Bam! Just like that! "1984 Knocking at your door..."

Bhutto: Nine times in the line of fire and on the tenth, it turned out to be one too many. A strong person and a populist leader that ranked right up there with some of the best of them, only to be one more credible stat to the adage that "only the good die young". And the comment boards internationally are all over the place with people who have a theory on whodunit. Happy hunting folks. It takes a person of mass delusion and an overwhelming sense of self aggrandizement to think for a minute that an internationally manipulated media is going to offer up much in the way of a clear picture on any of the evidence available. Sure Al Quaeda claimed credit for it. They would claim credit for someone having a flat on the Pennsylvania Turn Pike if they thought it would further their cause and lend their rag-tag paupers rebellion some notoriety. And this is hardly the first time in political history someone sent conveniently interceptable congratulations to the homeys whether or not they in fact had anything to do with the particular incident. Stranger still, is the wording of said congratulatory email that specifically labeled the incident a "cowardly act".
Now the US would like to get involved with the investigation. Splendid!
This same leadershit are the same folks that would have us believe by way of the the 9/11 commission that Al Quaeda was solely responsible for the tragedy in New York in spite of the fact that omitted video tape, photographs and testimony from first responders points out that this little factoid was and remains, at best a scientific impossibility.
Let's face it. At this point Bhutto is dead and that's about all we really know about whodunit. (Or is she?) The real knowledge remains at the top of the power pyramid where it does for oh, so many things in the nature of toppled governments, funded insurrections and assassinations both failed or successful. And if you think the new world leadershit is going to be completely straight up and transparent on whatever they know or what role they played regarding these items or how they spin their webs and the lies that follow which allows them collectively to control the masses like cattle in this "new world order"...heh-heh, dream on my sonambulistic ones. Ignorance truly is bliss. Is it not?
...and here I thought this might be the posting where I could do light and happy music. Not yet. Later.
Be good on yerselves!

Fun Facts From Zachs Almanac.

I read today about how this dog named Rocky sniffed out and led authorities to a huge 1 ton load of marijuana that was coming out of Utah...
And people ask me why I'm a cat person??

BAM!! Just Like That! A Culture in Crisis

What a swell bunch of folks!
Too bad no one told them that you should never point a gun directly at someone unless you aim to shoot them.Which reminds me, in the wake of the Omaha mall killings and suicide this week, I got curious about just how twisted this culture of ours has become.
Let me put it this way:
According to the FBI web site, there were over 17,000 murders in 2006 in America. (This years totals haven't been established yet. Hey! It's still early!) Of those 17,000 murders, 65% of them were committed with one sort of gun or another. So "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."...Yeah, but they do it overwhelmingly with guns! At least 11050 of 'em in 2006 at any rate.
We are a country that is supposedly in a time of peace and yet somehow we have a murder rate higher than other countries that are in a state of war. That would include the wars we've initiated by invasion and occupation like Iraq and Afghanistan.
You might be thinking " Oh, sure, Zach, but look at the size of our population compared to those other countries that are at war!" As if somehow our obsession with procreation justifies the wing nuts of our village to thin out the herd. Why? Because we can use the room?
Nah. Something is very, very wrong here. And whether it's because of guns or not because of guns, when you have 17,000 souls being snuffed out per year there's something very wrong with the culture we live in.
Many think these are acceptable stats for a country in a time of peace.
I happen to see it as a culture going to pieces.

And the Bush administration is now scrambling
to shore up the damage caused by the sub-prime
lending parasites on the defenseless folks who slept through their civics classes and never heard the words "let the buyer beware". This is special! People with jet skis, boats and SUVs in their drive ways, all bought on credit go and get themselves in even deeper debt. And now the rules get changed so that the poor schmucks who sacrificed much and occasionally did without new toys in order to pay off their debts and keep their heads above water financially are penalized for their frugality with the same payments they always had while the financially irresponsible get automatic tax breaks, excused debts and all kinds of extra consideration from the banking industry. What a great lesson to pass along to little Johnny and Mary about accountability, responsibility and the honor of signing a contract. Look for more of this in the future. And wait until even the people with good credit ratings wake up and realize it gets you nowhere in a hurry, fast compared to over spending on credit just to give the feds the opportunity to bail you out. Yes folks! It's the beginning of the age of shopping till you drop, because just like in elementary school these days, everybody gets to play, no matter what your level of effort and everybody gets a do-over until everyone gets a passing grade or someone comes up with a bell curve that makes an F look like a C on the (credit) report card.

I could go on.
Maybe tomorrow.

BAM! Just Like That! A Fine Howdy Do!

