Movin' On Up...
Mind Pollution has moved! Like Lee Majors in slow-motion, Mind Pollution has been rebuilt into a better, faster, stronger version of itself, and you can find it all right here (sans the tacky jump-suits)...

I only have time to jot a quick note, but this was too unbelievable to let pass. Does this strike anyone else as one more truly bizarre act falling under the new definition of "patriotism"?

So as to not let anyone think that my life is anything less than an exciting and phenomenally entertaining adventure, I've decided to make a list of things I need to post in the very near future. Unfortunately, the whole "quitting-my-job-and-going-back-to-school-while-attempting-to-juggle-all-of-the-horrible-responsibilities-that-my-first-gig-in-college-never-really-prepared-me-for" deal has really cramped my style, and is infringing upon my freedom of speech (as pertaining to the blogging world). So in order to conceptualize it all in my own brain-pan, here's a list of the things for which you should begin holding your breath while I take the time to post: 1. Review of Tom Robbins' novel Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas 2. Review of the Billy Joel and Elton John's "Face to Face" concert, which I attended on Thursday (an introspective look into age as it relates to concert-goers) 3. Discussion of why the warmongers shouldn't be gloating 4. An update on the "Team Melrose" standing in this year's BIG Arena hockey league - as of today, we've got two wins, and two losses 5. A discussion of the test I'm currently conducting in regards to my job, entitled "How Far Can I Go Without Actually Being Fired?" 6. A review of the Pearl Jam show I'll be attending tomorrow night at the Knickerbocker Arena here in Albany (I refuse to call it "The Pepsi Arena") 7. A future discussion of why I neglected to actually post half of the things I wrote on this list, even after making the list to insure that I would post them I'm planning on being horribly and contagiously sick for the next few days, so I won't be able to come in to work. I should have the time to get a few of these posts up, as long as I don't confuse multi-vitamins with prescription painkillers anytime in the near future (What? It happens!). Have faith, dear soul.. have faith.

Blog Love - it ain't as sweet as the real thing, but requires alot less cleaning up afterwards A great philosopher once said, "better late than never". I am fairly sure that this same philosopher had alot of time to come up with grand ideas like this one as he was waiting for the next bus, free dinner table, or on hold with his credit card company after being caught in the snare of bad punctuality. With this in mind, I am a day late in carrying on the messy festival of love that was initiated by Erika at SnazzyKat. So just like a good disease, love is certainly more fun when it is spread around - so I'm paying my respects to the following blogs... Knitwitology Morgan is the sole reason Mind Pollution came into existence in its current form (keep that in mind when you're looking for a target for your hate mail). I'm fairly sure he used some sort of latent Vermont-bred telepathy to bring me into the blogging world, but thus far all substantial evidence of this has eluded me. When I got started here, he told me "you don't tell people to blog - they pick it up on their own, once they see what it has to offer". In this way, his view on blogging makes him sound alot like Jesus. He has an amazing site on the visual level, a decent site on the grammatical level, and a phenomenal site in the areas of content and relevant information. I don't think I've ever had a conversation with Morgan that wasn't deep, philosophical, and completely misunderstood by everyone else in our social circle. He also has pictures of me hidden on his site, which always helps to spruce things up. Thudfactor John has taken me under his wing, which would be a great thing if he actually used deodorant. Ok, ok - I probably shouldn't bite the hand that feeds me, but I know he can take a joke (which is a very helpful trait when dealing with yours truly). Politically, John is able to illustrate the bizarre machinations of today's society in a way that pulls simple concepts out of the piles of complex rhetoric, and finds the grain of truth which lies on the sandy beach of misleading propoganda. I'm a picky reader who appreciates a good debate or anything else which challenges the grey matter, and I have yet to find anything posted on Thudfactor which doesn't peak my interest and give me food for thought. In today's world, decent human beings can be difficult to locate - so when you need to get in touch with one, just visit Thudfactor. Suzy Insidious She's new to the scene, but she puts up with me on a regular basis, so that in itself deserves the utmost respect. She also digs monkeys, which is a bonus. Now that she's dipped her toes in the collective depths of the blogging world, I have a feeling she's going to be the type who jumps right in. Blah. So there's my orgy of appreciation. Mop up, and then go ahead and visit their sites, because I wouldn't have gone through all this trouble if I didn't think you should check them out.

In the near future, I will be migrating to a new site, kindly hosted by the most generous and exceptionally helpful creator of Thudfactor. So if you pop on to peruse my blog, and things look a bit bizarre, I haven't even started the migration yet, and the blog is moving along as it always has. If you check in and notice a jumble of posts and dates and obscenities, it means that I have encountered an obstacle in the migration, and have resorted to pounding away at my keyboard in ape-like frustration. Finally, if you notice that the new and improved Mind Pollution is up and running and is actually quite impressive in its new design, it probably means that I paid someone to set it up for me. In any case, I hope to smooth everything out soon enough. Have faith, dear souls.. have faith.

Just as a follow-up to my earlier post, I wanted to point out that immediately after publishing the aforementioned piece, the skies grew dark and the wind began to howl - and lo and behold, a thunderstorm began to rage. It never fails - no sooner do I take the windows down around my jeep, but the skies decide to unleash their fury upon my loyal steed and the surrounding area. Like I said, though - such is life.

My apologies for the delay in posting, but the various responsibilities inherent to Easter with the family, a brother's birthday, and an exceptionally nice weekend in Albany, have kept me distanced from the keyboard. I took the hard-top off the jeep this weekend, and now that I am riding around with a poorly-insulated cloth covering around the passenger compartment, I have insured that a week or two of chilly temperatures and rain will be destined to occur. Such is life, though. For anyone who truly appreciates the experience of owning a beaten-down old jeep, there is absolutely no alternative. Much like the zen found behind the handlebars of a motorcycle, an awakening occurs behind the steering wheel of 1991 Jeep Wrangler (or just about any of the older models, but i'm biased in that respect). The journey to work each morning produces an entirely new set of stimuli now that I have my jeep equipped in the way it is intended to exist, with the back window rolled up out of the way, and the side windows removed entirely, all folded up in the back seat. Robert Pirsig described riding a motorcycle as the perfect blend of form and function, and I tend to see summertime with my jeep in the same light. While the "function" of things has always involved their scientific workings - the cogs and gears and physics which make a machine produce the desired results, the "form" involves the aesthetic beauty of an object - the artistic qualities that an object possesses or imparts upon us. In Pirsig's "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance", he describes the act of riding a motorcycle as being the rare and perfect balance between the worlds of form and function. While riding in my jeep (as well as on a motorcycle) I feel the moisture in the air, the change in temperature as I pass from sunlight to shade, and the changing patterns of the wind as I accelerate around a curve in the road. I travel from place to place by virtue of a 6-cylinder engine which creates forward motion and spinning tires from the gasoline-fueled explosions contained inside its housing. Artistry meets science, form meets function, and I am no longer separated from the world as I move about - I am a part of it. One thing I've learned over time, is that we all look for beauty in different parts of our lives. Beauty can't be described in uniform standards throughout the world, and those who realize where it should be sought after in their own lives are the lucky ones. To all those who are able to find happiness behind the wheel of a jeep or the handlebars of a motorcycle, I hope that at some point in life, you have the opportunity to make all of your daily commutes in such a fashion. I truly believe that the world exists for the benefit of people like you and I, and it desperately wants to show us everything it has to offer. Get yourself a jeep, my friend.

According to the Indiana University School of Journalism, the typical journalist is a 41 year-old male, among other things. Now this can either be considered a goal or an obstacle for the upcoming generations in this field, depending upon how one interprets this study. Personally, I'm covering my head with my towel, sticking my head in the sand, and disregarding it entirely. Just thought I'd share all that with you.

I've tried to stay off the warpath for a while, finding myself thoroughly disgusted with everything I hear and see which involves the current scene in Iraq (as well as here in the United States). Unfortunately, many of the victims of this fiasco won't get their time in the world's media, and will be lost due to the same lack of human decency that desecrated the museums and libraries of Iraq. Screw the politicians with their statistics, the economists with their wallets, the soldiers with their orders, and the citizens with their greed. There is nothing more depressing than the slow death of all those creatures who depend upon the mercy of humans, and who discover that some of us have none to offer.

