..I'll have what she's having
I got directed to this article today about a woman with INCREDIBLE memory.
Woman With Perfect Memory Baffles Scientists

Is she merely tapping into an ability we all can obtain?

Makes one think, but I have to get back to looking for my keys now...

STEELERS!!!
Wow.

Well, it certainly wasn't their best game of the year, but the Pittsburgh Steelers finally won their 5th Super Bowl last night. I'm pretty stoked. It's the first time they've won since 1980, making it the first since I've been an adult.

Whee!!

Young Ben didn't have his best game, but they made enough big plays on offence, and Seattle made enough mistakes for a Steeler victory. That double-reverse-wide-receiver-option TD pass was nice, but my favorite was the Fast Willie record-setting 75-yard blast up the middle. Yes, Mr. Hill, that truck had a number, and it was Alan Faneca's 66. For me, that was the play of the game. What a sweet block.

It's sad to see the Bus retire, but it's time. Great career, and he's going out a champion. Perfect.

This bus' garage is in Canton, Ohio.

Anyway, I'm off to bask in the glow. (ie: gloat)

Whooooo!!!!

God, I love FOOTBALL
Wow, It's been a long time since I've posted anything. It's nice to be back. Maybe I'll make a habit of this again.

My lifelong love affair with the game of scrimmage football (that is, the "American/Canadian" game, as opposed to "Association Football" known as "soccer" on this side of the Atlantic) gained some monetary confirmation this past weekend when I won $2K by going 12 for 12 on my Pro-Line "Point Spread" ticket. It was exciting, but mitigated by the fact that I only bet $2, and my beloved Pittsburgh Steelers lost to hated division foe Cincinatti.

During the post game press conferences I noted that Brett Favre, famous QB of Green Bay was wearing a Sault High sweat shirt! Does anyone know what the deal is with that? What's his connection to Sault Ste. Marie? I'd be interested to know. I could only only find a few passing references to him and the "Sault High" shirt. Enough to let me know it's not unusual, but not enough tell me why. Hmm....

Okay, okay, I know the US Democratic party is a mess, and pretty limp, but geeze! how do people decide to vote for Dub-ya? Do they just love corruption?

SIGH*... Here's more shit that probably won't stick:

Bush administration paid columnist to push its agenda

And don't forget the torture, the cheating at the ballot box (hello? what happened to the Ohio re-count?), and the general murder and mayhem. When is someone going to stand up to these bastards? C'mon America! we're counting on you to make these bastards answer for their hateful ways.

Sometimes I just feel despair...

Well, frankly I'm still astonished about that election last week in the US. I've needed this much time to turn it over in my head. At first, I thought as The Daily Mirror did: "How Can 59,054,087 People be so DUMB?"

But now I'm not so sure if it was (just) stupidity.

If anyone cares to remember, back in March I predicted that the Bush Campaign would unveil a 'captured' Bin Laden at the 11th hour. Well, it didn't QUITE turn out like that. But all the same, there he was, on the weekend before the election with his slickest video yet, giving the American population a reason to stay afraid. There were a few things that stood out about that tape: the timing, the more 'professional' feel of the production, the vaguely concilliatory tone, the palpable threat, and the fact that - for the first time - the transcript of the ENTIRE video was released, translated into English. As it turns out, this probably worked BETTER for Bush than a suspiciously timed 'capture'. While that may have finally raised eyebrows enough for the general populace to see how full-of-shit the Bush Administration is, this video amped up the fear factor just enough to help sway the balance in his favor. And as an added bonus, Bush didn't have to put his buddy Osama in chains. Brilliant.

Another major factor in my opinion, was the question regarding gay marriage that was on the ballots in many 'swing' states, most notably Ohio. While Canadian provinces are redefining marriage to include gays and lesbians, 11 American states asked if gay marriage should be banned. This really helped to mobilise the evangelical right-wing, who, it would seem, organised their church groups to make sure they got the vote out. Those who may not have normally voted saw an opportunity to advance their hateful, exclusionary "moral values", and while behind the curtain, voted for Bush, who seems to be in their camp. The motion passed in all 11 states. I find this even more chilling than the prospect of 4 more years of Bush. That's a lot of people with their head in the wrong place. So now, there are a lot of people thinking about getting out of the US. Many are considering a move north:
Americans Flock to Canada's Immigration Web Site.

