can be modulated itself and/or one or more additional electromagnetic radiation waves can be impinged on the ionized region formed by this invention as will be described in greater detail herein after with respect to FIG. 4, a substantial amount of randomly modulated signals of very large power magnitude can be generated in a highly nonlinear mode. This can cause confusion of or interference with or even complete disruption of guidance systems employed by even the most sophisticated of airplanes and missiles. The ability to employ and transmit over very wide areas of the earth a plurality of electromagnetic waves of varying frequencies and to change same at will in a random manner, provides a unique ability to interfere with all modes of communications, land, sea, and/or air, at the same time. Because of the unique juxtaposition of usable fuel source at the point where desirable field lines intersect the earth's surface, such wide ranging and complete communication interference can be achieved in a resonably short period of time. Because of the mirroring phenomenon discussed hereinabove, it can also be prolonged for substantial time periods so that it would not be a mere transient effect that could simply be waited out by an opposing force. Thus, this invention provides the ability to put unprecedented amounts of power in the earth's atmosphere at strategic locations and to maintain the power injection level, particularly if random pulsing is employed, in a manner far more precise and better controlled than heretofore accomplished by the prior art, particularly by the detonation of nuclear devices of various yeilds at various altitudes. Where the prior art approaches yielded merely transitory effects, the unique combination of fuel and desirable field lines at the point where the fuel occurs allows the establishment of, compared to prior art approaches, precisely controlled and long-lasting effects which cannot, practically speaking, simply be waited out. Further, by knowing the frequencies of the various electromagnetic beams employed in the practice of this invention, it is possible not only to interfere with third party communications but to take advantage of one or more such beams to carry out a communications network even though the rest of the world's communications are disrupted. Put another way, what is used to disrupt another's communications can be employed by one knowledgeable of this invention as a communications network at the same time. In addition, once one's own communication network is established, the far-reaching extent of the effects of this invention could be employed to pick up communication signals of other for intelligence purposes. Thus, it can be seen that the disrupting effects achievable by this invention can be employed to benefit by the party who is practicing this invention since knowledge of the various electromagnetic waves being employed and how they will vary in frequency and magnitude can be used to an advantage for positive communication and eavesdropping purposes at the same time.

HAARP prototype

Comment: Oil anyone?
However, this invention is not limited to locations where the fuel source naturally exists or where desirable field lines naturally intersect the earth's surface. For example, fuel, particularly hydrocarbon fuel, can be transported by pipeline and the like to the location where the invention is to be practiced.

Of course, the fuel source need not be used in its naturally-occurring state but could first be converted to another second energy source form such as hydrogen, hydrazine and the like, and electricity then generated from said second energy source form.

. . .

The generation of electricity by motion of a conducting fluid through a magnetic field, i.e., magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), provides a method of electric power generation without moving mechanical parts and when the conducting fluid is a plasma formed by combustion of a fuel such as natural gas, an idealized combination of apparatus is realized since the very clean-burning natural gas forms the conducting plasma in an efficient manner and the thus formed plasma, when passed through a magnetic field, generates electricity in a very efficient manner.

. . .

This invention has a phenomenal variety of possible ramifications and potential future developments. As alluded to earlier, missile or aircraft destruction, deflection, or confusion could result, particularly when relativistic particles are employed. Also, large regions of the atmosphere could be lifted to an unexpectedly high altitude so that missiles encounter unexpected and unplanned drag forces with resultant destruction or deflection of same.

Weather modification is possible by, for example, altering upper atmosphere wind patterns or altering solar absorption patterns by constructing one or more plumes of atmospheric particles which will act as a lens or focusing device.

. . .

Electromagnetic pulse defenses are also possible. The earth's magnetic field could be decreased or disrupted at appropriate altitudes to modify or eliminate the magnetic field in high Compton electron generation (e.g., from high altitude nuclear bursts) regions. High intensity, well controlled electrical fields can be provided in selected locations for various purposes. For example, the plasma sheath surrounding a missile or satellite could be used as a trigger for activating such a high intensity field to destroy the missile or satellite. Further, irregularities can be created in the ionosphere which will interfere with the normal operation of various types of radar, e.g., synthetic aperture radar. The present invention can also be used to create artificial belts of trapped particles which in turn can be studied to determine the stability of such parties. Still further, plumes in accordance with the present invention can be formed to simulate and/or perform the same functions as performed by the detonation of a "heave" type nuclear device without actually having to detonate such a device.

Thus it can be seen that the ramifications are numerous, far-reaching, and exceedingly varied in usefulness.

___end patent___

*Visit U.S. Patent Office website and search for patent No. 4,686,605.

*Visit your local library or the Internet and read about Nikolai Tesla (the energy and electricity genius), the HAARP project in Alaska, and other such subjects.

Remember that capability far exceeds reason or wisdom in the history of humanity.

-End transmission

-J.A.H.
Mentalgongfu

“Today each of us lives several hundreds of years in a decade.”
-Marshall McLuhan

Grey Skies - In About an Hour

2005-09-09T20:01:00.000-05:00

These images were taken about one hour apart. They display the skies over DeWitt, Iowa on a weekday morning in July 2005.

Following is a chronological presentation of the plane and cloud activity during that hour which shows the progression of chemtrail/aerosol operations.

Even if we assume these are normal planes and normal exhaust from jet engines flying at very high altitudes, surely the extreme pollution which is visible is cause for alarm.

Click on images for larger, more detailed picture

Two trails and some “cloud” wisps in the sky. The plane leaving the top trail is flying parallel to his little neighbor below.

The two trails are spreading out.

The spread continues.

If you look closely at the smoggy mess which has become the sky, you can see a plane leaving a trail more-or-less perpendicular to the trails in the first image. The trail follows the power line and the plane is above the chimney.

