Alter Mann, Alte Uhr

Ok, so i've been chillin' with my laptop in sis's room. it's quiet. Both of us doin our own thing, on our own computers. Strangely there is no music played by either one of us, but it is nice. Quiet is nice sometimes, no? But all is not quiet.... I hear a recurring noise. I look up. On the wall hangs a clock. What i hear is the ticking sound of a second hand circumnavigating the 5 dm diameter disc marked with numbers and hashes. A good ol' fashioned (there's that phrase again) clock. Fresh off my last blog, i think, yeah, i'm old, definately old.... In the digital age, it is nice to hear the sound of something so simple and mechanical as an analog clock. IDK, there's just something soothing about it, no? (unless you're taking the SATs or in the Final Jeopardy round) like how they say if you put a[n anolog] clock next to a puppy, it'll fall asleep easier, as it mimics it's mother's beating heart. how sweet, no? the world is on it's way to becoming totally digital or computerized or what-have-you. I think there are some things we need to retain to keep our sanity—think you not? Or am i just an old fogey (sp?) now? I imagine a cold, steely, sanitized future where all humans look the same, dressed in our Kevlar onesies, our mouths shrunk to slits, cuz we don't "eat", but intake vitamins or take injections or pills or have a time release implant; where our mouths are slits cuz we do not talk, cuz we've learned to use the other 90% of our brains and now comunicate telepathically, and there is LED lighting all around and all clocks are digital-- or perhaps we'll just have a clock downloaded directly into our brain. It is scary, think you not? Even for Ridley Scott—think you not? I'm just sayin, there are some things of which i just can't let go. Maybe i am just old. Maybe i am uptight. Maybe i am a nerd. Maybe i am right. Maybe i'm wrong. I guess i just have to think that i am glad i am living in the present day of the human timeline, cuz, the past is absolutely horrible, unless you are a king or something, but I digress. What was I talking about again, oh, yes, clocks. Ironically, my default screen-saver on my shiny new Blackberry is an analog clock. Maybe all hope is not lost.

Alter Mann

i care not for LED xmas lights. at least not the white ones. they seem cold and oppressive to me. i prefer the warm inviting glow of good, ol' fashioned, energy guzzling, Earth killing, OPEC supporting, yellow-hued, filament "white" xmas lights--the way Edison intended. After-all, the sun burns yellow, not white. i see LEDs up at 3d St Prom and i feel i'm walking in a police state or something. ok, so, i guess i'm having an old man moment; a "when i was your age..." moment. ugh.

My Big Package

i got a big package,

wanna play with it?

i am--

playing with it...

There's a Storm a-brewin' in my pants and you're invited.

Hold on--

Lemme open it up,

and whip it out.

Wanna see it?

Yeah?

Go on touch it,

you know you want to.

It was meant for touching...

Wha--?Whadya mean gross?!

Oh, no--what we're you thinking?

I'm talking about my new phone:

The Blackberry Storm.

What did you think i was talking about?

Oh my god, you're sick!

How dare you!

hehehehehe

My new phone came to day!

Hooray!

Woot woot!!

;p

You dirty, good-for-nothing, lazy, bum, get a freaking job already!

so, it's official: i am now one of the nation's many unemployed. good bye to mervyn's--forever. another victim of mismanagement and a sagging economy. ten years of my working life, gone. thanks in advance for the unemployment and government cheese and whatever else i can squeeze outta Uncle Sam heehee, jk. "your tax dollars at work!" --for me! again, jk. or am i?!? muahhahahaa!

Ferguson’s Folly Re-formulated from Fear of Fags

So the deed is done! seems that chickens got more civil rights out of the last California election than gays. But gays are not chicken-- they will fight on! Not only does the California Constitution now prevent an entire minority from enjoying a civil right of the rest of the populace, but due to the election we have Plessy v. Ferguson reincarnate.