Hockey season has officially begun for Team Melrose. After taking our name from the die-hard, mullet-sporting, ex-coach (now commentator) Barry Melrose - our season began with a thrilling 5-4 victory over Team FreeLancers in the first game of the 2003 Men's Roller-Hockey season. After watching an early two-goal lead transform into a 4-4 tie in the last five minutes of the second half, the winning goal was put in with 5.6 seconds left on the clock. Team Melrose is undefeated, and there was much rejoicing... As a side-note, I took my first trip to the penalty box in the first five minutes of this season-opening game - it's going to be a long season.

Can't you just feel the wave of calm passing over the general population? Like a great weight being lifted from our shoulders, we can rest easy now, knowing that our military intervention in the Middle East has made the nation safe from terrorists (and historians). Sony seems to have exercised (gasp) good judgement in dropping the "Shock and Awe" copyright they snatched up for a future gaming experience - good to know that human decency still has some amount of sway in society. There's nothing like a shameless connection between one of my favorite novels and America's CEO tyrants. Horribly accurate, eh? (Thanks to Suzy Insidious for this one)

After a few months of research, I finally purchased a 35mm SLR camera this weekend. I put in some serious overtime at work in order to afford this purchase, as my normal paycheck these days is set aside for the regular set of monthly bills, as well as my upcoming re-introduction to the scholastic world. As far as research goes, I'm lucky enough to be surrounded by a wealth of knowledgeable photographers who have been more than happy to offer their input on my choice of cameras. Now that they've all helped me choose the camera, I'm going to cash in my chips and make them teach me how to use it, too. The way I see it, knowing my way around a camera can only help when it comes to my journalistic aspirations. So here's hoping my eye and my pen can both live up to their potential.

The sort of creativity expressed by one certain individual in this club should provide ample evidence as to why Morgan and his yo-yo scene worry me sometimes.

I'm ridiculously picky with the media I allow myself to absorb, so when something is actually able to evoke a significant reaction, I do my best to hype it up to anyone who'll listen. A story of space-hopping hipsters and Bruce Lee beatnik bounty-hunters spread out in the form of a television series spanning 26 episodes, Cowboy Bebop is possibly one of the most slick and addictive examples of japanese animation I have ever been exposed to. With an atmosphere reminiscent of pulp-era detective tales and an original musical score that sets the tone throughout each scene, this is the sort of show that will convince nay-sayers of the beautiful potential inherent to anime'. The plot of Cowboy Bebop develops on various levels as the episodes progress - while the development of the main character base occurs over the course of the 26 half-hour "sessions", each "session" tells a complete story in itself concerning a particular bounty that the crew of the spaceship Bebop decides to pursue. After only 12 episodes, I'm declaring myself completely addicted to the smokey backroom-style atmosphere of this series - and the entire package is getting better and better with each session. Think about Charlie Parker in hyper-space, wailing away in the background, while some slick-dressed action hero lights up a smoke and throws down for another gin on the rocks - that's Cowboy Bebop.

I'm told that the toxicology tests involved with the death of Walter Jennings in Plattsburgh are back, yet the results have not been made public. Your guess is as good as mine concerning what this may indicate. According to sources around campus, most of the members of Psi Epsilon Chi who had previously lived at 72 Broad Street have moved in with friends around the area.

Let it be known that I hate baseball. Always have, always will - ever since the first time my father (a Yankees fan since his childhood) shook his head in dismay at the notion of baseball players going on strike. If my father, a die-hard fan for so many years, could turn his back on baseball and the corporate entity that had eclipsed what was once the birthplace of so many icons through the years, than something was truly wrong in this world. One strike led to another strike shortly after, and then it became a routine - and now the barriers between business and baseball exist only within our memories. In the past I've said that the corporate world and that of our elected officials has also merged into a unified scourge which violates everything our nation was intended to be, and the way in which all of this relates to baseball is painfully obvious in the recent cancelling of an appearance by Tim Robbins at the Baseball Hall of Fame, due to his vocal anti-war stance. In a series of letters between Robbins and Dale Petrovskey (President of the Hall of Fame), it is made clear that Robbins' views on the policies of President Bush were the sole reason for the cancellation, and that the sport of baseball has fallen from the pedestal it once occupied as a symbol of American culture, and is now simply just another cog in the corporate machine.

Rioting in the streets reminiscent of atrocities in our own city of Los Angeles years ago, yet Rumsfeld calls it all "untidy". The man made a speech today in which he addressed the issue of the anarchy that currently reigns throughout Iraq - he described this chaos as "true freedom". He expressed anger at the repetition of images involving looting and robberies throughout the city, yet the he didn't even mention the Iraqis which were brought in for those images of Saddam's statue being toppled - how convenient. I can only shake my head in disbelief, as I look around and see more and more Americans who still believe that this whole fiasco was a good idea. It's depressing - and not in a sympathetic sort of way, but in an "I'm surrounded by idiots" sort of way.

Mainstream media, you are the disease, and we are the cure. This one is posted courtesy of a comment on Thudfactor left by Fred.

Paranoia, mindless followers, and a heaping hunk of self-righteousness. Welcome to the beginning of the end. Figure out your favorite drink and start super-sizing your gulps, because this is one ride that's going to have a hell of a grand finale.

Thanks to Suzy Insidious for this one:
Which Donnie Darko character are you? by Shay Every time I watch this movie, I'm more sure of deeming it one of my favorite films of all time. If you haven't seen Donnie Darko yet, you are missing out.

If anyone is looking for a job out there, this guy is looking for an assistant.

As I put together some clothes to wear for the services at the funeral home today, the horrible irony of formal attire occurred to me. I'll be wearing the same set of clothes to attend the somber services today as I plan on wearing to a wedding next month. There's something deeper and more profound in all of that - something about changes occurring with the end of life signalling changes that occur as new life begins. Possibly this is something I can explore further at a later point, but for now I'm content in simply realizing the irony of it all.

An hour ago I was told that my friend's father died. I had been wondering why I hadn't seen her at work the past few days, and whether or not I should call to see if anything was wrong. An ambulance took her father to the hospital late Sunday night, and he passed from this corporeal existence a few hours later. No reason was given, and there were no indications ahead of time that could have prepared her family for the shock. He was a good man, in every sense of the term. When she and I talked about life, our conversations would invariably turn to our families. Her father brought their family here from Spain when my friend was very young, with the hopes of forming the untapped potential that awaited them in this country into their own version of the American Dream. Achieving this dream proved to be more difficult than they had anticipated, but her father's strength and resolve created a life that they could be proud of. My friend grew up in a "bed and breakfast" inn on the outskirts of Vermont which their family maintained, and though life was never free of worries, her father did the best he could to bear the bulk of any worries that entered their lives on his own proud shoulders. Without ever meeting this man, I know that he was a strong man - a good man who had worked hard for everything his family possessed. When times were tough, her father took pride in bringing the family together at the dinner table, telling his family that they may not have the best clothes, toys, or other things of that sort - but they will always have a good meal. When good people fade from this world, there is a void created in their wake. In a time where selfishness and greed tempt us at every turn, I have always looked to the existence of men like my friend's father for hope. As long as men of this stock exist, even if only in our hearts and memories, this world continues to be a place where there is hope for a decent future. Men like my friend's father give us a frame of reference - a scale by which to measure the decency of our fellow man. With his passing, there is a family left with an uncertain future, but there is also a family who knows the true meaning of love and all that the word "family" should be defined by. I cannot fathom the overwhelming pressure that my friend must now be feeling - over the years her father had taken on so many of the daily responsibilities necessary to keep his family secure. I can only hope that when their tears ebb and their shock subsides, she and her family are able to meet the challenges that will surely face them with the same resilience she spoke of whenever she mentioned her father, and with the knowledge that her father and so many men like him have earned the respect of every person in this world who values the heart of a truly good man.

I tend to surf around alot of blogs over the course of a day, owing to my desire to receive some sort of intellectual stimuli throughout the corporate purgatory I now exist within on a daily basis. I keep coming back to a few sites on a regular basis, though. I feel like I'm a groupie on two blogs in particular, as the tastes of the folks who maintain them are often quite similar to my own (except for the yo-yo's, that is - that's just plain weird). So if you're checking my site on a regular basis, be sure to peruse what's going on at Thudfactor and Knitwitology, too - chances are, you'll see some of my comments, and the impetus behind some of my own seemingly random observations. Muchas gracias for all the assistance (and encouragement), Morgan and John - if I become an annoyance, its your own damn fault now!