So it's been some time since I came by my blog...Damn! There has got to be a better word for this than "blog". Sounds like something that got stuck in the U-joint of a bathroom sink. If any one has any suggestions, let me know.
There's so much going on these days, I thought I'd just blurt out ("Blurt" might be better than "blog", eh?...OK. I'll keep thinking.) some thoughts on a variety of stuff instead of ranting endlessly on one topic.
The Presidential Candidates:
Ok, that being said, next topic! Seriously. If you are anything like me, (1st, Gawd help you!) you've probably listened to your share of the media force feeding of who we should pick for the elections in November. More importantly, who the media thinks we should even consider. In a field of 6 or 8 hopefuls , the press has been very helpful in paring down the choices to pretty much three from each side and one or two alternates. Ya just gotta hedge yer bets. "Know whadda mean Vern?". The Dems have Obama, Clinton and Edwards. Edwards is cool with me. A people kinda guy. Obama is eloquent beyond words and Hillary? Well Bill didn't have half the eel-like slickness that Hill has. Of the three Hillary probably represents "business as usual" in D.C.. Watch how little progress from the stone age we make with her in charge. But remember, the government is so far behind in where we need it to be, it's actually dragging down the country and undermining what was a good idea 250 years ago, at this point. Edwards is well intended but he would be eaten alive by the movers and shakers on the hill. Not that Hill'! Although, one does wonder what exactly Hillary might do for a moments passion now and again. Anyway, Edwards doesn't seem to have the grit to wrestle in the mud with some of those long term Reps and Senators. Obama...also well intended. And could probably be able to stare down some of the big dogs intellectually. But I fear for the guy if he should get close to the brass ring. The country is still full of Neanderthals who still think season is open on people who offer real hope to we lil' folk and Obama being black would get a bunch of good ol' boys all patriotic and full o' supremest righteousness. In any of these cases, I'm afraid either together on a ticket or alone with some kind of Dan Quail clone all that would be preserved of this country would be the status quo. On occassion, Bidden gets a chance to speak at the debates. He's like a color commentator/debater. Lots of good ideas, but the man is so bought, bought, bought he's got special interests written all over him. Besides, he takes credit for every damn law or commitee that has ever been given a headline since God was a boy. More status quo. Then there's Kucinich...The media just lets him outta the box now and again for comic relief. While the other candidates get asked stuff about immigration, Iraq, etc...Dennis gets the questions about whether or not he's seen a UFO. No media manipulation there, right? When did they last ask a press preferred front runner from either party if they ever saw a UFO??? Uh, never!
The Republican candidates (READ: Who the media would have you believe are the only credible possible choices) are a range of theocrats, fear mongers and law and order freaks on the scale of Richard Nixon. (Gulia...Guliahn...ah, the guy with the mafioso sounding name) Gulianni is running strong on his having that rare political opportunity of being in NYC on 9/11. Beyond that, he's about as effective at leadership as Paulie from the Sopranos. Romney gets the nod of industrialized media and has that "vote for me because I'm well manacured" look. But what's with the "I believe in Jesus", bullshit. I don't give a damn who you pray to. My question is, are you gonna prey on me because of it? And Huckabee? Nice guy but Christ, he's handing out tickets for God, too. What we don't need in America is a return to the puritan days. We'll be burning witches by the end of either of these two guys terms. McCain....Nam. Been there. Done that. Thank you. That will be all. Actually I was never there in the 60's/70's. I was fighting the war at home! Someone had to retain the flower culture and dream of being Cat Stevens...sure it was hell, but I gave it all I had. And you know what? Nobody threw me a frikkin' parade for my efforts either! Then there's the republican comic relief and the only guy that would get my ass off the couch on election day this time around. Dr. Ron Paul. Say what you will...the guy looks like a Keebler elf, (not as much as say, Gingrich...but the two of them on the screen at the same time makes me want to go out and get some o' them fudge cookies!) Still, if this country is going to ever get going in the direction it was meant to, Paul would be the one to influence that. He's publicly held his same opinions and voted that way on them in over 10 terms of service to this country, consistently. Kill the IRS. Bring back the constitution. Get governments nose out of everyones bedroom, crotches and stash boxes! What's not for me to like? He's the only obvious alternative to the status quo. Unfortunately the media doesn't agree with me on this so they somehow find a way to play down every accomplishment the guys happens upon. 4.7 million in 24 hours without special interests and industry like the other candidates, all from internet and nothing else and the press takes a wait and see if the figures are correct stance. The Bastids!!! Just remember, we could have it all. Vote Paul! Yeah, like that will ever get a chance to happen. Listen, it seems like I've been voting since the last puddle of primordial goo dried up in the sun and y'know what?... my win record would have been pretty near the same had I never voted at all. No. I didn't vote for Mondale, I was still back in PA for that one. And since he only took MN, I'm in the clear there. But things are definitely getting worse! Now I can't even get the guy I'm for to get past the primaries. Get past them??? They don't even get near them!

Well, I'm never gonna be able to cover all the stuff I wanted to at this writing 'cause I must once again channeling Tolstoy, (but without the talent) so I'm gonna have to pick this up again maybe tomorrow. But I'll be back. And if you give a damn, you come back too. We'll see what shakes out besides dandruff, then.