Plessy v. Ferguson 163 U.S. 537 (1896), of course, being the 1896 US Supreme Court case upholding the "separate, but equal" doctrine regarding separate facilities for whites and blacks. Well this is exactly what we have here in California: Marriage for heterosexuals, civil unions for homosexuals. Those who support civil unions for gays as opposed to marriage would say that civil unions offer the same rights, privileges and responsibilities of marriage under the law, so why complain? Those who oppose civil unions in favor of marriage for gays say that all rights, privileges and responsibilities are not quite the same. I've not studied these claims personally, but I need not in order to be opposed to this separate, but equal mentality of the state.

First, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka 347 U.S. 483 (1954) stopped nearly sixty years of de jure discrimination by overturning Plessy. This case was decided, in part by psychological evidence that determined that separate facilities for blacks and whites, made black children feel inferior to whites, as, in most cases, black facilities were inferior to white ones. An experiment determined that black segregated schoolchildren preferred to play with and attributed more positive characteristics to white dolls than black dolls. (Kenneth and Mammie Clark doll experiments)* [see footnote below] Aside from that, the fact that the government of the people as a whole, can make separate laws and/or provide separate facilities for said people based solely on race being inherently discriminatory also led to this landmark overturning of codified segregation. Substitute 'Gay' for 'Black' and the vehicle of discrimination from schools to marriage and here we prove the old adage that history repeats itself.

As I have said before, governments should unite and protect the people, not discriminate and separate its people. Yet, this is what is happening now. Instead of race, it is sexual orientation. Gays can no more change their sexual orientation, than blacks can change the color of their skin. Government should not punish, denigrate and/or discriminate against people in their natural state. Blacks or Gays are unlike, say, drug users or murders, in that the latter may be treated through psychology and/or medical science and become productive members of society. The former are born as such and are natural occurrences. The latter are social deviants and products of their environment, rather than their being being determined by genes or chromosomes. Skin bleaching or so-called sexual orientation conversion centers, do not truly change the person inside. One's skin may be lighter or one may be brainwashed to no longer outwardly manifest homosexual behavior, yet they remain black or homosexual inside. The former are how God or nature made them. They cannot change and though one need not embrace them, one must accept them for who they are and let them live and enjoy the same rights of the population at large. ** [see footnote below]

Segregation is wrong. Separate is not equal. Discrimination is evil.

Secondly, with concern to the amending of the state constitution, I think it is a travesty to let such an important document be altered by a simple majority of the people. The constitution should be the most revered document of the people. The constitution is not to be taken lightly. It should not be changed on a whim. It is the ultimate law of the land. It should stand for generations to come. A constitution is written for its people, place and time and it is true that some constitutions of the states of the world may contain discriminatory passages, these will be amended once society realizes the wrongs of its past. The law of the land, the law of the people, should not discriminate against any of its natural-born people. It is the ultimate authority over people and law. It is written and decided upon a vast majority of people or else it would not be much of a mandate for law and governance. Simple majorities mean a society is too divided on an issue. For a document to be the final word in a society, it should be accepted by the vast majority of people. Although 51% of the population are in support of something, that leaves 49% unhappy. This is too great a discrepancy for a stable democracy. Further debate, compromise or investigation is needed. To change the ultimate law of the land, a super majority should be required. Sixty-six percent would be better, but may I suggest 80%? Unanimity would be ideal, but in an un-ideal world, and on such a large scale, unanimity is unreasonable.

One cannot please all of the people all of the time. But if the vast majority approves of something, then that gives the remaining minority something to think about. Maybe then the minority is wrong, or maybe they know in their hearts they are right and need to migrate to another land that accepts their beliefs (because everyone deserves the right to live and think free, even their opponents). Or perhaps, they feel they are so in the right that they rebel against their oppressors for the greater good of the human race. Thomas Jefferson said that a little rebellion every now and then is a good thing.