After many years of uncertainty, I truly believe that I'm taking the first steps on the proper path for my life. Dropping out of the corporate rat race and heading back to school again, my motivation this time around involves a sincere, vested interest in exploiting every ounce of potential anyone ever told me was in my possession. It's one of those choices which people keep telling me they wish they'd also made at some point, but are now unable to do so due to the various responsibilities life heaps upon our shoulders. For good or ill, that sort of decision always tends to be my domain, though. When I set out across the country a few years ago, everything I owned packed into the back of my jeep, I received the same sort of envious commentary. That journey didn't exactly turn out as I expected it to (I returned to New York and have been here for the last couple of years now), yet I wouldn't trade an ounce of the loneliness, embarassment, anticipation, or joy that made up my experiences along that trek. Undoubtedly, this new journey will impart upon me a similar spectrum of experiences, and hopefully it will set the stage for a lifetime of unpredictable twists and turns - because I'm beginning to think that's the sort of thing I've wanted all along. In a few months, I can finally bid farewell to the cesspool of corporate America, having spent the last few years lost in a maze of khaki pants and cubicles. Classes begin this summer, and I'm willing to bet that I've put forth more scholastic effort in the last six months than I had over the five years that encompassed my previous degrees (Comp.Science/Env.Science). When all is said and done though, it comes down to a case of having personal experience with the alternative, and doing whatever the hell I can to get away from it.

Giving credit where it is due is an important concept in the world of reporting, and the situation that has recently developed in regards to The Agonist is a prime example. While being hailed as an amazing source of up-to-the-minute information, the owner of the site has also come under fire for many examples of outright plagiarism. Treading that thin line between second-hand information gathering and copy-and-paste reporting is always a difficult balancing act. In this case, The Agonist faltered, but was lucky enough to be working with a safety net. Thanks to John at Thudfactor for a good link on this story.

Further illustrating my views about the bias of American media thus far, I noticed the many headlines currently dominating all major news sites, concerning a possible "smoking gun" found in Iraq - a cache of chemical-laden warheads of unknown composition. The headlines range from "Early Tests Suggest Weapon Cocktail Found In Iraq", to "US Investigates Chemical Find", all rushing to be the first to declare some sort of justification for this war. Not ranked among these headlines is a piece which popped up on Yahoo News just a few minutes ago, which refutes all of the pre-existing headlines' claims. One would think that this piece would be just as worthy of top-level news, yet most of the media is content to just sit on their previous stories concerning this "smoking gun", allowing them to continue reporting the misleading information, rather than post stories which draw attention to their own bias. Is there no truth to be found in this war? Personally, I'll take Al-Jazeera or the BBC - at least they're up front with their own bias, and not claiming to be honest when their reporting is anything but.

I recently received one of those ridiculous "You're Not A Patriot If You Don't Agree With This" message forwards. This particular message involves a speech by Beth Chapman, Alabama State Auditor, which supposedly resulted in a "standing ovation and many rounds of applause". This speech is poorly-researched, horribly-written, and the fact that it received such a response only goes to show how deeply the fear of an "anti-American" label has rooted itself in our nation. Those who applauded it obviously have no desire to analyze that which the speech actually discussed, but would rather just grant their approval so as to not have their patriotism come under fire. As usual, I took the time to disseminate the speech and express my opinions on Ms. Chapman's statements. It's a bit of a lengthy post, but I'm setting it up here anyways. My views are neither liberal nor conservative in their entirety, but they are educated, and I would be willing to bet that I put more research into my response than Ms. Chapman put into this speech itself. Dissemination of the Standup For America Rally speech, given by Beth Chapman

"If my memory serves me correctly, it was not movie stars or musicians, but the United States Military who fought on the shores of Iwo Jima, the jungles of Vietnam, and the beaches of Normandy."

It was also not our President, the majority of his administration, or many of the Senators, Representatives, and elected officials who have jumped on the gung-ho war bandwagon. In fact, many of the veterans which hold elected positions in our country, and who have expressed their concern over this war and the President's current foreign policies, have been quickly labeled as "unpatriotic" by draft-dodging politicos from both parties. Take Bill Kristol, having never served a day in the military in his entire life, accusing Representative Charles Rangel of being "anti-American". As long as Rangel still carries shrapnel from Korea within his body, does Kristol have the right to apply such labels? As for none of the soldiers who served during these battles being musicians or movie stars, who's to say that many of them would have not have followed these paths had the war not taken place? How many of the body bags returning from Vietnam contained the faces of potential actors, musicians, and artists who were not privileged enough to avoid being thrown into war - like so many of those who are quick to point fingers (and claim to be brimming over with their own twisted sort of pseudo-patriotism) were able to do?

"Tonight, I say we should support the President of the United States and the U.S. Military and tell the liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals to go make their movies and music and whine somewhere else."

This could possibly be the most ignorant statement I can imagine a supposedly "educated" person making. To group all those who oppose this war in one form or another into "liberal, tree-hugging, Birkenstock-wearing, hippy, tie-dyed liberals" only gives evidence of both Ms. Chapman's own ignorance, as well as the ignorance purveyed by the majority of those who claim to support this ridiculous war. This is not an issue that can be treated as having only two sides - it is not a "liberal versus conservative" deal, though many would want to make it appear as such, so as to be able to pigeonhole anyone whose opinion differs with their own without the need for any actual analysis of their arguments. To call all those who oppose the war things like "Birkenstock-wearing hippy" is reminiscent of the stupidity that infested our country in the days when young men and women around the country were beaten, insulted, and otherwise abused on the basis of the length of their hair - is that the sort of environment Ms. Chapman desires? Seems like a far cry from the people's representative republic that this nation was intended to be.

"After all, if they lived in Iraq, they wouldn't be allowed the freedom of speech they're being given here today."

Which is exactly what sets this nation apart from those like Iraq. Ms. Chapman advocates the removal of all those who oppose her viewpoint - isn't this the same sort of intolerance we have declared as our reason for bearing down upon Hussein's regime? Ms. Chapman should really spend a bit more time reading her speeches to an audience that is not composed of like-minded sheep. I'm sure this is not a course of action she would take though, since this sort of "incestuous amplification" is typical to the corporate warmongers who recite whatever rhetoric they've been fed.

"I want to know how the very people who are against war because of the loss of life, can possibly be the same people who are for abortion?"

If Ms. Chapman took the time to actually research her reasoning (which I'm sure she didn't), she would see that the comparison between issues here is completely inaccurate. A large part of the Pro-Choice argument is in the notion that pregnancies that are the product of rape, incest, and drug addictions will produce children who will not lead the sort of lives every child should be allowed to have. I fail to see a contradiction in not wanting an Iraqi family to die as a result of a miscalculated bomb-drop and not wanting 13 year-old victim of rape to be forced to endure the agony of childbirth.

"They are the same people who are for animal rights but against the rights of the unborn. The movie stars say they want to go to Iraq and serve as 'human shields' for the Iraqis."

Are they, Ms. Chapman? Once again, these broad generalizations are what make this entire speech as ridiculous as it truly is. To say that every person who has one perspective also has another unrelated one is not only ignorant, but dangerous - when held by someone in a position of authority. I have never heard or read a single "movie star" claiming to feel the need to act as a "human shield". The simple fact that these celebrities have expressed their political views concerning the war has, according to Ms. Chapman, put them in the same grouping as the equally ridiculous "human shields". By making use of such a twisted sort of logic, Ms. Chapman has proven herself to be just as illogical as those people she is attacking with this speech. Those who take part in this "human shield" activity are an extremely small portion of those who oppose the war, just as those who form militant Christian-based militias are only a small portion of the religion itself. Judging a group on the basis of a few radicals may be convenient for Ms. Chapman's argument, but that doesn't make it right.

"On September 11, 2001; there are no photos of movie stars standing as "human shields" against the debris and falling bodies ascending from the World Trade Center."

There were plenty of photos of Robert DeNiro and George Clooney serving meals to the firemen and policemen who worked around the ruins of the World Trade Center. While politicians from all over the country were devising ways in which to use the tragedy of September 11th to further their own political agendas, Paul McCartney was arranging a benefit concert from which all funds would go to the families impacted by the events of September 11th. In the same vein, where is all the aid that the current administration promised to New York and many of the same families Paul McCartney and many other celebrities were able to collect for? President Bush and his band of political spin-doctors had the gall to reneg on much of the assistance they not only promised to the city of New York, but on many of the programs they vowed to set up for the firemen and policemen who were affected by the events of that tragic day. Once again, Ms. Chapman's convenient dismissal of all facts that contradict her rhetoric is the best evidence for the ridiculous nature of her statements.

"Throughout the course of history, this country has remained free, not because of movie stars and liberal activists, but because of brave men and women who hated war too."

