Here Comes Santa Claus...

At risk of further distancing myself from the Ithaca intelligista...I have to say that I always took critiques of the Bush junta creating a modern theocracy lightly. I understand the impact religious voters had on the 2004 election, but claims of theocracy seemed a bit too heavy-handed, much in the same vein as when Republicans call Democrats "Marxists." Getting a bit overboard, aren't we boys?

Also, after reading God's Politics by Jim Wallis, I realized that when it comes to religion and politics, both sides need to give up some ground. However, I just learned about this recent House Resolution.

DIOS MIO! A DONDE SE FUE LA CONSTITUCION DE LOS ESTADOS UNIDOS!?

Such are the levels of crazy in House Resolution 847! It makes me break out into Spanish like some Saturday morning cartoon character. Porque Miguel Arcuri!? POR QUE!?

I understand bits of the language in the resolution.

"(1) recognizes the Christian faith as one of the great religions of the world;
Yes. Quite true.

(2) expresses continued support for Christians in the United States and worldwide;

Not a bad thing. Hang on me brother...

(3) acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith;

Yes, true again. The Crusades gave us algebra, stolen from the Muslims, but algebra none the less! Mendel was a Franciscan monk! Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel looks great!

(4) acknowledges and supports the role played by Christians and Christianity in the founding of the United States and in the formation of the western civilization;

True. Religious fervor whipped up many an explorer and colonist to the Americas. Some more than others...

(5) rejects bigotry and persecution directed against Christians, both in the United States and worldwide; and

I agree, no one should be persecuted for their beliefs. It's kind of a duh idea.

(6) expresses its deepest respect to American Christians and Christians throughout the world.

See 5

All wonderful points, but the resolution still strikes me as kind of creepy. Imagine the precedent set by a resolution that so mingles religion and government. It's basically a big endorsement!

Christianity: USA APPROVED!

I realize the bill, introduced by Representative Steve King (R-Iowa) is a lot of fluff designed to appease those on the religious right that continue to say us Godless savages wage a war against Christmas. Such is the genius of the religious right. Try proving a negative? Even without the "God did it!" trump card, the religious right can continue to perpetuate the assertion that Christmas is dying. Every "Happy Holidays!" is interpreted as an attack against Jesus, instead of the jovial sentiment actually intended. Every mention of Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Eid, or the winter solstice constitutes blasphemy brought on by politically correct ninnies. Never mind someone might actually want to learn about other cultures.

The resolution mentions that there are "225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population," With such high numbers, how can there be a war on Christmas?

I don't think there is going to be very much fallout from the resolution. While skirting the boundaries of our constitutional republic and emboldening the supposed battle over Christmas, it doesn't destroy the Constitution or the Bill of Rights. It's one thing to say "Gee, isn't Christmas great!" and another to say "It's Jesus or Canada, buddy!" That will take many more microphone cuts on the O'Reilly Factor!

Actually, the resolution is quite laughable when you consider Congress passed a bill saying that Christmas was indeed important to Christians. Next up, water is wet and 2 + 2 = 4!

Peace!

Cracked!

It's fire and ice time here in Ithaca. I don't mean the changing seasons (I saw snow flurries on my walk to work today) or those blasts of hot air that wash out of buildings as you step in from the cold. No, I mean the swing in emotions the local populace can now begin to feel.

Still giddy from the Dalai Lama's visit to Ithaca, locals can now FREAK OUT again because John "Put Some Clothes On" Ashcroft is speaking at Cornell!

That's John "Let the Eagle SOAR!" Ashcroft!

That's John "I Know You Checked Out Danielle Steel Novels" Ashcroft!

John "Patriot Act" Ashcroft!

WOW! A real former member of the Bush junta is coming here! A Cabinet member! The sound you hear is the collective Ithaca Sound Machine pushing the dial way past 11! Or the Ithaca zeitigeist cracking in half.

I wasn't a fan of John Ashcroft and his Attorney General policies. However, I think it is wonderful he is coming here to speak. It's much different to hear an opponent actually speak and elaborate on why they think what they are doing is right, then to just listen to the sound bites at Moveon.org. I have learned from the townies and given up on trying to get tickets, but maybe there will be a live broadcast or a speech archive later.

I wonder if CU will cover up the naked statue outside Uris Hall for the event?

Peace!

Election 2007

Locally, (i.e. City of Ithaca) this year's election for various county positions is not too excited. My first election ever as a citizen of this city and everyone is running friggin' un-opposed! However, it's hard to keep me down when it comes to voting. It's the Puerto Rican in me. Puerto Rico has so many problems, in so many ways, but one thing that is so amazing is how it fields near 80% voter turnout each and every election year.

Seriously, I love to vote, and you should too, because no amount of Star Spangled knick-knacks can trump a single vote.

Democracy is kind off a big deal, so, if you are in Tompkins County, please get out a vote in any and all our your local elections. It's very un-progressive to not vote so if you are part of the "Ithaca Sound Machine," put all the rhetoric on the record. If you really like Carolyn Peterson, all of Common Council, and Herb Engman, then solidify their victories! It will probably make then feel a lot better if they win by a true mandate and not their closest dozen friends. And it will also clearly say that this is the local leadership we want, not some powerful circle of (insert your favorite pejorative here) that can scream the loudest.