Same plane and trail, a few moments later.

Another plane visible in lower left above tree.

Same plane is now clearly visible as it crosses the sky.

Another plane is about to cross the trail from the above image.

Final shot in this progression, shown in introduction. This is what a chemtrail sky looks like after an hour.

Observations from a skywatcher:
Since the fateful May afternoon when I took my first photos of this strange activity in the sky, I have been researching the phenomenon and watching the skies religiously.

I have the privilege of daily viewing the skies over the Quad-City region, home to the Moline Airport and the Rock Island Arsenal. The Arsenal is to my understanding the largest military facility of its kind, producing things like add-on armor for Humvees, Howitzer machine guns and who knows what else. It is frequently said around here that the Rock Island Arsenal was and is an initial target of Russian nukes in the event of a conflict.

I also have the privilege of watching the skies over the DeWitt region to the north, and the Clinton area to the northeast. Clinton sits across the river from the Cordova nuclear power plant. Between Davenport and DeWitt lies the Mt. Joy National Guard installation, where Chinook helicopter training is conducted.

Furthermore, I have a reliable skywatcher contact in the Des Moines area (home to many important facilities and corporations) who provides a near-daily update.

It is also important to recognize there are several nuclear waste storage sites in Iowa. Whether such facilities and the above mentioned military and nuclear hubs are related to the chemtrail phenomena is unclear, but it helps to remind us Iowans that we are not the “middle of nowhere” as we sometimes imagine. Another fact to keep in mind is how important Midwest agriculture is to the food and feed supply of this nation and the world.

Since May I have consistently observed high-altitude planes leaving obvious chemtrails over eastern Iowa on average 5 out of 7 days each week. They do seem to take breaks every once in a while. My reports from the D.M. area seem to run concurrent with eastern Iowa activity; in other words, if the skies are clear here, they are clear there; and if the planes are at work in one spot, they’re working in the other.

When there are chemtrails over Davenport, there are chemtrails over DeWitt, chemtrails over Clinton, and in fact, chemtrails as far as the eye can see. I’d love to one of these days, when activity is high, drive across the state, from east to west to north and south, and see what I can see.

Some days, I get the pleasure of seeing a jet leaving a “normal contrail,” one which is relatively short in length and dissipates without leaving a muddy mess in the sky, one which is left by an obvious passenger plane and is not followed by other unmarked planes leaving long expanding trails which parallel and intersect each other in distinct geometric patterns.

On those days, especially when the “normal contrail” appears at the same time the cloud-monsters are at work, I can be confident I’m not just paranoid and conspiratorial.

I can’t say with any authority the purposes and mechanisms behind the aerosol operations in our skies.
I could say a lot about the various theories and my opinions of them, but I’d like to stick with what I know.

I know there are planes flying over Iowa at very high altitudes which leave long trails in apparent geometric patterns which over time expand and fill the sky.

I’m convinced from my observations of these planes they are not commercial passenger jets. I’m also convinced what they are doing is deliberate.

I discern the insulated skies which result from activity such as shown in the photos above will and does lead to diminished sunlight reaching the lower atmosphere and likely will result in subsequent environmental consequences, regardless of the phenomena’s origin, purpose or cause.

That’s enough gong fu for now.

I will leave you with a final image.

This picture was taken from the other side of the building featured in the above montage. It was taken in the late evening a day or two before the photos featured above. DeWitt, Iowa, with a population of approximately 5,000 and located in a rural community, sure is a hotspot for air traffic.

On the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-07T21:26:00.000-05:00

Observations as of September 7, 2005:

I’ve heard the hurricane survivors in areas outside of New Orleans (like Biloxi, Mississippi) feel neglected due to the lack of media attention to their own personal suffering. I’m going to talk about New Orleans anyway.

The situation just seems so horrible; it’s hard to wrap your head around. The news coverage on TV, if one surfs the channels these days, is equally horrible in its lack of perspective and the constant repetition of disconnected images next to talking heads. I saw one channel showing images of looters while two talking heads discussed what amazing and riveting performances the in-field journalists were giving amidst the pain and horror. The headline above them was something like “Media coverage of Katrina.” On the ticker, they ran a series of items about Osama bin Laden and fighting the terrorists “there,” meaning everywhere else, so they don’t get us here.

I thought of the Southpark episode where Cartman kills Scott Tenerman’s parents (long story) and feeds their remains to Scott cooked in a bowl of chili. To paraphrase Cartman, after he told Scott what was in his chili, “Let me taste your tears, Scott. Yumm, the sweet taste of unfathomable sadness.”

Yeah, that’s what TV “news” reminds me of. The sweet taste of unfathomable sadness.

That being said, there have been some propaganda-shattering media moments, such as New Orleans mayor Ray Naglin’s venomous comments (if you only heard soundbytes, find the full transcripts) which may have helped spur the elephant government into action. Most entertaining and surprising was Fox “News” with an on-air expletive from a hurricane survivor and emotional explosions from usual Big Brother shills like Shepard Smith.

To see the strangest and most disturbing footage of Hurricane Katrina coverage ever, coming from Fox News nonetheless, go to "www.crooksandliars.com" and do a search for Shepard Smith. The search bar is located on the right hand side. Scroll down when the page loads and you will see the "search this site" option. Download and play. If anything qualifies as must-see TV, this is it.
Or type in this link address, current as of today 9/7/05: http://www.crooksandliars.com/2005/09/02.html

Despite moments like the above, the coverage has mostly consisted of images of dead bodies, poisonous water, leveled houses, looters, lone-holdouts, huddled masses and now, much too late, a flood of rescuers. All I have heard, mixed in with these images, are reports of martial law, violence and looting, rape and murder at the “refugee centers," reports of people shooting at helicopters, and reports of FEMA turning away doctors, convoys of boats, supplies, equipment and other volunteers.