Once again - ignorance on behalf of Ms. Chapman. To say that her version of "liberal activists", which seems to include all those who voice dissent, have played no part in the continuance of our country's freedom shows not only her resistance to historical facts, but her penchant for generalization. During colonial times, would those who opposed British rule be considered "liberal activists"? Would those who fought for women's rights, civil rights, and the rights of workers over the last few centuries, all in opposition to their current administration, be deemed "liberal activists"? As the bodies of our young men and women during Vietnam piled up, would those who never condemned the soldiers themselves, but fought for an end to the war (and the safe return of our soldiers) be categorized as "liberal activists"? This would all appear to be the case, according to Ms. Chapman, and as far as I'm concerned, these are are equally brave men and women who hated war - and Ms. Chapman, who has done naught but jump on the McCarthy bandwagon, should be the last person to claim they are anything but.

"If you want to see true human shields, walk through Arlington Cemetery."

Ms. Chapman seems completely oblivious to the fact that a vast number of veterans of foreign wars have expressed their concern over the current administration's reasoning regarding this war. Veterans, as well as the families of those who served, died, and were buried in Arlington Cemetary, have repeatedly asked for their voices to be heard regarding this war - but to no avail. Never before in any war has more disagreement been voiced by both officers in the field, as well as those at home. Yet these voices are rarely heard, as any form of dissent is quickly branded "unpatriotic" by those in power (who have not served a day in combat, let alone in any branch of the service). I would ask Ms. Chapman to explain why the largest veteran's organization in the nation has been repeatedly denied an audience with administration representatives in order to voice their opposition to current policies. I would ask her to explain why a tremendous portion of veteran benefits have been slashed by the President in order to increase spending on this war. Above all, I would ask her why she chose not to put any research into her statements before she chose to make them.

"America has remained silent too long! God-fearing people have remained silent too long!"

Have they remained silent? Or have they just been ignored? The Pope himself, as well as leaders from every major form of organized religion, have already attempted to curb the President and his lackeys on their march to unnecessary war - as far as God is concerned, those who are supposedly the most knowledgeable of God's will have already tried to make their voices heard. In fact, the only "Christians" in this nation who have continually voiced their support for the current administration's policies have been the flashy-dressing, fast-talking, millionaire tele-evangelists who show very little (if any) separation from the President Bush's Republican party itself. So between Jimmy Swaggart and the Pope, which mouthpiece for God does Ms. Chapman seem to be relying upon here?

"After the tragic events of Sept. 11th, my then eleven -year-old son said terrorism is a war against them and us and if you're not one of us, then you're one of them."

So according to Ms. Chapman's logic, the wisdom of an eleven-year-old, is to be respected above all of the "celebrities". So who exactly does Ms. Chapman's want us to believe? We should ignore celebrities who voice their opposition to the war, but blindly follow all those politicians who have never served in a war (or the military itself). We should listen to her eleven-year-old child, but not to the countless veterans who oppose the war? What of this "us and them" mentality? The same politicians using this equation now were the loudest voices of opposition when the prior President initiated our military presence in Kosovo. If this "us and them" perspective were to be applied back then, people like Tom DeLay (R - Tex) and Don Nickles (R - Okla), who have felt free to throw around the "anti-american" label in recent months, would have been part of the "them" category when they criticized President Clinton's use of force in halting the "ethnic cleansing" taking place in Kosovo. If those who oppose the war are to be grouped with Hussein's camp, then many of our current McCarthy-esque "Anti-American" taggers (like Ms. Chapman herself) can be just as easily associated with the genocidal savages our military fought to suppress in Kosovo. "Us and Them" doesn't seem like such a logical argument when you look at the big picture now, eh? In closing, I hope that this war ends quickly, and with a very minimal loss of life. To oppose the reasoning employed for this war, and to support those who are now in danger because of it, are not mutually exclusive notions. It angers me to think that some people consider those who wish for a safe return for our young men and women to be "anti-american", while so many others see their own "patriotism" justified by sending these same men and women to die on behalf of some vague reasoning. I hope that this war is brief, and that those who now realize the horrible atrocities that can be committed by giving power to evil men (both here and in Iraq) learn from their mistakes, and make a valiant attempt to never repeat them.

Well, now Oregon has the same fundamental policy on citizens' freedom of speech as communist China. Good to know.

I was recently shown what could possibly be the most delusional, hysterical, unintentionally hilarious site I have ever seen. Everything that makes me shake my head at what our nation is becoming is illustrated on this site. Ripe with name-calling, blind accusations, propoganda, and holier-than-thou rhetoric, this site is a prime example of the ugliest aspect of the entire conflict - the aspect that is dividing our country and ripping it apart from within. Providing fuel for skinhead gestapos and up-and-coming members of the aryan youth, web sites like this one ironically show the most unpatriotic mindset to be found in the nation today. Blind faith in the government is a notion that our country has historically rejected, from the first settlers who fled the oppression of their native lands to arrive upon American shores, through the American Revolution and assertion of our independence, and over countless decades of questions, challenges, and momentum-changing decisions in our highest courts. If our founding fathers had believed in a governmental body that was to exist unchallenged by those it was intended to govern, they would not have installed the system of checks and balances we now possess. This system prevents an individual body from assuming a dictatorial role, and obviously those men who established the guidelines that would govern our country had a reason to be cautious of a single, central ruling body whose decrees were instantly made law. This suspicion served to create the most impressive virtue of our nation - the ability for it's citizens to protest decisions made on the national level which they feel are unjust. When we adopt policies whereby dissent is deemed treasonous, and protest becomes unlawful, we would be contradicting that which we have always claimed to be the most unique aspect of the United States of America - our right to have our opinions of the government both heard and respected. As long as disobedience remains civil and the path of law is followed, the right of the American people to voice their judgement remains unquestionable. However, we now face a time when that right is being questioned - by purveyors of web sites like the one mentioned above, by those who confuse protest with treason, and by the very powers that create and enforce our laws. Hopefully, we learn from our mistakes, and insure that situations like the one presently occurring never happen again - but unfortunately, history puts our learning curve into question. We're currently revisiting many of the mistakes of our past, fooling ourselves and rationalizing it all with minute details that make each scenario unique ("This may seem just like such-and-such, but because of this one factor, it is entirely different"). My most sincere hope for the future is that someday the American people truly realize the potential of the nation they are a part of, and break from the cycle we've embedded ourselves in. The tools may change, the names and faces may be different, and the details of the plot-line may be altered with the current environment, but the pattern and the roles tend to always stay the same. Let's write a new story, America.

So I seem to have solved the problem with hosting that billboard image. Scroll down and check it out if you haven't done so yet. I almost rolled my jeep attempting to view it as I was speeding to work (well, 60mph feels like speeding in my jeep). I think I'm going to have nightmares now.

NewsFlash: Can Anyone Defeat My Coconut-Eating Rage Monkey? In the (paraphrased) words of Rocky's Russian nemesis, Ivan Drago, "I must break your monkey." In the (paraphrased) words of Sylvester Stallone's Cobra (a cop who lives by his own rules), "Your monkey is the disease, and I'm the cure." In the (paraphrased) words of jacked-up Russell Crowe's Maximus, "Monkey-watchers, are you not entertained?" In the (paraphrased) words of Mortal Kombat's Shang Tsung, "Rage Monkey wins. Fatality." In the (paraphrased) words of exiled Kryptonian criminal Zod, "Come, son of Jor-El, kneel before Rage Monkey!" You get the idea. Bow before the awesome power of my Rage Monkey.

Rick is a Coconut-Eating Rage Monkey ...with a Battle Rating of 8.4 To see if your Food-Eating Battle Monkey can defeat Rick, enter your name:

It's amazing how routine life can get at times, and the slightest change in the environment we have grown used to can bring about a distinct shock to the system. A new sign along the road, a pot-hole where none lurked before, or possibly a flower springing up in the middle of a patch of grass that we walk past every day. Sometimes the change is not very subtle, and its discovery causes us to suddenly crane our necks and re-evaluate this new addition to our surroundings. A few weeks ago, the monolithic tribute to all things corporate which calls itself "Crossgates Mall" arrested Stephen Downs for wearing a shirt (which he had purchased in the mall itself) that had the controversial slogan "Give Peace A Chance" emblazoned across it. The story was national news, and I'm fairly sure that it provided the closest thing to a historic occasion that has occurred here in Albany during my lifetime. Hell, even The Daily Show came to town. The scene here was frenzied for quite a while, with protests occurring initially with the intention of getting Downs off the hook (and frustrating Crossgates), and later to protest the termination of the Security Guard's job who brought Downs in. Eventually the protests worked themselves into a less-heated, but still frequent, occurrence in the area around the mall. So I almost ran my jeep into a guard-rail this morning when I noticed the following billboard between exits 4 and 5 on Interstate 90 westbound:

An Ode to Things I Friggin' Love, Meat-headed drunks, running over dead skunks, and arrogant punks, I adore thee. Turns with no signals, too much spandex that wiggles, making change to get singles, that's amore'. Sticky insincerity, my mood irregularity, those who expect parity, stick with me. Explaining the rules, and losing my tools, for this April Fool's? Poetry. - RM

If anyone has a suggestion for setting up a comment system on this site, please let me know. I've been told that most of the systems out there are not compatible with blogspot-hosted sites, but have yet to feel the need for paid hosting of my site. Once I'm getting more than two or three people viewing my writing on a daily basis, it will be a consideration - but for now, I'll stick with Blogspot.

