God Bless America

This whole political cycle has made me increasingly cynical about American politics, which is totally ironic because it seems as though a great many others have found a renewed faith in the American political system due to the rise of the Messiah - Barack Obama. But since I'm not busy burying my head up Obama's ass in an effort to prove myself a devoted disciple of his, I have had time to reflect on some of the things that are really wrong with this country.

I am going to the inauguration of Barack...I mean, whoever gets elected (but let's be honest, it's a forgone conclusion) via some program called UPIC. It means I am going to be treated like a king, people will probably tell us that we "are the future leaders of America", I will have special access to VIPs, the whole 9 yards. And what I find terribly droll is that in the capital of the supposedly most free nation in the world, I will not be able to light up a cigarette or else I will be thrown out of the Conference immediately. The entire subject of banning smoking is like a thorn in my foot, only sadly there is no Androcles to pull it out and save me my torment. Maybe I am just old fashioned, but I am a big fan of some of the ideas that this nation was founded on. You know, ideas like Liberty, personal freedom, and individual rights. If the country still followed those sorts of ideas, I would be able to light up a goddamned cigarette in America's capital and enjoy the cancer spreading in my lungs. Now, instead of leaders devoted to preserving individual freedoms, we have leaders who decide that they know what is best for us and impose restrictions and regulations on us because it will preserve our "safety" and "security."

Fuck that idea.

"Security is when everything is settled, when nothing can happen to you; security is the denial of life"

* * *

In America today, every 25 fucking seconds someone is viciously raped,
someone is brutally violated; 250 times a day someone is murdered,
someone's life is taken,
In America;
This is America,
This is America,
and I love America,
I love America!

Politics

It makes me super sad/disenchanted with the American political system that the first Presidential election I am able to vote in has such shitty candidates. Let me break it down for you.

1.) On the Democratic side we have Barack Obama - Junior Senator from Illinois. Now, my major question for the general populace is - why the fuck does everybody have a hard-on for this guy? Has this country fallen so far that we will get excited about any halfway decent looking, semi-articulate presidential nominee? Have we fallen so far that no one realizes that this man has no substance? The man's platform can be summed up in one sentence "I believe in hopes and dreams!" Well no shit! I doubt that any presidential hopeful would run on a platform opposed to those ideals. He's been a senator for a grand total 3.5 years so far (and the last 1/2 a year probably shouldn't count because I doubt he has attended many votes due to his campaigning). The man was a competent State senator, but I think he honestly should have stayed there for a few more years and maybe showed up to important votes (like the ones on partial-birth abortion and parental notification) before jumping head first into the national realm. Long story short, the man has zero substance to him. He regrets virtually every decision he makes (ex - allowing his kids to be interviewed by the media and hours later saying he "regretted that decision"). When he is elected (since there is virtually no way he can lose this election), I think a lot of people will become disenfranchised with him, like they were with George W. Bush, when they realize that there is no substance to this man, and in reality, he is no different than every other politician.

2.) For the Republicans, we have the "maverick" Senator John McCain. Let's just get this on the table, the man is old enough to be my great-grandfather. His entire campaign seems to be run on the philosophy that, "I am not exactly like George W. Bush, but neither am I am a Black Democrat. Also, I was a POW in Vietnam. Vote for me!" There is virtually no way in a frozen Hell that John McCain will be elected unless by some chance the racist vote outdoes the white-guilt vote.

3.) Rounding out the bill is Libertarian Bob Barr. Fuck this guy.


Why can't there be one halfway decent nominee?

Clothes

I am such a woman. I think shopping is one of my favorite activities. Which is really kind of bad at this point in my life because I am a.) a college student who really isn't that well off in terms of money and b.) trying to save money for my trip to Hungary.
Neither of these facts deterred me from ordering a bitchin' argyle sweater from Express today. Or for making plans on going to the mall tomorrow to hopefully buy some skinny jeans. More than skinny jeans, I totally want cigarette jeans. Those are like the Sid Vicious punk-rocker jeans that are suuuuuper tight and totally bad ass. I need multiple pairs right now. Or just one. I feel that with one pair, I can somehow squeeze myself into them and then never take them off. I will shower with them on, and they will eventually just become part of my body.
So, I totally need some hot new jeans, some nice shirts, and some new shoes would be fabulous.

Let the college-era debt begin!!

Roleplaying

I find it infinitely hilarious that parents (primarily Christian) don't want their kids roleplaying/playing D&D. The say that it is the Devil's game and such, but if they ever watched a roleplaying session, they would see just how hilarious that notion is.
I played D&D for the first time this past Spring, and this is essentially how it went. All 5 of us sat around the dinner table, joked around a lot, drank a few beers, went off on crazy tangents, and occasionally tried to focus on the story. There was little to no Devil worship involved. It was more just 5 guys hanging out, except instead of playing videos games, we roleplayed.
Furthermore, I don't see any real difference between roleplaying and when children play games with one another. Those children often invent situations/scenarios and perhaps even assume a different persona. Yet, parents totally encourage that kind of behavior as it stimulates creativity and it is better than sitting in front of the TV all day. Roleplaying is a group activity where each individual assumes a different persona and that requires a certain degree of creativity and inspiration.
Honestly, Christians usually freak out over nothing.