Meanwhile, the official line remains “we’re doing the best we can and everything is going fine” and the Suits on TV pat themselves on the back while anarchy reigns. First, people who wanted to get out without cars got bussed to a hellhole; now those who want to stay or return are to be kept away and forced out at gunpoint.

The reports are not only dark and depressing, they are very confusing and full of mixed messages.

It’s hard to have a clear thought when faced with digesting all of the news and information coming out of New Orleans, in addition to the useless drivel and blatant brainwashing which comes without fail from the TV “news.”

For anything with a semblance of credibility, I suggest you rely on trustworthy print and Internet news sources. I will explore how to determine their trustworthiness at a later date.

In major events, and even in minor events, the complete story usually will not come out for some time - months or years, if ever. With all the competing versions of truth floating in the INFOsphere these days, it becomes more difficult and more important to analyze what is presented as the news and “truth.” Understanding media is key.

And with the flood of Hurricane Katrina-related stories that have in America eclipsed nearly every other news event on the planet (other than the death of a Supreme Court Justice), it’s hard to think about much else. The stories, and the hurricanes, continue.

It’s hard to get a handle on the implications of something like HAARP, whether or not it relates to this catastrophe.

So I’ve waited to comment here on the many events surrounding this most recent American disaster. I’ve read, listened, watched and tried to digest everything coming from the media machines and I’ve tried to figure out what it all means. I just haven’t been able to think clearly enough. Something doesn’t make sense about all of this, but narrowing down just what it is and why, that hasn’t been working for me.

But today I finally had a clear thought on the world’s “last great superpower.” It’s certainly not the only thought, but it struck me as simple and revealing.

This nation could and has mobilized military forces, within minutes of receiving important intelligence information, to drop strategic bombs on international targets or send clandestine operatives to move in.

We could nuke the world without sending off a single soldier.

We can and did invade a country, quickly destroy its infrastructure with “shock and awe” bombings, and have since spent more than two years with soldiers occupying the property.

If so inclined, we could send a few hundred thousand more troops to another country, mobilize all our tanks and planes and bombs, mobilize our citizens through propaganda and exponentially increase production of war materials such as depleted uranium bullets. We have the capability, proven time and again, to be the most dominant military force in the world.

Basically, we’re real good at killing people. We’ve demonstrated to the world how good we are at killing the enemy, and we even brag about it.

What have we shown with New Orleans?
Our true colors.

We’ve shown we can’t, because we didn’t, do what is necessary to save the lives of our brothers and sisters in need, in time.

Plenty of volunteers are doing their best, and praise be to them. But the American Heads of State so prepared to go to war for “freedom” and “democracy” were not prepared to help the hungry, tired, and angry crowd at the Superdome. I cannot comprehend the horrors of the hurricane or the horrors of the Superdome, neither can I comprehend why there are so many stories of armed guards blocking people from leaving decimated “refugee camps.”

Pondering America’s history, I wondered if maybe we’re just not real good at helping people, other than ourselves.

The clear thought was this: We’re real good at killing people, but we’re not too good at helping people. In other words, we’re violent and selfish.

And that, my friends, sums up much of the popular American culture and values and the many greedy, self-absorbed and ignorant Americans who adhere to such.

In the land of the free and the home of the brave, where are the brave? Time will tell.

-J.A.H.
Mentalgongfu

Don't Eat Wheaties

2005-09-01T23:22:00.000-05:00

Please don't eat Wheaties.
Just don’t. Trust me.

Oh, of course, you want to know why.

“Why shouldn’t I eat Wheaties?” you ask.
“Why shouldn’t I eat the cereal endorsed by star athletes across America?” you plead.
If you must have an explanation, here’s a start.

The short answer, an anecdote:

My grandparents had to leave their house because of failing health. My father and I attempted to clean up the place, which was filled in every nook and cranny with unimaginable collections from my Grandpa’s garage sale days. Literally tens of thousands of baseball cards, old magazines, electronic equipment, four decades of clothing, piles of aluminum foil and hydrogen peroxide (depression-era syndrome), hunting and fishing gear, “aroma-disc” players, marbles, comic books and so much miscellaneous junk and treasure which cannot be accurately described, only remembered by those who saw it firsthand.

Along with all that, the house was terribly infested with mice

The rodents had gotten into everything. They ate the kitchen; they ate through the flour and cake mix, the candy bars and paper towels; they chewed the boxes on dozens of packages of aluminum foil. The mice ate everything in the kitchen cupboards, even the flower-decorated overlays lining the cabinets.

They chewed through the plastic cover on popcorn bags which were (for some reason) stashed in the bottom of boxes of comic books in the crowded basement. They chewed through the bags and ate all the popcorn seeds. They snacked on the boxes of gimmicky hygiene products my aunt’s husband used to sell and gnawed on the stacks of Guns and Ammo.

They chewed through the paper in every desk in every room in the house; they ate through clothes in every closet, nibbled on record covers, munched on baseball cards. They ate every one of the dozens of poison bricks we set out for them, and they kept on coming.

All the while, they shat everywhere they went.

The entire time the mice took over, what I can only guesstimate was a period of two to three years, as they digested every chewable and edible item in the home, they never dared touch Grandpa’s collectible boxes of Wheaties, the ones with the Nascar memorabilia inside. They never even chewed the cardboard, let alone the healthy Wheaties cereal inside. The mice ate everything in the house, except the Wheaties.

Perhaps there is some mouse-repellant ink on the Wheaties box cover. Perhaps the packages are so finely sealed the delicious Wheaties scent escaped the senses of the voracious rodents. But I tend to doubt that.

In any case, don’t eat Wheaties.