And one last thing, I know you conservative types are trying to sweep this one under the rug, and scoff it off as sour grapes, but the allegation persists that elections are not really clean and fair anymore in the US of A: Evidence Mounts That The Vote May Have Been Hacked. That's right kids, they may try to tell you that the chasm between the exit poll numbers and the actual ballot count is due to bad polling, but it seems just as likely to me that the numbers may have been tampered with. I bow to you, Karl Rove: King of Dirty Politics. You fuck. Fuck you. And Fuck the South too.

Kerry Won.
Here are the Facts.

Good article in the Toronto Star today:
Bush running to be national pastor

And here's one about the cynical end of politics...Republicans Pressed To Halt Voter-Suppression Efforts

Well, ok. Thanks to Rianne for sending me this link. It seems to have helped in calming me down and being a little less volatile and vitriolic about things. In fact, I hope there will be calm and patience on November 2nd south of the 49th. I hope that there is a clear decision that the people of the US of A can abide by. And since it's a situation I can't really do all that much about, it's best I just let it happen and hope for the best.

But don't get me wrong, I still really really hope that Bush will be defeated. And I'm not alone...
-Bush Relatives for Kerry is an encouraging website. Even his own 'kin can't stomach him!

-Of all the pieces written in the magazine The American Conservative that make "the conservative case" for each of the presidential candidates, the one for Kerry is the most convincing.

-Former and current soliers in the US armed forces are speaking out against the war in Iraq and Bush's policies. Check out Operation Truth and Fight to Survive.

Also...

I don't know if there's a direct correlation but shortly after Jon Stewart dressed down CNN's Tucker Carlson for being a 'partisan hack' who is 'harming America', an ABC affiliate in Minnisota finds some footage of their embedded journalists being shown around a building full of explosives near Al Qaaqa, where the 370+ tons went missing. Check it out:5 EYEWITNESS NEWS video may be linked to missing explosives in Iraq. The smoking gun of incompetence?

No, no. Don't secure the explosives, hurry up and get to Bagdad! The people will be handing out flowers and waving American flags!!

But, don't listen to me, American voters. I know how much meddling outsiders can annoy you. Forge your own INFORMED opinion.

JUST MAKE SURE YOU VOTE. And have fun.

You just don't get it.
The problem, as I see it, with the majority of rank-and-file American Republicans who support Bush is: they fail to see that their basic approach to the problem of international terrorism is wrong.

Running around the world and trying to kick everyone's ass is NOT, (i repeat for the slow:) NOT the way to calm the situation down and stop the violence.

Don't be a dumb ass:

"Violence begets violence."

Ever heard that one?

You are going to have to open up and ask people the simple question, "What's the problem here? Why have you attacked me?" and the kicker, the most important question, is "what can we do to help patch up the bad blood between our peoples?"

Of course, asking these questions in the heat of the moment takes ACTUAL courage. It takes maturity. You have to be a real adult. Raging around violently with little thought or planning does not.

For, you see, without mutual understanding, there is mistrust; with mistrust there is fear; with fear there is paranoia; and THAT is Pandora's box. That is when violence, and extremism, and fundamentalism, and hatred can foster.

The approach of the Bush administration has been violent and poorly planned. All this will do in the long term is CREATE MORE PEOPLE WHO HATE YOU. This is already bearing fruit in Iraq, where the insurgency movement gains considerable momentum weekly; and in Pakistan, where the remnants of
Afganistan's Al Queda and Taliban have escaped, under dubious circumstances, and have started a considerable movement.