The recent amending of the California constitution was the result of a simple majority. This leaves too many people (based on percentage of registered voters who cast ballots) unhappy and risks civil unrest. My position is clear. This is discrimination 100%. Though I don't advocate immediate civil unrest, I support and have and will continue to protest. If the discrimination is not overturned in the next 4-6 years, and definitely if it grows, I deem it time for major civil disobedience. Yes, if 80% percent of the people passed the amendment, I'd not have such a strong will to protest as I would the urge to move to a different state or country. Yet I might still protest given my still uninhibited right of protest and my belief that I am morally right. But as it stands, a simple majority is too simple a solution for a complicated debate. A super- or ultra super-majority should be used to vote on a proposal to amend the constitution. Much like Massachusetts, I believe that there should be a waiting period of at least one election to have a second confirmatory vote. Also, I would have the state legislature confirm the vote as well--maybe even a review after 10 years or so time.

Keep government honest and healthy: protest or revolt!!!

*critics of the doll experiments note, that children of integrated schools, as well as children of intregrated schools who originally came from segregated schools also preferred white dolls to black dolls.

**there is research showing that birth order may determine a gay man's sexual orientation. The research shows that the more males to which a mother gives birth, the higher the chance of the male being homosexual. The thinking is, a male entity is a foreign one to a female body and therefore, the female host bombards the male entity with female hormones or chemicals, much like the human body bombards foreign viruses with antibodies to purge then from the host. The more males a mother has, the more the female body recognizes it and thus, sends an increasing amount of hormones or chemicals to the fetus as it develops, increasing the chances of it becoming homosexual or sexually confused. (as described in "For the Bible Tells Me So," documentary directed by Karslake, Daniel G.) Likewise, drug addicted mothers who are using during pregnancy will likely pass an addiction on to their babies. These are a couple of ways, in contrast to my argument, in which being gay or a drug addict may be a product of environment rather than being innate or natural.

Heterosexual Tendencies Let the Gays Be Institutionalized

So i read an article recently about how preachers are telling their congregations to vote in favor of Prop 8. Why must these and other pro-8 people force their belief on the whole of society? I fail to understand how limiting marriage to heterosexuals protects the institution of marriage. Seems to me, that heterosexuals have been doing a fine job of disgracing the institution of marriage themselves. The divorce rate was near 50% before states like MA and CA started letting the gays marry. The real threats to the covenant of marriage are "lack of communication, infidelity, domestic abuse and economic pressures." I'd be interested to know just how many of the thousands of homosexual couples who have already married are directly affecting any of these pro-8 people. Whatever happened to live and let live? ....

I'm also sick of these TV ads saying that marriage will be taught in schools. I don't ever remember learning about marriage in school. What the hell are these people talking about? Contrary to some people's beliefs, the gays are not after our children. I've never heard of an organization that is trying to convert heterosexuals into homosexuals. No one is out to teach our kids to be gay. Some people are just so damn afraid of the unknown, that they prefer not to know; to remain ignorant. They have some false sense that they can protect their kids from anything that does not fall in line with their own beliefs. Children know about the gays--they watch TV too, they surf the net, they hear the news, and, oh yes, they may even already have gay friends! Keeping children ignorant, leads to prejudice and hate! Knowledge is power! ....

Interracial marriage used to be illegal. Now that it isn't, tell me how it has negatively affected you personally; the institution of marriage; society as a whole. California used to discriminate against an entire group of people, but how did the Japanese internment camps really help us? Codifying discrimination is wrong! ....

The bottom line is, if government is going to be in the business of granting marriage licenses and doling out benefits tailored specifically towards married couples, then it ought not to discriminate against who can marry and who cannot. Government should be here to protect us and unite us, not discriminate against us and divide us into first and second class citizens. All you religious sects and private organizations can discriminate against other humans all you want, I didn't wanna join your stupid club anyway! Just don't ask my government to do it!

Pick out your handbaskets, we’re goin to hell!