I’m reminded of the canary in the coal mine.
I’ve read that flies love sugar but won’t touch Nutrasweet, also known as aspartame.
I drank a lot of diet soda as a kid.

I’m reminded of how to cook frogs. Drop them in slightly warm water and they’ll be grateful. Then increase the heat, just a little bit at a time. By the time the frog realizes he’s your dinner, the water is already boiling.

Just don’t eat Wheaties.
Just in case. Just until we figure it out.

Maybe the problem is acrylamide, a reported byproduct of Round-up and similar popular weed killers, which is allegedly formed when subject to high temperatures, such as are common in high-volume processing of grain.

Acrylamide is alleged to be a carcinogenic neurotoxin.

Acrylamide has been named in recent California lawsuits and is under intense European scrutiny.

In any case, just don’t eat Wheaties.

If it’s not good enough for a mouse, how good can it be for you?

-J.A.H.

mentalgongfu

Power Outage

2005-08-30T00:22:00.000-05:00

Do you know how to live without a refrigerator? An oven? A furnace? A phone?

How long can you go?

Based on a true story

The Power went out Sunday night, about 7 p.m., right before The Simpsons. Eventually it came back on, around 9 p.m., right before nothing.

I haven't seen so many people in my neighborhood outside and together at one time since I was a child.

I even went out for a walk, to see what the situation was in the whole ‘hood. Power was out only on my street and a couple other houses. All the surrounding streets were online. And everything was okay, until it got dark.

The Darkness

Outage last long time without TV, radio or computer to distract you.

People go outside, ask each other “What’s going on?”

“When they fix it? What happen?” they say.

They take walks too.
Others stand in doorway and shine flashlights at me walking.

No one know what to do. Fading daylight when power go out. Then get dark.
No one understand dark. Electricity = light always. What do when no light?

Up street I hear and look:

“Bob,” Bill say, blinding Bob with flashlight in eyes, “You got power?”

“No, Bill, he say back, “no power.”

“You call electric company, Bob?”

“I call,” Bob say. He take off red cap and scratch head. “They say they know, no power. Send man to fix.”

Bill smile. Look relieved.
“I call too. They say me they know, no power, send man to fix.”

Bob smile too.
“Good, Bob say.”

Down street I hear and see:

Joe pull truck into garage. Joe lucky. Garage open before power go out.
When garage closed, car stuck with no power.

Joe go inside and get wife Jenny and flashlight.
Jack across street see Joe come home and get wife Jill and walk into street together.

Joe shine flashlight on Jack and Jill
Mostly Joe shine on Jill, and he walk into street with Jenny.

Jack shine flashlight on Joe and Jenny.
Mostly he shine on Jenny.

“Jack, what happen?” Joe say. Joe shine flashlight on Jack’s face, but he look from other eye at Jill.
“Power go out,” Jack answer.
“You call power company?” Joe ask.
“I call,” Jack say. “They say they know, no power, and send man to fix. Man be here soon, they say.”

Joe look at Jack and smile. “Good,” he say.

"Need Power," Joe say.
“Have dishes to wash. Have shows to watch. Need power,” Joe say.

Now, Jenny smile.

“Then we listen for truck,” Jack say.
“Yes, big truck bring Power,” say Joe.

The light?

I tired.
I go inside.

I sit in dark and smoke cigarettes.
I listen to bugs and people chirp.
I think I hear trucks, then
I think I hear no trucks, then
I think I don’t care about trucks at all really
And I sit in dark and smoke cigarettes.

Then
I remember,
computer has power in battery.

Go to computer, I say.
I get up, and I walk toward computer, and

Then I hear shouts of “Hooray” and “Hurrah” echoing through the neighborhood.

I heard trucks rumbling away and saw porches bathed in 40-watt bulbs. I saw flashlights go off and parties depart. I saw blue screens flicker on and keep flickering and I felt alpha waves filling the air.

The bathroom light came on, and I saw I needed to scrub the toilet.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

Chavez threatens oil cartels

2005-08-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Greed and Power have always been and will continue to be the primary motivating factors for human behavior as long as the world views which value such traits persist and are encouraged.

Rare is the individual who truly pursues the lofty ideals of Truth, Justice and Equality.

CNN News is reporting Venezuelan President and democratic-socialist Hugo Chavez, recently anointed as an assassination target by The 700 Club's Pat Robertson, has proposed to offer cheap oil directly to poor communities in the U.S.A.

"We want to sell gasoline and heating fuel directly to poor communities in the United States," Chavez reportedly said.

This is a bold move by Chavez, whether or not he intends to actually follow through with the ill-advised promise. This is a threat to the U.S., and more specifically to the oil companies and countries who recently reported record profits as gas prices in "the Homeland" soar.

The announcement from the fiery Chavez may or may not be related to the controversy over Robertson's much publicized comments on getting rid of the Venezuelan leader. Headlines everywhere have weighed in on the proposed Assassination of Chavez.

In recent reports, Robertson says he was misinterpreted, and goes on to note that "taking out" Chavez could include such things as kidnapping or other means. How very Christian.

For the record, Robertson said something to the effect that since Chavez thinks we're trying to assassinate him, we should just do it, since taking him out with covert operatives would be cheaper than waging another war.

Chavez reportedly announced, at the end of a visit to Cuba today, August 24, 2005, he could cut in half the price of gas in America by cutting out the middlemen.

Myself, I wonder what the middlemen will think of such a suggestion.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

Chemtrails over Iowa

2005-08-20T23:10:00.000-05:00

If you want to hide something, put it in plain view.

For a brief introduction to "chemtrails" or "aerosol trails" see my previous post Worth a Thousand Words.

Davenport, Iowa May 22, 2005

from the Green Space in northwest Davenport.