Well, rather than spouting more of my opinion (which is abundantly clear from my journal entries contained within this site), I've decided to offer up a few good pieces of writing that have been sent my way over the last few weeks. My thanks to everyone who has sent these articles, editorials, and sites my way. I can honestly say that I've read through every one of them and they are all great bits of opinion, satire, reporting, and prose - whichever the case may be for each one. So feel free to peruse them at your leisure, and I promise to write something infinitely more creative in the near future. Until then... "It's Just My Opinion" by Andy Rooney ("60 Minutes") "US Marines Turn Fire on Civilians at the 'Bridge of Death'" by Mark Franchetti ("The Times") "Channels of Influence" by Paul Krugman ("The New York Times") (requires registration to NY Times archives - but definitely worth it) "Friendly Fire" by Patrick Barkham ("The Times") "Delusions of Power" by Paul Krugman ("The New York Times") "Our Patriotism Should Not Be Exploited" by William Raspberry ("The Times Union") (one of the best frequent contributors to the TU, in my opinion) "Relearning the Lessons of Vietnam" by Maureen Dowd ("The Times Union") "Blair Offers Best Case for Battle" by Thomas Friedman ("The Times Union") (this is one of my favorite pieces of writing done in recent weeks)

I recently received the following message from caroldunbury@hotmail.com in regards to my post concerning the death of Walter Dean Jennings, a student at Plattsburgh State University, a pledge of Psi Epsilon Chi "fraternity" at Plattsburgh State University:

"I'm not exactly how to start out or if i am replying to the correct address or not (however it is the home log navigation contact so i must be correct.) (regards to March 18, 2003 article) I do not know how such vulgar statements and writings could be given to the public. I am a student at Plattsburgh State, a PROUD friend of each one of the brothers of Psi Epsilon Chi. I have known all of these fraternity members since before they were considered to be "in" the organization. I have never been a person to get mad, I have never been one to start or be part of any fight. To hear this coming from such a down to earth person, you have to know that you have hit hard to home. Although I can not reveal any such activities that have taken place during Psi Epsilon Chi's pledging functions, I hate that they have been singled out for such events. Let alone that greek organizations have been singled out. For their are many sporting and other organizations that can be found hazing at anonymous times. To say that students would go out of their way to pass Psi Epsilon Chi's house is absolutely ridiculous. I have never once heard someone say this idiotic statement. I myself would enjoy walking passed and giving a quick wave to the brothers or stopping in to say hello, obviously there are those that go along with all the "talk" and it's a wonder that they would feel uncomfortable walking by when they haven't even given them the chance. You have to remember also that the brothers come and go and people have changed from years ago, those have graduated, and new have come in, so to place all the problems of years before on the new members who are trying to make a better name for themselves for the passed few years is outrageous. If you single out late night brawls to one fraternity house on Plattsburgh State campus, then you know nothing about what you are talking about, and have not been around the college student and campus long enough. Do not get me wrong, I am completely distraught over jennings death. I feel deep sorrow for his family and friends. It was something that never should have happended, but it did, and everything happens for a reason, or so some people say. When you are not there that day/ the next day/ the day after seeing the brothers crying, full grown males crying on your shoulder, not because of the trouble that will occur, but because they are losing a brother, he was a brother, they were letting him into their fraternity as one. They got to know him, and he got to know them, no matter the circumstances they had deep respect for one another. As I babble on you can see how upset i am after this particular article. I'm mostly upset because Psi Epsilon Chi was singled out. They were shot down to the floor, and made to look like viscious animals. This can happen anywhere, any time! It's not bad enough that they have to live with this for the rest of their lives, they have to see this boys face in their heads every single night while they sleep, they have to remember his name each time his remaining pledge class is around. This will stay on their conscience for eternitiy. Isn't that punishment enough, not to be completely herrassed by the media. I know that the parents are suffering dramatically, as any parent would who loses a son, and so are the brothers. If the parents can go to the house of Psi Epsilon Chi and give the brothers a hug (which they did), then that is how it should be left. They were able to, maybe not fully forgive, but begin to understand all the circumstances that took/will take place."

Anyone who attended school at Plattsburgh State within the last decade (or more) would certainly realize how ridiculous many of the points in this message actually are. I thought it was interesting though, as it serves to illustrate exactly how misled people can become, and how year after year more students become involved in "pseudo-fraternities" similar to the one involved in Jennings' death. Many of us see these organizations and the actions that define them, and we think to ourselves, "how could anyone want to be a part of that?" - yet the answer lies in the views expressed above. People like the creator of the preceding message often don't realize what they are getting into until it is too late, because they possess that same immature sense of invulnerability that we all have felt at some point in our youth. Nothing seems dangerous until something occurs which proves it is so. Like jumping off of high cliffs into watering holes of uncertain depths, or skitching a ride on a moving vehicle while riding a skateboard, Walter's situation began as a personal choice. The difference here is that most people have guardians of some sort who warn them against these activities, and are usually there to help them if things go badly. In walter's case, those people that should have been there to help were actually the ones urging him on, and when things did eventually go bad, they were also the ones to leave him hurt and alone. So I offer the following response, and I hope you'll pardon my tone:

Pardon my delay in responding to your message, but I wanted to make sure I put a decent amount of thought into everything that should be said. I'll admit that I've also been waiting for some sort of follow-up message which declares that this is all just some sort of sick, complex joke, and that you realize how ridiculous most of the statements contained within your initial message truly are. I'll begin by saying that I truly do feel sorry for you. If you were a friend of the student who died, I feel sorry for you in that you have suffered a very unjust loss. If you are simply a friend of the Psi Epsilon Chi "fraternity brothers", I feel sorry for you in that your ability to choose those you would consider a friend is somewhat questionable. I'll try to take it on a point by point basis here, addressing exact quotes from your message, in the hopes that I catch everything I want to address. Statement 1. "Although I can not reveal any such activities that have taken place during Psi Epsilon Chi's pledging functions, I hate that they have been singled out for such events. Let alone that greek organizations have been singled out." I can say with a fair amount of confidence that I would never single out the greek organizations as a whole at Plattsburgh State. This probably has alot to do with the fact that I am actually in one. If you had thoroughly read the pieces of writing I've done in regards to this issue, you would know that my main concern was that the greek organizations as a whole would unfairly feel the brunt of this tragedy, rather than only the few irresponsible "brothers" which called themselves a "fraternity". Having been a part of the greek system at Plattsburgh State in recent years, I can also say that neither my own fraternity nor many of the other fraternities (especially those actually recognized as such by the school and/or national organizations) have ever engaged in any potentially life-threatening activities as part of a pledge program. The occasional embarassment and a hopelessly stained or otherwise ruined shirt were possibilities, but a sudden death? Not a chance. Statement 2. "To say that students would go out of their way to pass Psi Epsilon Chi's house is absolutely ridiculous. I have never once heard someone say this idiotic statement." We're talking about the same house here, correct? This is the house who put up a banner reading "Thank You For Your Daughters" during orientation week just a few years ago, keep that in mind. Now I'm not sure what drugs they may have supplied you with thus far, but whatever they might be, thank your source, because it seems to me like they're kicking in quite nicely for you. Just to be sure, I showed your letter to nearly a dozen female Plattsburgh students, some still attending school there, some having graduated up to three years ago. Funny thing is, every single one of them over the span of years had a horror story about 72 Broad Street or those who live within its walls. From discovering these "brothers" trying to break into their home next door, to knowing girls who have had bad experiences with drugs being added to drinks they received there, to dreading the inevitable harassment which ALWAYS occurs when anyone (with the exception of yourself, of course) passes by their house - the evidence is there if you only get past this bizarre image of sweater-clad, upstanding citizen, "nice guys" who are simply misunderstood. If it wasn't for their necessity to keep a clean image under current circumstances, they'd probably be quite offended by your portrayal of them as anything but the clan of savage beasts they've chosen to become - after all, they've worked hard at it. Statement 3. "to place all the problems of years before on the new members who are trying to make a better name for themselves for the passed few years is outrageous." To begin, it's "past", not "passed", and due to this grammatical error I'm going to continue with my assumption that you are either very young, very new to Plattsburgh, or both. Furthermore, I'm not "placing" problems on anyone. They have created their own problems. Were they illegally taking on new members? Yes. Hell, this has already been proven (Check the latest Press Republican for details - but since you know Plattsburgh so well, you probably wouldn't need to be told that). This fact alone is enough to show that these new "brothers" had no intention of changing their ways. If they had any desire to clean up their image, they wouldn't have been running an illegal pledge program to begin with (let alone allowing freshmen to take part in it). They wouldn't have been hazing them (which we both know was occurring, no matter what you, the school, or the "brothers" say), and they damn well wouldn't have abandoned him at the hospital once they discovered things had gone horribly wrong with their "activities". These "brothers" created their own problems, without any help from myself or anyone else. Statement 4. "If you single out late night brawls to one fraternity house on Plattsburgh State campus, then you know nothing about what you are talking about, and have not been around the college student and campus long enough." This statement is true, in that there certainly is more than one house which is often at the center of brawls around the campus area. However, does that make it right? So the members of Psi Epsilon Chi are not the only bunch of "brothers" with veins full of steroids and noses full of cocaine that enjoy initiating bloody rumbles in the streets - your point, please? You haven't denied that they often do brawl like this, so I'm left believing that you actually believe this is acceptable behavior, based upon the fact that they're not alone in doing it? I'm not even sure how to reason with that sort of twisted logic. As far as being around the campus long enough, I think my five years there was more than sufficient for me to get a good feel for the atmosphere. I'm willing to bet that this is actually much longer than you have spent there yourself. Let me know your views in a few years, because I'm sure you'll have a much better understanding of the realities of the scene there once you've had a bit more exposure to it. Statement 5. "It was something that never should have happended, but it did, and everything happens for a reason, or so some people say" When that notion of a "reason" for his death involves associating himself with a group of sadistic thugs, I fail to see things from the same philosophical frame of mind that you are able to. This was not a case of fate sweeping down and unexpectedly taking a fellow human from us - this was a case of irresponsible, spoiled individuals who ignored the basic lessons of common sense and morality for the sole purpose of their own entertainment. Statement 6. "When you are not there that day/ the next day/ the day after seeing the brothers crying, full grown males crying on your shoulder," Is that why it took so long for Jennings to be brought to the hospital - because they were too upset? What about when they called off their party that was scheduled with a local sorority due to "someone having an allergic reaction to mayonnaise"? That was hardly a very sensitive way to handle breaking the news. Or once again, when they dropped off his limp body at the Medical Center and proceeded to vanish, were they displaying their notion of "brotherhood"? For a group you say is in mourning, I know for a fact that several of the "brothers" continued on with their Spring Break plans to various beaches, some vacating the house before they could even be questioned about the incident. Though I'm sure there are some "brothers" who truly feel sorrow about this tragic accident, I feel that this pain is well-deserved, and they also deserve any repercussions that come their way in addition to this sorrow, as they have taken away something in their own ignorance that can never be replaced - a young man's life. Statement 7. "This will stay on their conscience for eternitiy. Isn't that punishment enough," I doubt you would see it as sufficient punishment if it were your own flesh and blood who died - I certainly would not. The members of that "fraternity" committed a crime on many levels - the most important being the actual death of Walter Jennings. They also committed a crime against every real fraternity out there which struggles against the stigma incurred by activities born in stupidity - like this one. They made a mistake by engaging in reckless activities, and now that they have bought that ticket, they must take the ride all the way to the end. There are hundreds of organizations out there who do not engage in the sort of activities that killed Walter Jennings, and they refrain from doing so for the precise reason illustrated by this unfortunate accident - the risk is too high, as it should be. This was not the case for the "brothers" of Psi Epsilon Chi at Plattsburgh State - and now that they have made the most grave of mistakes, I only hope that the law, the family of the deceased, and their own conscience are up to the task of administering whatever punishment these so-called "brothers" deserve. - RM

A couple of quick things to reference here: First, I don't care what Morgan says - I'm proud of my memorization of the lyrics to REM's "End of the World" Secondly, where's the banned weapons we supposedly spilled all this blood for? Everyone I've ever debated with about this point always said, "We'll see what you have to say when they find all of those chemical/biological/banned weapons, man..." - I'm still waiting, people! Thirdly, if anyone expected the Iraqis to not use controversial tactics in their battle with the "Coalition" forces, they're horribly naive. Faced with the sort of force we're putting up against them, they'd be idiots to not use the sort of techniques everyone is getting all huffy about. Hell, it's the same sort of scene that was used here against the British during the American Revolution, and it's the same sort of scene that was used against us in Vietnam, too. Fighting on your native soil, against a phenomenally more powerful combat force, you use whatever tactics you possibly can to inflict damage. John at Thudfactor addresses this entire concept with an excellent bit of writing - check it out.

In the days when politics took a back seat to well, just about everything in my life, Doonesbury was the comic strip I skipped over in favor of Garfield, Robotman, and others that provided a different, usually simpler, sort of humor. Years ago I started checking up on the events taking place in that world created by Gary Trudeau, a world that mirrored our own in far too many ways. When the character of Duke (a very non-subtle representation of journalist Hunter Thompson's infamous alter-ego) ran for President in the comic strip, all the illogical aspects and contradictions of our current system of election were commandeered by Trudeau and his cast of characters, and effectively displayed, exploited, and otherwise ridiculed in turn. Now, in a time when when over-saturized war coverage dominates every one of our senses and we seem to be waste-deep in rhetoric, I'm glad that someone, somewhere, is able to see the big picture here, and laugh with me about how it all must look from the outside. Sometimes, when the bizarre becomes so much more so, we're faced with either bashing our heads against the wall, or finding the humor in it all. Personally, I'm sick of the headaches, so I'm turning to Doonesbury. Today's Doonesbury

I think I'm pretty much burning myself out with all the political rambling. I'm amazed that I get so worked up about things like this, because a number of years ago I couldn't care less about who the President was, who he was sleeping with, or whose lives he was risking for his own disillusioned, greedy ambitions. Possibly it counts as a sign of growing older, but I'd like to think it's a sign of growing wiser. One thing I've learned throughout all the various debates, arguments, and rude exchanges that I've witnessed (or been a target of), the concepts of growing older and growing wiser don't necessarily go hand in hand. The thing is, I look around me and see a world tired of the whole conflict. I see a world where people just want something to be passionate about, and this whole issue provides them with a focus for their energies. We haven't really had an "enemy" for so long, and I look at the trash on television and see a a market based upon giving the people someone to hate. Jerry Springer, Jenny Jones, and "Cops" supply us with focal points for our pity and disgust, while also serving to inflate our own egos in comparison, while Reality TV makes villains in equal amounts out of both the ordinary people and the priviledged few. The market is booming when it comes to shows that give us a million reasons to dislike people we've never met. I feel like we've grown complacent, no longer willing to seek out the true enemies. Our anger is directed at a character from "The Real World", or one of the women "Joe Millionaire" didn't choose, while every hour another corporate executive bilks another family out of their life's savings. Politicians say everything to win a vote but do nothing once they get it, journalists and editors ignore the need for neutrality while embracing propoganda, and the choking cloud of apathy grows more dense and oppressive as fewer and fewer people make an effort to stir the air. I guess that's why I keep arguing - I don't want to sink into that bog of complacency, and I never want to feel like I contributed to it. I want to know everything, to keep moving, to become passionate about one new experience, conversation, or image with each day. I'm afraid of being lobotomized - and though that may seem extreme, it's the best term I can find for the dead look that I see in the eyes of so many people each day - on their way to work, on their way to lunch, on their way home... I want to shake them and wake them up from their comas, and tell them to do something. Argue with me, slap me, hug me, laugh at me - I don't care, as long as it serves to remind them of what it was like to be truly passionate. I'm not sure where I'm heading with any of this, but it all seems to find its way to my fingertips, and so I let it run its course. So I'm going to bring it to a close, and take my own advice - telling myself the same line I share with anyone else who seems to feel the burdens of everyday life weighing down upon them - "Have faith, dear soul. Have faith."

