It's a wawwy

I love my home town. I like living where people still speak up and have opinions...and act on them.

For some reason George Bush is booked to come here and speak next week at a lotsa $$ per seat banquet, and lotsa people here are angry about it. I'm not impressed...the man, in my opinion, did little to further America and a lot wrong with Iraq (including starting a war for greed and business and turning a blind eye to war crimes)... to top it all off, he is not someone I would call a good public speaker. This is the guy who can't pronounce nuclear. Who continued to read children's books when the twin towers collapsed...why would you pay $$ to hear him speak? I just don't get the appeal.
I suspect it will be a gathering of uber conservative rich business types who will pat each other's backs and applaud loudly...after all, if Bush can make it to the presidency, why can't they be great public figures too? In my mind all I can forsee the event as is a big business networking shmoozefest. Ech.

There is a rally against him on Wed, Oct 21 when he is scheduled to speak. Turns out a lot of people (myself included) don't like the fact that he is coming to speak here. They want him to be held accountable for what happened during his presidency. The night before his arrival and speeches in town there is a showing of "Taxi to the Dark Side" at the local library (a film that touches on America's attitude towards war crimes and torture). The day of, there will be a rally...I'm stuck at work so I can't be there, but I do hope there is a strong non-crazy showing of people to express what needs to be said. Maybe if enough level headed, average people speak up against corruption and bad leadership something will change.

Ya think?

Honey? Why do I feel this need to go to the mall? *blink blink*

This article is ridiculous. The title? "Shopping is 'throwback to days of cavewomen"
May I quote from it? Yes I believe I shall...

"A woman's love of shopping is a throwback to her days in the caves, according to a new study. Shoppers are using instincts they learnt from their Neanderthal ancestors, researchers have found.

Dr David Holmes, of Manchester Metropolitan University(who, is being given wasted $$ and has his head up his arse) said: "Gatherers sifted the useful from things that offered them no sustenance, warmth or comfort with a skill that would eventually lead to comfortable shopping malls and credit cards. In our evolutionary past, we gathered in caves with fires at the entrance. We repeat this in warm shopping centres where we can flit from store to store without braving the icy winds."

If you can believe it, this was a study paid for by a shopping centre to find out why people shop more in January. The grand conclusion?

"It seems our gatherer instincts are coming to the fore and affecting the way we shop in these testing times."

Um yeah. It's totally not due to us all getting gift cards for Christmas or anything. And that the mall is full of mostly useless distracting junk that we don't need for "sustenance" Sure we might want to get out a bit to warm up, but that's no great cultural historical link...its just glaringly obvious. AND (perhaps my most vehement point) WOMEN DO NOT GENETICALLY LOVE SHOPPING YOU BIASED DISCRIMINATING YABO!
*ahem*

I'd just like to say on behalf of educated researchers everywhere: Please don't lump us in with men like this. This is ridiculous. I can't believe someone paid someone to come up with this.

*ahem*
Just wanted to mention casually that if MEC wants to sponsor similar "research"with some camp gear gift certificates I'd be willing to fart out a report like this too...how hard could it be?

Oh my, it's a mirage, I'm tellin y'all it's sabotage!

"the "normal" world is populated by space aliens. Those around you are an entirely different, substandard, sedentary species with strange eating and spending habits and short life spans. You don't "get" to do what they do anymore than you "get" to drink water out of the toilet or poop on the sidewalk just because your dog does."

Crabby McSlacker of Cranky Fitness wrote this today...and echo of how I've been feeling lately. There's no end, it seems, of the advertising world telling us to "treat ourselves" and that "we deserve" all the rewards and things we think everyone else is having. Do I need a chocolate bar? No. But some days I really really want one...and why not? It's when the rewards come every day...and you have them even when you don't really want them, but feel entitled to them so you have them anyways that the problems begin.
In a world of consumerism and excess it's very difficult to try and find your own balanced way to go through life. Eating well and not sabotaging your health with too much snackery and booze can be tricky...remembering to move your ass on a regular basis to be healthy and live a longer, healthier life is also not easy as well. I have a love/hate relationship with running. I love how it makes me feel, and most days, although it can be a struggle sometimes (like today after a week or so off from illness), when I'm done I feel refreshed and full of energy. I like being able to do more. I like feeling healthy.
Even in the realm of the home base - your sanctuary from the world at large, there are those trying to tell you what you need. In planning a paintup of our living room I've found how deceptively easy it is to get sucked in by adding things I don't need, but look cool in a store to my grand schemes. There are even fakey cakey room scents to fill your house with smells...and even a 3 scent one that will rotate the smells so you can smell a different smell every hour if you want to...it's getting out of hand. How about choosing what you like, smelling what you like and doing what you like. Don't know what you like? Well, look around. Try things. *DO* things.

I like to think I'm not alone in thinking the regular world at large are somewhat insane and heading in the wrong direction... I hope that by trying to shop locally, and with a conscience, and living a healthy balanced life I can find what it is that makes me happy...and pursue those things. I know I can't be happy all the time...that's absurd. But I want joy in my life...the kind of contentment that comes from being able to look yourself in the mirror and not being ashamed by the individual there...I'm not talking appearance - but how I treat others and myself. How I use my time...the stuff that matters.

I've had a lot of time to think while sick and indisposed and I've come to the conclusion that I will endure this alien wasteland with all the dignity and strength I can, and hopefully impart to it a bit of sanity and stewardship that will make a difference to myself and others.

And I'll remember to make the time to brew a batch of strawberry wheat beer now and then, make some muffins, scritch my cats and hug my love at any and every opportunity I get...cuz y'know...it's the little things. *Those* are my rewards...
Have a good day all.

This is what apathy will get you

The ever lovely Chaucer's Bitch pointed out this interview with Dick CHaney (VP of the USA) on national TV in which he openly states that he doesn't care what the opinion of the US people is on the war in Iraq:

CHENEY: On the security front, I think there’s a general consensus that we’ve made major progress, that the surge has worked. That’s been a major success.

RADDATZ: Two-third of Americans say it’s not worth fighting.

CHENEY: So?

RADDATZ So? You don’t care what the American people think?

CHENEY: No. I think you cannot be blown off course by the fluctuations in the public opinion polls.

Check out this link to watch the clip. I realise context is important, but this is not a statement that can be or is taken out of context. It is the statement of a leader who is going about his plans for things without any regard to the opinions or views of the people he is serving and representing in office. I hope Americans have a bit of a freak out over this, because honestly...you elected the guys. It's YOUR country....you're coming up on elections.
Vote. Have your say about the policy of the country you live in. Protest.You're declining like the Roman Empire and if you don't try and change things, you can't come up here and take our stuff, OK? We have our own problems :)

If you don't get involved, this is what apathy will get you. 4 more years of this.