Just a few minutes later, from a different angle:.

from a field off Northwest Boulevard looking northwest:

from Kwik Shop on 53rd Street near North High School, looking northeast:

from my backyard. This picture helps to put it in perspective. A plane in progress of leaving a trail next to one which has been around for a while.

a close-up of a plane:

from an industrial site on North Carey, looking north toward Mt. Joy area over a baseball field:

Another good comparison:

Another plane close up:

A view of the Green Space from a few blocks away. This looks in the same general direction as the previous Green Space photos but was taken about one block further north on Marquette Street:

Is it sinking in yet?

Zooming in:

Another plane close up:

The overall picture again:

Look up. Look to the skies. Watch the planes and the weather. The operations continue.

New info in shooting of innocent Brazilian in London

2005-08-16T22:45:00.000-05:00

British news sources, including The Telegraph and ITV News, have reported on leaked documents which contradict the initial story about Charles De Menezes, the Brazilian electrician who was shot multiple times on a subway train in London following the two July bombing incidents.

The reports claim among other things:

Menezes was wearing a denim jacket, not a bulky coat.

He used a tube pass to pay for his entry and did not vault a turnstile.

He did not run from police.

He was shot seven times in the head, once in the shoulder (eight total), and three bullets missed.
note: Other reports say seven. Some early reports said five.

The following article from World News Australia sums up well the story as it has developed so far.
(http://www9.sbs.com.au/theworldnews/region.php?id=118432®ion=3)

But simply search for “Menezes” in Google News and you can find many stories.

QUESTIONS OVER MENEZES KILLING
18.8.2005. 10:15:56

Leaked documents have revealed that a Brazilian man killed by British police on suspicion of being a suicide bomber was not trying to evade police when he was shot, contradicting earlier police reports.
Britain’s ITV News reported that closed-circuit TV captured Jean Charles de Menezes walking calmly into Stockwell subway station before going down an escalator and running to board a train, moments before he was shot by police on July 22.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is investigating the shooting, refused to confirm or deny the report.

Initial reports said Mr de Menezes had been acting suspiciously — wearing a bulky jacket, jumping a ticket barrier and sprinting onto the train.

But witness accounts and photographs leaked to ITV painted a different picture, showing the man in a light denim jacket walking calmly.

They also revealed that Mr de Menezes was restrained by an officer before being shot eight times, one day after the failed July 21 bombings in London.

The ITV report said Mr de Menezes was seen to board the train before pausing and then sitting down.

Moments later, police burst in and apparently restrained the Brazilian before shooting him seven times in the head and once in the shoulder.

A member of the police surveillance team was quoted as saying: "I heard shouting, which included the word 'police', and turned to face the male in the denim jacket.

"He immediately stood up and advanced towards me and the SO19 officers... I grabbed the male in the denim jacket by wrapping both my arms around his torso, pinning his arms to his side.

"I then pushed him back on to the seat where he had been previously sitting... I then heard a gunshot very close to my left ear."

Officers following Mr de Menezes thought he matched the description of one of the July 21 attackers, according to the documents.

Mr de Menezes residence had been under surveillance but a police officer failed to videotape him leaving because he had been on a toilet break. (empasis added)

Relatives of the Brazilian have demanded a public inquiry and say the officers involved should be jailed.

"My family deserve the full truth about his murder. The truth cannot be hidden any longer. It has to be made public," Mr de Menezes's cousin, Allessandro Pereira, said.

"There's obviously some level of incompetence here or some serious breakdown in communications with the various officers involved in surveillance," Harriet Wistrich, lawyer for the de Menezes family, told Channel Four News.

Two-Headed Dragon I

2005-08-13T02:07:00.000-05:00

The Two-Headed Dragon
Pt. I

The left and the right are obsolete.

Democrats, liberals, etc., feel like they are under attack, like they have been lied to and betrayed. They don’t trust the authority.

Republicans, conservatives, etc., feel like they are under attack, like they have been lied to and betrayed. They don’t trust the authority.

But the distrust of Partisans lies only in the opposing side. Cons hate Clinton. Libs hate Bush. They blame the country’s re-occurring problems always on the opposing side, no matter that they never are solved, no matter which of the supposed “two sides of the aisle” are in power.

The left/right distinction is obsolete.

Everyone in-between, Libertarians, Greens, Socialists, etc., and the many masses who don’t vote and have no involvement in the political system KNOW they are under attack, have been lied to and betrayed.

The lack of trust is evident everywhere. I offer this: It is not each other we should distrust.

It is not true Democrats are Communists in disguise, and it is not true Republicans are closet racists and homophobes.

Not most of them, anyway.

As for the Democratic Party and the Republican Party, they both receive massive amounts of campaign cash, favors, incentives and “lobbying” from the industries or individuals whose interests they coincidentally tend to represent by passing favorable legislation and deliberately ignoring the voices of “we the people” whom they supposedly represent.

Nowadays, many voices are arguing about who, what and why are behind all the troubles we face.

We argue about what exactly it is behind the curtain – but more and more people are convinced the curtain exists.

-j.a.h.
mentalgongfu

Seasons Change

2005-08-11T23:33:00.000-05:00

It has been said, we will not know the hour or the day, but we will know the season.

Tracking chips used for livestock are quickly and effectively being introduced to humans as a necessary health and security measure. They are evident in the form of RFID chips in Driver's Licenses and Passports (both measures recently approved but not yet implemented) and a plan by Verichip and parent company Applied Digital Solutions, the only company to offer an FDA-approved human-implantable RFID microchip, to make the Verichip a global means of human identification for medical and security purposes, i.e., implanting the world.

Verichip is also being used and marketed as a payment method in several clubs for VIPs.