If you are a part of the "Silent Majority" then STOP BEING SILENT! Write-in the opponents who lost in the primaries and, hell, write in Matt Murdock or Bruce Wayne! Deny them the sheer technical win! Tell them that maybe we weren't strong enough to have a candidate this year, but we will next time! And remember, this is Ithaca, so even just a handful of write-ins will get some sort of committee started-up where you can discuss the effectivenes of Zachary Winn or a kick to the face.

There is a competitive election for the state Supreme Court and the Sixth Judicial District and I admit that I am woefully un-informed. Seems like most of the action is concetrated in the candidates home areas and I don't spend any time in Coopperstown, NY! I got some research to do.

PEACE!

Actual Posts!

Monday October 15th is the first ever Blog Action Day and the lowly Fear of the Blank Page will join a digital global voice on the environment. As of this posts, there are 11,867 blogs registered with the action day. I will be rocking the blog-o-sphere with my soap box speech on "Big E" environmentalism.

I have embedded a YouTube promo video created by the Blog day organizers. I hope you check it out and tell any of your blogging friends to join up. Even if you don't think of yourself as green, the environment is too broad a term to be claimed by any one belief or group*. What do you think of all the issues surrounding the environment? If you think global warming isn't that big of a deal then say why? If you feel powerless as to do anything, then why? If you feel empowered to do something then tell everyone what made you empowered! SPEAK! DO SOMETHING!



I had hoped to do a weekly series of posts about the environment leading up to the day, but I forgot. Instead, you got Huckleberry Piggy and Carson Rabbit Sawyer.

Peace!



*I am looking at you, hippies! Remember folks, hippies don't do anything. Environmentalists do!

Fur coats and cowboy hats!

Great to see that this story ran as the top Americas headline on the BBC for the entire weekend. A bit disheartening to notice that today's edition of the New York Times didn't give the protests any coverage on the front page except for a blurb telling readers to dig through the news section. I only mention this because if you believe the radical neo-con logic that the NY Times is an America-hating leftist rag then why would they deny Jane Fonda top billing over an article about how an imam found greatness in the suburbs? It was still a good article that challenged stereotypes and cultural clashes, but, where is the America-hating rancor!?

And while I admire the peace protesters and support them in trying to end the current Iraq war, I am not an outright pacifist. Mostly because when I hear the words "heat ray gun" and "developed" in the same article I tend to freak out, just a little.

LOOK AT THAT THING! AMAZING! About fucking time too! H.G. Wells is standing up in heaven with HP Lovecraft and Jules Verne laughing at us for taking so long. Now, military-industrial complex, get working on those jet packs and flying cars! All in the name of freedom, of course.

I would post some pictures but all the pics come from either military/defense sites or pacifist/anti-war sites. One group has the actual heat ray and the other has many lawyers. Hence, just hit the link.

I just realized that celebrating both a protest and a weapon designed to counter protests is inherently "redoncolous." Yes, so crazy and oxymoronic that new words are needed for it.

I will have more for you guys later. Peace!

Back?

Back in town, but might be absent from the blog-o-sphere for a while. I am seriously job hunting right now and taking advantage of my current half-employment by looking for other jobs. I am also trying to do those New Year's resolutions and read more, write more, and give you better blog posts. So that is my excuse.

But here is something!

Former President Gerald Ford passed away. That's sad, even though I don't much about Gerald Ford. Quite ballsy to accept the loss in Vietnam and then pardon Nixon. However, it does make me think about what will happen when I President I admire passes. I mean what will I do when Jimmy Carter or...say it ain't so..Bill Clinton goes!? I mean, Jimmy Carter, he is so friggin' nice! I wish I was old so I could have voted for him. You always hear guys saying, "I voted for Bush because he looks like a guy I could have a beer with!" Well, I could sit on Jimmy Carter's peanut ranch and drink mint juelps with him all day talking about building houses for underpriveleged people and saying your prayers. I read an article in The New Yorker that Jimmy Carter flies commercial whilst doing his post-presidential business. He gets up and introduces himself to everyone! That is the kind of class I wish I had. I hope I get to meet Jimmy Carter one day on some flight to LaGuardia and provide the flight attendant with the exact change for two mile-high mint juleps.

And what if Bill Clinton passes before I do?! Well, the day that Bill Clinton goes up to the big Arkansas in the sky, they will have to make a law that the word "cool" will no longer be usable. We will instead need to rely on appropiate substitutes like "Boss" or "Airwolf!" Just like weening ourselves of oil, it will be hard at first, but we shall overcome.

But, why would we have to stop using the word "cool?"

Because their is no one, NO ONE, that is cooler than Bill Clinton. NO ONE EVER SO COOL!

Let's all drive down to Jimmy Carter's southern Baptist church and praise the epitome of cool!

Peace!