So I posted another long comment in Morgan's ongoing debate about Iraq and such, but after I realized how long the comment was, I figured I'd post it here, too. It's more of a meaty post than a comment, really - and i think it stands alone. So here goes: This desire for real information is now such a major factor in America (and in the anti-war movement in particular) due to the fact that we have been burned (badly) in the past. As time marches on, the amount of in-depth coverage provided from the front lines for the American public has increased dramaticly, and current journalistic/investigative techniques are shedding light on what goes on in the shady background of the American political and big business scene more and more every day. In the face of all the political scandals and corporate/political bed-sharing that has been made public, it's easy to see why the American public should be apprehensive about believing that this war is being waged for causes as noble as the current administration would lead us to believe. We have arguments that have turned out to be based on forged documents, we have grainy photos and scratchy recordings of voices they tell us are "Iraqi leaders" eerily plotting acts of violence, and we have a set of tyrannical, arrogant personalities all barking at us from every side, and all ordering us to believe what they are saying above all else. In the aftermath of Vietnam, we can't help but be cautious in giving our consent to send our young men and women off to risk their lives - we don't have that luxury of blind faith, in a government that has proven over and over in the recent past to not follow the same moral standards we attempt to lead our own lives by. The internet is filled with sites like Morgan's, your own, and a million others whose sole purpose is to accumulate and interpret information, not to mention television, radio, and the printed press, and in this environment, the government cannot afford to neglect making the information at its disposal available to those who intend to shape public opinion. Without the real information, people will form opinions regardless, and these opinions will be based upon what information has been provided, or simply upon their gut instincts. In the wake of everything many of us have seen occur in the world of the powerful few, those gut instincts do not leave us feeling as if our best interests are any sort of factor when it comes down to it. I believe that the government is smart enough to be aware of everything I just wrote, and knowing that information builds support, if they had real, concrete evidence of everything they have related to us, they would find some way to show us (besides going to war). With all of the billions of dollars at their disposal, how could they not have at least some concrete bit of evidence that would soldify many of the vague claims we've been told this war is based upon. Amongst the mounds of information that they possess, there must be something that would neither endanger someone's life, nor incriminate our own government, but would prove to the world that this is a noble pursuit. The fact remains that there really is none of this evidence being provided to our public.. now we can throw around links to websites and play "hot potato" with rhetoric, but in this age of information and scandal that we now live in, blind faith is not a luxury any of us can afford.

My respect goes out to Morgan, who put together a great bit of writing this morning which states much of what I tend to rant and rave about, sans the aggressive wordplay. I think this is my favorite bit of writing that I've perused thus far today. Thank you, Morgan.

It's been a while since I worked up a good hate, but I think I've successfully reached that point now. This war is a festering pile of horse manure, piled up wide and deep, and force-fed to the American public, while the the hand holding the spoon insists that it's all just a cheeseburger. Every time I engage in a conversation with someone who is gung-ho about this mad rush into war, they follow the same course of action as the CEO of our country himself, diverting the conversation to France, September 11th, or some plea to "start supporting our soldiers, you unpatriotic wretch." I'm sick of it. first off, France has done some shady things in the past to our nation, but your impression of their attitude depends entirely upon how far back in history you're willing to track. Hell, everyone can find some sort of historical support for any damn view they could possibly have. France only "owes" us if we "owe" them, because we both saved eachother's butts at one point or another. If you're going to start dumping French wine and smearing anti-French slogans on stuff around town, make sure you throw away anything with the Statue of Liberty on it (a gift from the French), and start looking into a new form of government here, because most of the concepts we make use of in the "American system" came about due to education of our founding fathers in France. I'm sure I can find some sort of historical reason for any race, religion, or gender to hate another one somewhere in history, because it all just depends on how much effort you put into the search. As far as September 11th, if you can find me one single bit of clear and concrete evidence that Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein were in league together, I'll be just as vocal in my support of this war as I am now in my opposition. Hell, they don't even have any of those grainy recordings or blurry photos to support this angle! I heard on the news today that 61% of Americans are under the impression that Saddam Hussein was the mastermind behind September 11th, and my contempt for the nation of mindless sheep that America has become disappoints the hell out of me. All I'm asking for is one sure piece of evidence, Mister CEO of America - that's all i'm asking. As far as these "weapons of mass destruction", the only ones I've seen have been sitting in North Korea and Israel, and those being built in Iran. I can cope with the idea of being the world's "police force", but our CEO is is making this "police force" resemble the Rodney King beating rather than a good episode of NYPD Blue (the initial David Caruso version, of course) or even COPS. The next point that supporters of the war always bring up is that we have to remain united and committed in this "war", as the world will see it as weakness otherwise. Unfortunately, I'm going to use history as a lesson here (possibly cementing my own hypocrisy, but who gives a damn when the bombs are already dropping). Faced with building opposition to the war in Vietnam, this was the same damn reason that Lyndon Johnson used for rationalizing our continued presence in Vietnam - and it is nothing more than stubborn, egotistical, pride. Pride can be a great thing, but not when it blinds you to the realities of the situation (the "big picture" if you will). We stayed in Vietnam because we were already "committed" to that path, and as a result, tens of thousands of American men and women came home in body bags. We are the United States, and just as we have the power to do as we wish, we also have the luxury of acting without the need for explanation. This is a double-edged sword, as we can use this luxury to either establish ourselves as an imperialistic force, or we can establish ourselves as a force of justice and equality in the world. Our current administration understands that we have no need to explain our actions, and I only hope that the next administration also understands this fact, and makes use of it in the interests of peace, rather than accumulation of power. God bless our soldiers, and my only hope is that they realize the fact that those who would send them into battle without a care in the world are not nearly as concerned for their safety as those who would require good reason for any soldier's life to be put at risk.

In an article I read today, the justification used by Bush in the current Iraq war, as well as by Israel in their strike against an Iraqi nuclear plant years ago, is "pre-emptive self-defense". I'm willing to bet that the successful use of this term has caused more than my own eyebrow to raise in cynical disbelief. "Pre-emptive self-defense", eh? So if I go out and start gunning down gang members, is that "pre-emptive self-defense"? After all, they'd probably do me harm, if given the chance. Hell, if I went around exacting brutal judgement upon any person who I think would cause me a world of suffering if given half a chance, victims of my "pre-emptive self-defense" would keep the city morgue busy for weeks. I've made my share of enemies through the years, and there are more than a few people who I would enjoy kicking the snot out of if I could only rationalize the consequences. The idea that any one of these people could suddenly put some friends on the payroll and and fast-track me to the emergency ward, all under the guise of "pre-emptive self-defense", worries me - but when this vein of reasoning, taken to the global scale, is actually given consideration, it's time to get fuck out of Dodge, cowboys and cowgirls. At the rate this country is going, the number of countries that could be targeted by this policy of "pre-emptive self-defense" is increasing exponentially every time the President opens his mouth (and even more so every time he wrinkles his eyebrows in confusion). I think I'm going to go punch the first mean-looking person I see in the face, and call it "pre-emptive self-defense". I probably would have pissed them off sooner or later, so I might as well get the first shot out of the way.

An excellent letter, courtesy of Michael Moore, and Morgan's link. Check it out.