You cannot hide from this argument by saying "You don't support the troops" because supporting the troops and supporting the war are VERY different things-

No one blames or HATES the soldiers for doing their job. It's a damn tough job. My thoughts, respect and prayers, always. How do you keep your morale up in this situation? But to disagree with your country's goverment DOES NOT mean that you hate your country, or the brave people who lay their lives on the line for it. (GO TO WWW.OPTRUTH.ORG)

"My country, right or wrong," is a thing that no patriot would think of saying
except in a desperate case. It is like saying, "My mother, drunk or sober."
G. K. Chesterton

Vigilante violence is NOT the answer. By all means, catch and prosecute those who have done crimes. But don't go willy-nilly ousting governments all around the world (while profiteering for all your friends and family). The last people to try THAT were called FACSISTS and weren't all that popular around the planet, if
you recall your WORLD HISTORY. Maybe a guy like Osama needs to have a bomb dropped on his head, because there's no way to get close enough to him to catch him. (Though he WAS cornered in Afganistan, near the Pakistani border, oh well...).


Maybe reconsidering the idea of "Pre-emptive action" needs examination. At the very least,
a more extensive study of the nature of the threat a government or organization poses is in order BEFORE military action is called upon.

Maybe engaging in more regular cultural exchanges with Asian countries would foster understanding.

Y'know? Perhaps the answer is teaching, in a constructive way, the citizens of the US about other cultures, and vice versa.

Maybe looking into the foreign policy and the invasiveness of the American culture in general would help.

They're all good places to start.

Bush is incapable of ANY of these mature, rational modes of thought. Plus, he's bilked the system for WAY too much vaction time. In the face of all this, THAT alone is inexcusable from ANY employee.

He must go.

HE'S JUST NOT VERY GOOD AT HIS JOB.

And y'know? It's a pretty important job. It's time to trade up.

If you are a supporter of Bush, you are "RESISTANT TO INFORMATION". You are ignoring FACTS in favor of some kind of comfort level and sense of loyalty, I guess. You are closing your eyes in fear and following his doctrine in hopes that he magically has the answer.

Well, he doesn't. God is not speaking or acting through him. He has NO CLUE how to win the peace in Iraq and get the troops out with this ill-advised mission "accomplished". He is hopeless when it comes to economical and environmental issues. In fact, even if I just needed advice about how to put a fence around my "ranch", I wouldn't
enlist his help. He is clueless. And worse, he DOES NOT CARE TO LEARN.

And, my word! he mangles the english language every damn day. His freudian slips are legendary.

He's just not very bright.

This is a statesman? A world leader?

Wise up. He's gotta go.


“Our enemies are innovative and resourceful, and so are we. They never stop thinking
about new ways to harm our country and our people, and neither do we. We must never
stop thinking about how best to offend our country.” - GW Bush

AMEN, George. AMEN.

12 rounds
I'm not a violent man by nature. Truly, I am not. My most triumphant altercation in a bar was not a fight. It was a crafty bit of conflict resolution that involved an explicit description of my unwillingness to fight. To put it more directly, I said, "If you try to fight me, I will run away. Now, I'm really fucking fast. It will be a pain in the ass to catch me. But, should you manage to get me, know this: I will turtle and scream. Scream like a sorority girl in a horror film." I believe that was the closest I've come to a physical altercation in the last 20 years. Really. I hate violence.

BUT.

I think it's finally time to take some action. You see, I'm not allowed to vote in the US elections (for reasons that escape me...), yet I feel the need to make my voice heard any way I can. The Bush administration has spent the last 4 years working my anger and outrage into a festering boil ready to erupt. George Bush must be defeated, yes, but there is something else that I believe must happen: George Bush and his pack of bullies must be shown the error of their ways. They need to be smacked down and made to feel the unbearable weight of shame that is their due.