Part of the official Verichip marketing plan is to find high profile individuals and celebrities to promote the technology by being implanted, getting chipped. Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson and former Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge have recently been appointed, respectively, to the board of directors of Verichip and Digital Angel (Applied Digital subsidiary). Both are getting chipped. Thompson, coincidentally I'm sure, had a key role in promoting Verichip while he was employed in the Health Department under the first Bush Administration.

more to come. and much more out there if you look for yourself.

-j.a.h.
mentalgongfu

Michael Jackson jurors should shut up

2005-08-10T23:10:00.000-05:00

Several of the jurors who recently acquitted Michael Jackson in a sexual abuse lawsuit now claim Jackson is guilty. They claim at this late date, while shopping book deals, that MJ is a molester, but they were pressured into voting otherwise.

The Jackson jurors should shut their filthy mouths. They acquitted him, but now that they’re looking to cash in, they really think he's guilty. The reason is obvious: no one would buy a book about Michael Jackson not being a child molester.

“No doubt in my mind whatsoever, that boy was molested, and I also think he enjoyed to some degree being Michael Jackson's toy," said Eleanor Cook, as reported by MTV.com

If she has no doubt, I’m certain she couldn’t have had any “reasonable doubt” either. In light of this, her vote to acquit is mystifying.

If Cook and the other jurors truly believe what they're saying (that Michael Jackson is guilty), they are hypocrites of the worst order. They are liars and traitors who have subverted the justice system and are now looking to profit from it.

And of course, if they don’t believe what they’re saying, they are hypocrites, liars and traitors who have subverted the justice system and are now looking to profit from it.

As far as I’m concerned, such traitors of justice should be quickly tried, and if found guilty, summarily lynched. In the news business, I always keep the following in mind: the information is only as good as the source.
In turn, a person is only as good as his or her honor. I have no use for dishonorable people.

Any way you slice it, the situation offers ample opportunity for me to call the now-dissenting jurors by mean names. I call it as I see it, and I will call them whores. Regardless of Michael Jackson’s true status as an alleged sexual deviant, the jury unanimously acquitted him in a public courtroom. Yet after the trial, these jurors call him guilty through the media, where he suffers no consequences, and where they likely will earn rich rewards.

How I wish these jurors now so confident of Jackson’s guilt would have had the courage to stand up when it mattered.

Without evidence of such, it appears they are simply greedy and morally vacant.

-j.a.h.
mentalgongfu

"We look at the present through a rear-view mirror. We march backwards into the future."
-Marshall McLuhan

Terror Alert Orange

2005-08-08T23:18:00.000-05:00

Terror Alert: Elevated and High

I was reminded of the terror alert by the Fox News ticker during the Bill O'Reilly show yesterday, during a segment on new details re: the Natalie Holloway/Aruba case, shortly after a ticker item referencing suspected somethings-or-others.

Fox, the only TV news station to continue use of the color-coded terror alert system on a daily basis, performs a valuable service. So do all the newspapers which print daily the current terror alert level.

I, in my insulated world of London bombs and promises of a WMD strike against the "Homeland" (beware the attack 'simulations'), had forgotten what colors and words I am supposed to use to define my everyday existence.

Let me repeat them:

Terror alert orange; transportation industries such as subways, buses and trains are HIGH.
Terror alert yellow; everyone else is just ELEVATED.

The terror alert level has never fallen below elevated since its creation following the events of September 11, 2001.

I had forgotten
I needed
to elevate
my alertness
of terror

Am I supposed to be looking for bearded men in heavy coats?

According to the International Association of Police Chiefs, I am.

What do I do when Winter comes? I like my beard and I don't want to freeze to death, though it might be better than a bullet in the head.

-j.a.h.

The Cash Register

2005-08-07T16:27:00.000-05:00

"Only puny secrets need protection. Big discoveries are protected by public incredulity."
-Marshall McLuhan

The Cash Register: a short short story

Jim Fisher was on the radio. The city council and Ted Kennedy were evil. It was a Davenport afternoon in the year 2004. She was the nice one with red hair.

The cash register rang up $6.66. She smiled and dropped the items one by one into a plastic bag - a 40 gram package of rolling tobacco, 100 Top filters for 99 cents and a six-pack of Icehouse bottles.

"That's a bad sign," I muttered.

She chuckled.
"I don't believe in that kind of stuff," she proclaimed.

So I shot her, and walked out the door.

"Fiction often brings readers closer to truth than other types of storytelling. Words are weapons, and they matter more than most people realize. Rhetoric is a type of mind-control. Words can own a dull mind or master a sharp one; only the discerning mind can master words and their implications"

-Jeremy Huss

coming soon: The Two-Headed Dragon: how the two-party system and the hateful us-them liberal/conservative rhetoric serves to divide and conquer.

and coming eventually: the culmination of a long-term research project: an expose on Verichip and its related companies plan to implant the world with RFID microchips. To learn more yourself, search for Applied Digital Solutions, Digital Angel and Verichip.

From Hiroshima to Iraq

2005-08-07T01:07:00.000-05:00

From Hiroshima to Iraq

It's hard to swallow the incredulity of the assumption that we really "saved lives" by dropping an atomic bomb which killed hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians and irradiated an entire population for generations. It is true nuclear destruction may have saved some American lives in the war itself, inevitably in exchange for Japanese lives, of course.
The act certainly demonstrated the awesome destructive power of the American military complex.

But it also admittedly unleashed a weapon which threatens the extinction of the entire human race several times over. I fail to see how spawning an international nuclear arms race, which continues today with threats of nuclear war with North Korea, Iran, China, Russia and various rogue groups with "suitcase nukes" has saved ANY lives.

Rather, the continued development of advanced nuclear weapons by the U.S. and its foray into nukes in space and depleted-uranium ammunition serves only to increase the efficacy of killing and raise the odds of global annihilation. If the testing of nuclear weapons in the U.S. both before and after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, as well as later known tests abroad, were factored into the equation, I'm sure it would be evident we have not “saved” any lives and have in fact cost many.