Random Thoughts (1)

Corrosion of Conformity said it best - "I'm drowning like a working man."
That's how I've been feeling as of late. I am mostly like "Fuck work". It is so boring and repetitive and not creative at all. It is so mundane and proletariat. I paint condos for jackasses. Seriously, old people are the biggest group of whiny/needy people in the world. Fuck them.
There, I needed to say that - it has been building for most of the summer.

Other than that, I have been listening to the newest Neurosis album "Given to the Rising" and it is badass. I also ordered a Neurosis sweatshirt that will hopefully be here next week.

Also, I while I was wearing my brand new Dickies workboots (which look like combat boots) and my new hat, someone said I looked like I came out of the Eastern Bloc. Then, I just imagined myself in a post apocalyptic world, wearing my boots, hat, and military backpack (which is fucking sweet) and holding the civilian M-16 that Kevin/Al fired at Silver Bullet. And it was a badass image.
And that is how I get through my day.
And then I wanted to go shoot guns at the range.
And hopefully I will next week.



Our father's steps fueled the boiling sea
The wretched harvest reaped by the hands of dawning
Our pain cannot forgive the silent machine of the fatal flaw in man
That brings us to the end

What is Beauty?

Beauty is...

riding your bike at 1am, singing songs out loud.
Communal dinners.
Spending time at a record/cd shop and browsing.
Heartwarming kids movies.
Fireworks on the beach.
Children being so carefree and innocent.
A cloudless summer day.
Making new friends.
Taking a nap a friend's house.
Books by C.S. Lewis.
Awkward smiles and glances.
Jumping recklessly into the water (or slipping in fully clothed).
Running home in thunderstorms.
Friends caring about you and making the effort to let you know.

Beauty is living life.

Why I am a Loyalist

If I were alive during the American Revolution, I would have been a staunch loyalist. The reason is simple - Great Britain did nothing to warrant an armed rebellion by her people. The Colonies were part of the British Empire, and as such the British Parliament had the right and power to impose various acts (ex - Navigation Act), taxes (ex - Sugar tax), and establish laws that were beneficial to the Empire. Americans make it seem as though the laws and acts passed by Britain in the time leading up to the Revolution were draconian and unduly harsh, but the truth is they were quite mild for the time, completely within reason, and levied on other nations in the Empire and even in Britain itself.
Furthermore, I find it galling when history teachers in high school make it seem as though the Revolution was an idea universally accepted within the Colonies, when at least 60% of the population was either loyal to the crown or neutral in the affair.
Additionally, there were many notable Members of Parliament who supported independence for the Colonies. William Pitt the Elder, one of the greatest statesmen Britain has ever had, supported making peace with the Colonies once the war had broken out so that the two could have close ties and unite against the French. But since the Colonies had turned to open rebellion and were allying themselves with the French, most of the MPs who originally supported the Colonists withdrew that support because the Colonists had essentially slapped them in they face by turning to France for help.
In closing, I feel that independence was inevitable, but America went about it in the wrong way. A gradual lessening of Britain's rule and influence over the Colonies would have led to an eventual state of independence, but the Colonies would have kept close ties with Britain. And we would probably be in the Commonwealth, just like virtually every other former colony of the British Empire, which would be kickass because the Commonwealth is pretty much the greatest league of nations ever made.

All hail and farewell to Britain, all hail and farewell to thee

First Post

I've decided to join the hordes of other cyberwaste out there and start my own blog. Mostly, I am doing this because Xanga is dead, Myspace is full of pedophiles, and nobody likes a person who constantly writes notes on Facebook. So I blog.
This blog will probably just be a collection of my thoughts. It will range from what music I recommend/like to social commentary to recaps of everyday life. And everything in between.

To get things started, I think I'll just give a rundown of what I have been currently listening to. So far, my summer has been overwhelming dominated by post-metal/doom/atmospheric hardcore. All three are essentially the same, but it really depends on who you are talking to.

• Rosetta has been on constant rotation when I am at home. I got their cd "The Galilean Satellites" this past Spring and wasn't blown away by it at first. The more I listen to it, however, the more fantastic I realize it is. It is double cd, one disc composed of post-metal songs while the other cd has accompanying songs of atmospheric sparseness. Apparently, if you play both cds at the same time, it creates a mindblowing experience (because tracks 1, 2, 3... on both cds are the same length, and therefore the post-metal is supported by the atmospheric track)
• Minsk is another band that has really taken my cd player by storm. "The Ritual Fires of Abandonment" is one of the best post-metal albums ever made. It has a real tribal feel to it, a raw primal energy that gets me fired up everyday as I drive to work. Especially good is the track "Circle of Ashes" which has J. Robert Oppenheimer's quote about the successful testing of the nuclear bomb.

Those are the two main bands I've been listening to, supplemented by Cult of Luna, My Dying Bride, and Neurosis.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog about America's Independence Day and why I am opposed to the Revolution.