I propose a show down between myself and Dub-ya. No weapons of mass or even medium destruction. No adornments or tools or weapons of any kind, in fact. I want Bush and I, mano-a-mano, in 12 rounds of bareknuckle boxing. At stake: his job. If I win, he must pull out of political life completely. If he wins... well, I have nothing to offer them really, and besides, he WOULDN'T win. If there's one thing about "never-had-to-fight-his-own-battles-or-make-his-own-way-and-my-daddy-got-me-into-this-school-and-
out-of-all-the-trouble-I've-been-in" kind of bully, it's that they are hopeless when left to their own devices. It's why Dub-ya has had the fewest press conferences of any President in over 50 years. People ask inconvenient "questions" that may, of all things, take a different point of view than his own. Its why he accepts no criticism or dissent from his cabinet (witness the marginalization of Colin Powell). Its why he looked like such a pathetic brat during the debates. When not surrounded by his "possey" of bullies and hand-picked throngs of supporters, he falters. And in our fight, with no place to hide a receiver and ear-piece, no gloves to hide a metal plate or other device, he will fall. He might even cry, like the misguided little boy he is.

You see, it's become painfully aware to anyone with sense and intelligence in the world that George W. Bush is nothing but a rich, spoiled, mean-spirited frat boy. I watched his demeanor during the recent debates, and you could see his smug little smirk turn to an incredulous "no one talks to me this way" scowl (when he wasn't acting like a slouching, fidgeting, impatient child). He even blurted out "I knew that!" in true I'm-rubber-and-you're-glue fashion (Karl Rove's favorite campaign strategy, it would seem). He's a brat and a bully. He's smug and stupid. And he's the leader of the most powerful economic and military entity on the planet. This is a bad combination. In my experience growing up, there's was only one way to deal with kids like this. You have to stand up to them. You can't reason with someone who literally or metaphorically plugs their ears and sings "la la la I'm not listening". You can't find comprimise and a better way forward with someone who's critically stubborn, and not adult enough to admit (or even see!) their own mistakes. There is only one way to make an impression: humiliate them in front of their peers. Strip away their imagined strengths. Expose their inner cowardice. Let them know they won't be declared the alpha dog on their say so. There WILL be a challenge. A truely devastating challenge.

Now I admit, there are a few problems with my plan. First of all, I must find a way to trick him into taking the bait and accepting the challenge. And I said before I'm not a violent man, so this idea is a bit of contradiction. Yes, one of my favorite quotes is "fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity". Yes, violence begets violence. Yes, it is a pretty silly idea altogether. But lets face it, sometimes the only way to stop a bully from beating up someone in the lower grades is to step in. Even if it only works as a distraction. After all, all we're really trying to do is get their attention and open their eyes to their evil, evil ways. If you cast them in the role of lonely victim for a moment, SOMEtimes they can see the light. Of course that does require some level of emotional maturity and intelligence. There must be a seed to germinate.

Here's hoping beyond hope.

Also, I must admit that I have some selfish reasons for this proposal. As a Canadian, I have no vote in this incredibly important election (even though it effects the entire planet), and convincing my American friends in the US, here in Canada, and abroad to vote against Bush has run its course. I've bugged just about everyone I can bug. Yet I still feel a burning desire to do more, to give the world a little nudge in (what I believe is) the right direction. And also, the level of corruption and arrogance they operate under, and the level of damage they have inflicted on world politics and the earth and its peoples has offended me in the deepest manner.

And I demand satisfaction.

So waddaya think Dubya? You want a piece of me? You got the guts to get in the ring with all 160 pounds of my out-of-shape Finno-Canadian fury?!

Hmm...?

Hmph! ...

...That's what I thought.


The "Muukii's Soapbox", bareknuckle box-off dancecard:

Main event: George W. Bush
Undercard: Dick Cheney
John Ashcroft
Donald Rumsfeld
Paul Wolfowitz
Karl Rove
Tom Ridge
Mike Leavitt
That'll about do it. The rest can make due with a stern talking to and 4 years detention.

Welcome back!
Hey folks. I have a PC that works, at last, so I hope to be posting more. Here's a coupla links to let you know my feelers are still out there.

A great article by Naomi Klein from Harper's:
Baghdad Year Zero - Pillaging Iraq in pursuit of a neocon utopia

I really think she is one of our most important writers.