Ultimately, the use of two Atomic Bombs against the Japanese rendered only destruction and death, as that is the only purpose of such weaponry.

Nuclear weapons are not designed to save people, but kill them.
Guns are similar. I support the right to gun ownership, but it must be acknowledged guns are not a “defensive” weapon. While a valid self defense argument can be made for carrying a gun, it is by nature an offensive weapon. Certainly the deer hunter is not carrying his rifle in defense of the deer; he carries it to shoot him down. If you shoot a burglar in your house, your motivation may be self defense, but the effect and intent of the gun is to kill or disable the intruder - an offensive response.

Some would say such is the way of the world. That an aggressive stance, and the readiness to follow through, are a necessity against the threat of assailants. And they would be partially right. But in adhering blindly to this policy, and especially to the Bush Doctrine of Pre-emptive warfare, we throw away common sense and widely-accepted moral adages.

Believing my neighbor is a murderer, or some sort of lesser criminal who poses a real or perceived threat to me, what would happen if I crossed the street and shot him in the head 7 times?
If you guessed I’d be hauled off to jail and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, you deserve 50 silver dollars and a good football-style smack on the ass. But of course, events on the national and international stage are exempt from the rules of the common people.

On these stages, where the figureheads spout arrogant and flamboyant rhetoric of freedom and democracy, two wrongs do make a right, and people ripped apart by misplaced laser-guided missile airstrikes are just collateral damage in the mission of spreading freedom to the surviving members of their families.

Hypocrisy is apparently irrelevant on the international stage. Threatening nations to stop developing nuclear power, let alone nuclear weapons, while we continue to use and develop both, at best sends a severely mixed message.

This story from a popular advice column serves as a good example. If it wasn’t an intentional attempt, it’s a beautiful coincidence:

As to the inevitable questions regarding this author’s patriotism:
Soldiers follow orders, and many do so with good intentions. I respect the ideals for which many Americans sign up to serve. I have friends and family who have served and are serving in the American military. I think those for and against the Iraq war, across the political divide, can all agree we want our soldiers home soon and safe.

I would never make a good soldier for the likes of our current military. I am prone to question orders, and could only follow them if I truly believed in the cause.
I believe in freedom, and perhaps my definition of freedom differs from others. My freedom does not include constant camera surveillance, comprehensive communication monitoring, warrantless searches, guilt based on dissemination of blurry video camera images. . . and all sorts of other violations of the Constitution which are acceptable these days.

Here’s a link to the constitution. Read it carefully. If you’re sharp, you could learn a lot.

http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html

If we are to fight a war in Iraq, one that Donald Rumsfeld advertises could last 12 years, let the Congress declare war, and be held responsible for its actions.
Article I, Section 8, of the Constitution grants Congress the power to declare war, but the body of supposed representatives has refused to do so since the Korean War.

“The Congress shall have Power To: . . .
To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;”

The resolution giving Bush unilateral power to invade a supposed threatening country is not enough to justify pre-emptive invasion.
We can no longer let the Congress get away with calling our Wars “police actions.”
We must make accountable those elected to make the decisions of War, the Congress and the President.

The fact is the mission of war, even if launched ostensibly to save lives, is ultimately about killing the designated enemy, whoever that might be.

From Hiroshima to Iraq, America claims honor and righteousness in its actions. If we are to reclaim honor (righteousness was lost long ago), we could start by rendering responsibility for the actions of our nation's agencies and agendas on those leaders who make decisions which affect us all.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

"A-bomb mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, August 6th, 1945, about one hour after the bombing. Photo taken from a U.S. airplane over the Seto Inland Sea about 80 kilometers from the hypocenter. U.S. Army photo courtesy of the Hiroshima Peace Culture Foundation."

File under: Things to ponder

2005-08-04T00:36:00.000-05:00

A thought for Americans to ponder:

Bombs go off in London July 7, and America watches. Bombs go off in London July 21, and America watches. Bombs go off in Baghdad everyday, but no one pays too much attention anymore.

I notice it myself. Even I have developed the habit of skimming stories about violence in Iraq, rather than reading all the details, like I used to. Has it become that normal? Two years after declaring victory in Iraq, the casualties mount, the war continues, and the Troops remain, but Americans have chosen to focus on other things; I dare not attempt to list them all, but the Michael Jackson trial and the missing Holloway girl in Aruba are good examples of stories which have pre-empted attention from events with much farther-reaching consequences.

These stories(MJ and Aruba) are significant in their own right, but they are used as distractions, particularly on "TV News," which is essentially an oxymoron. They are distractions from the events in Iraq and Afghanistan, and from cases such as the investigation of special prosecuter Patrick Fitzgerald into the White House CIA leak, which appears to lead to the upper levels of the current administration, and relates directly to the War in Iraq.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

On the nature of conspiracy

2005-08-01T23:31:00.000-05:00

Conspiracy is a word which has been much abused and defamed in the American psyche. “Conspiracy” has so often been associated with “theory,” and the two so often associated together as a synonym for the product of some nutcase who believes his neighbor is beaming voices into his head with the radio antenna on his Ford Bronco, that it has lost any real meaning to the minds of most Americans. Upon the first utterance of the word conspiracy, Americans immediately imagine some far-off and otherworldly event, something so far from reality it is laughable.

But conspiracies are all too real.
A conspiracy happens any time two or more people team up, in secret, to pull an illegal stunt. I witness conspiracy frequently in my line of work, as the judicial system is not afraid to use the word, knowing its legitimate definition. To conspire means to collude, to act in unison or agreement and in secret towards a deceitful or illegal purpose; "The two companies conspired to cause the value of the stock to fall". Conspiracy to manufacture methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute marijuana, conspiracy to defraud the government, etc.