I have been privileged to have been born into a wealthy and free society.  I feel that this society is drawing to an end.  We have been in decline for decades now, and are bringing down others with us.  Still, it is a privilege to live here.  So what have I done to deserve this?  To deserve this after the fact?  To continue deserving this?  Will I die without paying my dues?  Should I care?  Is it proper to pay in some way?  Why stay here, in a rut—a cog in a machine that feeds on everyone and everything else in the world?  Yes, America is coming to get you!  (But not if China gets to you first.)  Just what am I contributing to the world at large?  Why stay here and consume what is being fed to me? Have I been brain-washed? Why continue to absorb the lies of the government and media?  Why continue consuming commercial and natural resources? Is it for my comfort or for the corporate machines?  As the human races lives and dies by "survival of the fittest, " so does corporate America; corporate Earth.  Sad, so sad. 

Will I live to see tomorrow?  Or will I, by virtue of living in a city whose chief exports are lies, sin and vice, be mercifully spared the horror that is history-to-be by being annihilated by a nuclear bomb today?  I feel it is only a matter of time. If you value what you were told America used to stand for; if you refuse to fight NOW—if you do nothing else, move out of the city; move out of the path of impending nuclear fallout, and maybe, just maybe you will have a chance to rebuild whatever is left of America. 

They hate us--they really do.  And who is to blame them?  Hate.  A dirty human trait. But even worse is vengeance.  Hate is but a feeling; vengeance is action. You all claim to believe in a god, but you won't let God sort it out.  You are NOT God, why would you kill?  Why would you have the death penalty and still claim to be Christian?  Why claim that Allah is almighty, but still take the fate of another society into your own hands?  Why do not Israel and Palestine see that this tit-for-tat bullshit has been going on for too long and will never stop if a border cannot  be agreed upon.  Is this 2008 CE OR 2008 BCE?  Have not you BOTH the right to exist.  Why do you want/need it all?!  Greed.  Israel, stop fucking settling areas that you fucking know damn well are controversial!!!  Israel, you done well as of late, but you shoot yourself in the foot.  You take a great step forward in terms of peace, then two horrible steps back!  Abbas, use your fucking money to fund charities and fucking schools like Hammas to get Gazans on your side.  Your rhetoric obviously isn't cutting it.  Take a fucking page from the playbook of those who are winning!  I will probably be watched very closely from now for writing this.  Hi there big brother!  Do you see what you've created?  Yes, YOU.   I am but a cancer and I have every faith that you will attempt to remove me. 

A potential enemy combatant, they'll say.  And still I'd remain privileged to live here.  But again, shall I remain but a cog ?   Why not move from this God-forsaken part of the planet and help someone else?  Make a difference?  Shall I become the next Tom Paine of Nepal?  The next Marquis de Lafayette of Myanmar?  I already knew the answer to the question before I typed it.  NO.  No, because I am a coward.  I have no guts.  I have little will.  Is it taken from me?  Is it my fault?  Or am I now just the product of this machine?  That I even realize it, doesn't that give me the impetus to take action? Or have I been sufficiently demoralized? 

O, Utopia where art Thou? 

There can be none, for God has given us free will, and humans will eventually choose evil; choose selfishness; choose greed; choose to put the needs of themselves ahead of the greater good.  It is then impossible to have a Utopia, for humans without choice are but parts of a machine, mere bit players in an act that's only existence is to continue perpetually until some unforeseen force determines its end.  To appreciate the good, you must first have known evil.  The ultimate paradox?  Perhaps.

It is my sincere hope that the Mayans, Edgar Cayce, Nostradamus and the like are correct in assigning the end of the world in my/our lifetime.  Will aliens return to Earth to end society as we know it? Will the poles shift, wreaking havoc on human technology?  Will Jesus come back to judge us?  I personally care not how it happens, but I hope that humans are soon wiped clean from the face of the Earth, as we are not fit to inhabit it.

December 2012 approaches. 

May the roaches have better luck than us!