In a follow-up to that hazing death story, there's quite a bit more information that's found it's way through the grapevine that people might want to know about. A source who once had ties to the fraternity explained that the basic activities which occurred on the morning of March 12th were part of the fraternity's normal pledge program, and called "water torture". After being stapled (by their clothes) to one of the walls inside the fraternity house, the pledges are then forced to drink massive amounts of water, causing them to continuously vomit into buckets provided by the "fraternity" members. Having begun this activity early in the morning, Jennings' slide into unconciousness was at first believed to be a result of the sleep deprivation that is also a major part of the Psi Epsilon Chi pledging program. Jennings was allowed to rest on the floor while the rest of his "pledge brothers" continued the cycle of drinking and vomiting. An hour or so later, some of the residents of the house began to get concerned, as Jennings could not be awakened, and fluid was oozing from his mouth and nose. At this point, Jennings was brought to the Champlain Valley Medical Center by unidentified members of the "fraternity", and after being transferred to a facility in Burlington, was declared dead. This entire event is atrocious in every way, shape, and form. The fact that it occurred, accompanied by the fact that these sorts of pseudo-fraternities are allowed to exist around the Plattsburgh State campus, is absolutely ridiculous. There is a reason why, for the last decade or so, most students (especially females) would rather go out of their way to cross the street than to walk anywhere near the Psi Epsilon Chi house. Late-night brawls that spilled into the street were a usual occurrence around 72 Broad Street, and you'd be hard-pressed to find any member of the Plattsburgh State student body who doesn't have a horror story involving the residents of that building. Unfortunately, the Plattsburgh State governing body will probably bear down upon the greek organizations as a whole, rather than focus on the guilty few, and will end up forcing all of the fraternities and sororities who had a good relationship with the school into either disbanding or continuing their existence as an "underground" organization (which was basicly the status Psi Epsilon Chi has held for the last decade). Forcing the decent organizations into an existence where they are no longer required to abide by school regulations will (most likely) only lead to a growing number of groups similar to that of Psi Epsilon Chi - rogue "brotherhoods" and "sisterhoods" which press the limits of cruel and unusual punishment upon their prospective members. Let's hope that this is not the case with Plattsbrugh State, and that punishment weighs down upon those who deserve it the most - the members of Psi Epsilon Chi who ignored their own morals and common sense, and now must take responsibility for their actions.

Hockey season is bearing down upon me again. Though the die-hard players scoff at ice hockey's inbred cousin, I've found myself playing Roller Hockey (no ice, less pads, small rink) in one form or another for the past 9 years or so. Last year, I was able to pull in a few hometown and college friends to play in a local men's league season - 22 games, 2 games per week. We're hoping to follow up last year's baptism by fire which resulted in two wins all season and a single tie. We were equal parts "Slapshot" and "The Mighty Ducks", except the closest thing we had to the Emilio Estevez coach/father figure was one of the high-school kid dads who spoke broken english and insisted on sitting on the team bench with us. We were the most unorganized team I have ever been a part of, and I've played on several teams which bore a shocking resemblance to a toy store in the last week before Christmas - pure chaos. This season we're hoping to put up a fight, having brought in a few new players and retaining the bright spots from last year's fiasco. Jerseys are the next big decision to be made, and we're still attempting to choose a decent team to bear the mark of. I'm pushing for the old "CCCP" Soviet Machine logo, but the "Manitoba Moose" has a certain charm. Whatever we decide, it doesn't change the fact that between the end of last season and well, now, I have done very little of anything that could be described as "active", let alone "athletic". Needless to say, I've begun to stockpile painkillers in preparation for that first week of practice.

Big Brother is watching you.

In my opinion, one of the most frustrating aspects of the brewing conflict in the Middle East is the ignorant belief on both parts that the philosophies of one side should be used in interpretation of the other. The people of the United States have grown accustomed to the lifestyle they lead, and for the most part, many Americans often fail to realize that the basic national values, perspective, and history which contribute to the way they interpret the world around them is completely different in other countries. This inability to "see through another's eyes" contributes greatly to the bad blood American tourists have experienced on their travels abroad, as legions of American visitors continually insist upon making loud comparisons between the native Italians they meet and their favorite "Sopranos" family member. Racial stereotypes that go unnoticed on American prime-time television, but which are extremely out of place in foreign lands, are freely thrown about by many tourists hailing from the United States. As for the Middle East, the day to day existence in these places is so different from our own, how can we expect the common man in these regions to see things from our perspective? Struggling to survive in a situation where rubble and burnt-out buildings are so natural that you tend to not even notice them anymore, living under the law of whatever religion is dominant in your region, and completely unaware of the notion of "civil rights", this is nothing that any person who has spent a significant portion of their life in the United States could ever feign to truly understand, and the same can be said in reverse - I can't expect them to see things with the same perspective as I have grown accustomed to, either. It feels like that's the root of all the problems here, and I can't even hope to suggest a decent solution. This is all just something to think about, as we all have had problems understanding a friend's point of view at one time or another, when the basic differences between us are actually very few. How can anyone expect to bridge the distance between themself and those people for whom every single aspect of their life has been entirely different? Well, just some more rambling, I guess. I was prompted to ponder all of this when I saw pictures of the celebration of Ashoura Day from southern Lebanon. It's difficult to imagine a celebration of this type occurring on the streets of any American city, yet it is part of their culture in Lebanon, and seems to be as common of an annual event as many of the American holidays.

On a side note, members of Psi Epsilon Chi at Plattsburgh State canceled the parties they had scheduled this upcoming weekend after one of their "pledges" died due to myserious circumstances. The reason they gave to one of the sororities they had previously scheduled a party with? "Someone had an allergic reaction to mayonaise." I only hope that the parents of the deceased student find the answers, and the justice, that they deserve. Fraternities and sororities in themselves are not the problem here, but a callous lack of common sense and morals that festers in full view of the administration should share no small part of the blame. Anyone who has ever spent time around the campus of Plattsburgh State knew the house at 72 Broad Street and had a fairly decent idea of what went on within its walls. One can only hope that those who had a hand in any aspect of Walter Jennings' experience with the pseudo-fraternity in question are taught the lesson they rightly deserve.

So the Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity house is abandoned now. All of its previous inhabitants have disappeared, the weekend's parties were cancelled, and anyone even remotely linked to the fraternity or Walter Jennings is being tracked down for questioning. The Press Republican is doing their best to compile information, but the school and police force are keeping it all on the hush. Police questioned one or more of the fraternity members yesterday about their involvement in Jennings' death, but those who provided proof that they were elsewhere when the whole scene transpired were released. Since the fraternity in question was not technically "recognized" by the school, I'm not entirely sure if the organization as a whole could be charged in Jennings' death, or even if the fraternity's President and members in high positions would be charged (as occurred in the case of a Clarkson University hazing-related death back in 1997). According to sources in and around the campus, when members of the fraternity became concerned about Jennings, they attempted to force water into his system. This seems to support the immediate cause of death that was reported - a form of drowning. Unfortunately, the story gets worse from this point, as Jennings was supposedly placed into a private car and dropped off at the Champlain Valley Medical Center. Those who transported him to the Medical Center took their leave once he was taken into the building, and according to prevailing view on campus, quickly cleaned out the house on 72 Broad Street and left the area. Rumors of drug use being a factor in Jennings' death are running rampant throughout the Plattsburgh campus. Pledges being forced to consume drinks spiked with drugs of different types, as well as pledging activities that involve heavy consumption of cocaine and other drugs that would prevent sleep, are the major theories that most of the students in the area have connected to Jennings' death - but the toxicology tests aren't back yet. The prevailing opinion held by Plattsburgh students about the Psi Epsilon Chi fraternity would seem to support all of these theories, having had a history of suspensions and illegal activities that the school has either taken action upon or ignored entirely over the last decade. It's always interesting to see a situation occur in which the background circumstances were well known by most of the individuals in the area, but the administration itself claimed to be completely unaware of anything amiss before major events brought the spotlight down upon them. ... more as i hear it, i guess...

I found myself serving the function of "information hub" today. After a sudden deluge of phone calls, emails, and instant messages, I was made aware of the news that a freshman at Plattsburgh State had died last night of unknown causes. These causes were unknown to the media, but the word on the street was that the freshman was pledging a local fraternity when the whole sordid scene went down. The guys in the fraternity were decent people when I started at Plattsburgh in 1995, but like my own fraternity, things went downhill over the course of the five years I was a student there. I'm going to wait for the details to come out before I go into specifics, but I'm willing to bet that something went horribly wrong somewhere in that old, should-have-been-condemned house, and for the guys still up there, I'm sure that things will get a hell of a lot worse. So I guess I'll leave it at... ... to be continued...

What kind of world do we live in, where large canine mascots are assaulted by washed-up hockey legends? My thoughts are with you, Harvey the Hound. Heal quickly, and be safe.

The last thing I ever want to do is express any sort of agreement with the French government, and so it feels like a jagged rusty pipe is being shoved through my lower rib-cage every time I think that my basic stance on the impending war might fall in line with the one held by France. A decent bit of animosity is understandable between our two nations, and for the most part, it's all in good fun to take jabs at France - after all, we all someone to trade insults with, and the wine-and-cheese folks seem more than happy to oblige us in that. So after hearing about all of these restaurants that are ridding themselves of any French vineyard products, it was only a matter of time before someone took it so far as to attack one of the staples of the American diet - the french fry. Although everyone is entitled to voice their opinions in this great country of ours, I think that some of our elected officials might want to spend more time engaging inaffairs of domestic and international concern rather than conducting lengthy debates over the political statements inherent to calling a fry "french".