Conspiracies happen many places, but they are seldom as well defined as in drug prosecutions.

Yet, many Americans still laugh, still cringe and cower away, still deny any notion of conspiracy within our own government. Americans refuse to even consider the possibility, in the face of often overwhelming evidence, that the official story is nothing more than a 10 pound bag of bullshit in a 5 pound bag, labeled Sugar, drawing maggots and flies while decomposing in the cupboard.

Americans, as a whole, refuse to consider lies about the U.S.S. Maine precipitating the Spanish-American War, lies about Pearl Harbor (WWII), lies about Tonkin Gulf (Vietnam), lies about Iran Contra, lies about Oklahoma City, lies about Ruby Ridge and Waco, lies about 9-11 and in our recent past, lies about Iraq. In the present day, we endure lies about London. And we are beginning gulp lies about Iran to precipitate further war in the oil-rich Middle East.

All this, despite the Kennedy Assassination. If you believe the Magic Bullet Theory, I’d like to tell you how you can earn up to $5,000 weekly stuffing envelopes from your own home.

And yet, Americans have swallowed (ignoring the bitter aftertaste), the ultimate conspiracy theory. That a 6-foot-6-inch tall fanatical Muslim, living in a cave in remote Afghanistan, orchestrated the alleged events of 9-11 and countless other incidents of international violence using a global network of America-hating fanatical Muslims called Al-Quaida (supposedly translated as "the database"), who form small and leaderless “terror cells” and infiltrate the west, hiding for years until they are “activated” and then killing themselves and others in order that they might be martyred and live in Heaven with 72 virgins, and that the "terrorists" do all this without being traced under the watchful eye of global satellites, communications monitoring and all aspects of the Echelon program until after the fact. The obvious solution, of course, is to scrutinize Americans more intensely and to make war on majority Islamic nations, calling it a Crusade.

Swallowed: That “radical Muslims” are angry at us because we have freedom, and that is why they strap bombs to themselves and hijack airplanes. Swallowed, despite the fact the Koran forbids suicide. Swallowed, despite the fact that Osama was, about 20 years ago, an ally to whom the good ol’ USA supplied weapons, such as RPGs, and training, to fight Russia in Afghanistan.

Swallowed: the link to Iraq. Swallowed, despite the fact that about 20 years ago Saddam too was a good buddy, gassing Kurds as he fought our enemy Iran. Swallowed, despite the fact Saddam ran a secular dictatorship and was considered by Osama to be an enemy of Islam.

Swallowed: that America must bring unprovoked war upon an “Axis of Evil” (Iraq, Iran, North Korea. Iran is next.) and upon “terrorists everywhere.” Swallowed, that to do so Grandma must have her shoes scanned for explosives at the airport while illegal aliens run freely across our borders, that all Americans must have RFID chips in drivers licenses (see REAL ID ACT), and that foreigners in funny coats can be shot on site.

George Bush, and many others, claim “terrorists” (read:Muslims) hate us because of our freedom. I guess that’s why the administration is dismantling civil liberties at every chance it gets, and creating opportunities where none occur naturally. Eliminating American freedom would effectively neutralize the terror threat. Don’t get me wrong, John Kerry is no better, he’s in on the game. So are all the other King’s Men and misguided/manipulated would-be heroes who claim honor and charity while serving only their own interests. More on that later, tentatively titled “The Two-Headed Dragon.”

As a result of the negative connotations of the word conspiracy, many in the alternative media have taken the habit of using other terms, such as cabal, gang, criminal thugs, and other more creative linguistic devices.

I, myself, prefer Conspiracy. And conspiracies are not hard to find, whether they be two 16-year old kids planning to sell two ounces of dope, or two corporate heads planning to fix oil prices under the table.

In later columns, I expect the idea of conspiracy will reappear frequently. Remember, Dear Readers, what a conspiracy is, and recall that many alleged criminals are convicted, sometimes to death, solely on circumstantial evidence.

-J.A.H.
mentalgongfu

Mentalgongfu comes out kicking and punching

2005-07-30T17:33:00.000-05:00

Mentalgongfu is now on the net!

Mentalgongfu is a forum for critical thinking and astute observations, intended to slice through the illusions of the temporal world and conquer the lies, disinformation and banal distractions which permeate our mental environment.

Mentalgongfu is exercise for the mind; an art form of fighting with thoughts and ideas, words and wisdom, philosophy and logic. Reason in a world of treason.

The real battles are always fought in the mind.

Mentalgongfu began its life as a series of columns with varying titles, before becoming Mental Kung Fu, published in The Ray, the student newspaper of Central College in Pella, Iowa, from 1999-2003. Some of the later articles can be found at Centralmania.com. Mental Kung Fu has continued through today (July 30, 2005) in the form of correspondence to friends and colleagues, letters to the editor in various newspapers and in as-yet-unpublished writings from the author.

This is the official and informal re-immersion of Mental Kung Fu, under a slightly different (and more authentic) title. I have much to say and share with you all, dear readers. In the coming days and weeks you should see more content coming online as the blog takes shape and I learn more about web-based publishing. I hope to eventually have a full-fledged website (once I learn how to build one).

I look forward to exploring the possibilities of this revolutionary medium for mass communication. My mind is racing with ideas. . . it is too early to give a clear view of how Mentalgongfu will evolve, since the scope at this time is wide open. However, as with the original Mental Kung Fu, Mentalgongfu is pledged to truth, justice and reason, along with a little bit of humor, since I am a cynical, sarcastic bastard.

"If you want to be seen, stand up. If you want to be heard, speak out"
-Edgardo "Ace" Acevado

Peace love

-Jeremy Alan Huss
Creator and author, Mentalgongfu