Politics in America. We get what we deserve

One would think that given two full years before the next presidential election we would be getting down to some real nitty gritty on the issues that plague this country.
The Dems are all fired up (with no place to go and no 'nads to get them where they promised they'd take us) after last November. And The Republicans are stumbling over themselves for positioning, because well, really, you don't have to glow in the dark with charisma to outshine the current resident in the White House in the areas of intelligence or credibility.
So what do we get instead of supporting our troops by bringing them home? Peace in the middle east? A plan for social security and health care? A remedy for global warming. A solution for the decay of the constitutional rights for the American people?
We get bombarded with issues like, is Obama really black enough? Can Hillary sing at all? "Same sex marriages". That Guilianni guy...you know how many times he's been married? What did Bidden mean when he said Obama was "clean"? Did you know that Barack likes to kick back with a burner now and again and he's trying to quit? Or how about that Hillary spoof film clip on YouTube? How dastardly can this Obama be to have any (even remote) association with the guy that put that video together? (Never mind that it was a press secretary of his who roomed with the creative end of that clip over a year before he came to work in Obama's camp!)
The point is fairly clear that the real issues that have a daily impact on you and I are once again (and still) taking a back seat to all of the evasive flares and maneuvers that has become what choosing genuine leadership in this country has become.
Everybody waits for the next media feeding frenzy on the personal trivial minutia of the candidates to cloud over what the real national concerns are and/or should be and we get to watch the magic show that is our culture lure us into watching the pretty little, scantily clad assistant who has nothing to do with the actual prestidigitation, instead of getting to the meat of the illusion.
The horror is we keep coming away totally surprised, caught unaware and mesmerized at the caliber of characters (or lack of it) that we so often end up with in the seats of power and representation, again and again and again.
If repetition is any indicator, we deserve what we get.

Conspiracy charges. One size fits all (but the mighty)

A mother in Wilmington, Delaware and her companion were arrested this past Wednesday and later released on bail pending trial for forcing her ten year old son to strip naked and stand outside in the cold "because they wanted him to see how cold it really was out there''.
Now in no way would I so much as attempt to excuse or justify this act of cruelty or pretend to understand the state of mind (or inebriation) that these two people were in when they drew this conclusion and embarked on such a twisted life lesson for the child.
Simultaneously, I'm having a hard time getting my mind around the charges that these people were brought up on and charged with...Well, one of them anyway.
Both women were charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child.
Fair enough on the latter...but the former? Conspiracy?
What am I missing?
Were there clandestine meetings between the two prior to and leading up to this stupidly impulsive act? Am I or are we expected to believe that a plot was born from whispers and nurtured, swaddled in Fagan-esque calculation beforehand then carried out according to a predefined plan based on devious concealment and subterfuge leading later to attempts to cover up the deed and the do-ers in order that any trails would be torturously convoluted so as not to be exposed and impossible for anyone to prove?
According to the short version of law, "conpiracy" is "an agreement by two or more persons to commit a crime, fraud, or other wrongful act."
Such a generic, broad based definition is hardly ever the first thing that comes to mind in the case of "black helicopters", or provocative practices and events ranging from the Bay of Tonkin to the assassination of Lincoln, Kennedy, Kennedy, Martin Luther King or more currently the war in Iraq.
Obviously there's a massive abyss between what the common man and a judge or attorney might prosecute or defend as an act of conspiracy.
And if language between us itself is this skewed and disjointed, perhaps we as Americans should find someone else to represent us in our own courts of law besides someone from the American Bar Association or the local/state/federal judicial departments. Obviously, we're talking apples and oranges, any more.
In spite of the obvious and evident misrepresentations and deliberate falsehoods that can be presented as circumstantial evidence (if nothing more) in the current administrations lead up to the war in Iraq, not one charge of conspiracy has been leveled much less officially uttered in accusation in spite of the hisorically contradictory sound bites of the last 4 years.
Yet somehow we are led to believe that "conspiracy" in the case of these folks (ok misguided cretins, if you like) in Delaware; as well as the growing number of people being apprehended for random acts of stupidity and cruelty in this country each day is somehow a charge that is justifiable and right on the money?
There's a huge gap here folks that requires a suspension of belief that up until now was only required for Saturday afternoon viewing of full-length feature cartoons and Disney fantasies on the big screen, while whipping Milk Duds at the cute girl with pigtails two rows ahead of you.
The problem is, while the common citizen, though (in the Delaware case) appearing most likely guilty of uncommon actions and unlikable deeds and decisions are falling well within the legal definition of "conspiracy" the larger than life, wealthy and/or powerful, true conspirators of our time are able to avoid that Scarlet Letter and branding which is rapidly becoming a catch all (every bit of pun intended) for the control and containment of Americas general citizenry.
In time, along with that traffic ticket you may get pulled over for, or the D.U.I. or the unbuckled seat belt, we may actually be charged with conspiracy. Technically, according to the laws that the common person is subject to, it would be an applicable charge even today. Especially if you happen to be car pooling or transporting a passenger.
Because according to the law, it only takes two people for a conspiracy charge…unless of course you happen to be a lobbyist, Captain of Industry, politician or a president and his staff…then regardless of what you may do, you will never need worry about being charged under any circumstance with conspiracy.
Hell, no one of any influence or authority will even mention it let alone charge you with it.