Bigger, Bolder

an artist did this,
originally uploaded by mandler.

See beyond the maze of pixels, live life with bold brush strokes.

Universal Goldfish

My Dead Goldfish,
originally uploaded by mandler.

My goldfish, Freddy, died recently and I layed him to rest by the pond; I felt kind of bad cuz when I laid him out by the pond, the ground was frozen solid, so I kind of laid him out on the ice. Anyway, it was a trip today that he appeared downstream in this melting snow patch when I was laying bird seeds with Desi today. I jumped back at the smiling mirage...he even had my goldfish' eyes! And there was a bulb coming out of his eye where the snow had melted, kind of like new birth from the seeds I was throwing down. I love paying attention to this, the symbollic poetry of life and nature and the Universe all around us, all the time!

Pray For Momo

mymomo,
originally uploaded by mandler.

My Momo, apparently, is leaving this earth. I'm praying for my Momo to not have any pain. I love her so much! Was it Plato who commented when asked if he was afraid to die "I've been heading to this destination my whole life, why should I be afraid of the last steps?"

Weird Science

capt.xed11103130810.china_legislature_xed111,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Ok, so, China might attack Taiwan if they formally try to become a country of their own. They signed into law an anti-secessation law today [yahoo]. Of course, the US would be the ones to protect Taiwan, should it come to that, and we are talking about a possible nuclear conflict there.

Also, I hear that Israel said that they have plans, and have gotten the go-ahead from the US, to attack Iran's Nuclear facility? We are talking about a possible nuclear conflict here [kaumudi].

I guess these international conflicts have been going on for years and years, so there is nothing really new, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT ALL THESE COUNTRIES ARE ITCHIN ON THE TRIGGER of their nuclear capabilities, like us. I mean, forget mini ipods, its all about our new mini nukes--YAY! [IndMedTV].

Of course, I have to remind myself that none of these countries want their countries obliterated. I heard a great thing on the Ali G dvd that I was watching last night, where he was like "so, what if the leaders of one country, instead of going to war, went over to the leaders of the other country and had it out with them." Hell ya, have them fight in a ring, let them blow off some steam. You know that all of them would probably end up going out for a beer afterwards. Why do we put the leadership of an entire country and our entire arsenal in the hands of so few? Its freaky how we sort of blindly trust these gangs of leaders coming in and out of office to handle things in the best manor. I think we need to decentralize our leadership and create citizen leadership, where we use the internet to vote on stuff and let a few manage that process and what it translates to for our country. Oh yeah, thats sort of how we are doing it now, except our leaders are fucking with the voting so that they can steal the management away from us and slowly take our control away over our government...oh!

Anyway, regarding this nuclear bullshit, I have to also remind myself, that I should not freak out about proliferation, after all, I spent my entire childhood doing that--so much wasted energy worrying about whether the world would blow up overnight. Not that I don't think that its possible (it is, several times over), but, as an adult, it gives me such a headache to think about what is possible with these kinds of weapons of massive destruction. And there really isn't much I can do about it, besides write and talk about it, protest, etc.. Worrying isn't gonna get me anywhere! Right? Now, where is that zoloft...

Nuclear...Weird science, indeed.

Giuliana Sgrena Deserves The Truth!

Updated Today (click to move to)

Depleted Uranium Kills Over & Over & Over Again

from abc news,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Who knew that when George Bush started a war in Iraq over "weapons of mass destruction", that those weapons could first and foremost be found in the hands of our own troops?

Back in January 2003, in a BBC forum called "Is the war on terror violating human rights?" (link), my concern was depleted uranium and what it was doing to the people of Iraq and our vets since the first Gulf War (see google search "what is gulf war syndrom"). The response I got from Kenneth Roth, of the group "Human Rights Watch", was that "studies had been done to show that there were no long term health risks from exposure to depleted uranium." In other words, it wasn't anything to be concerned about.

Oh, but it is something to be very concerned about. The nature of depleted uranium is that it kills over and over again. It kills our troops with they handle ammunition, it kills again when we shoot people with it, and it continues to kill by the radiated dust particles and heavy waste it leaves behind spreading into the air and soil for years to come (it has a 4.4 billion year half life.) Yes, even after 100's of thousands of people have already been effected by this stuff from the first Gulf War, we are still using it in this, the second confrontation in Iraq.

Finally, there is some official acknowledgement about the dangers--Australia is demanding that their troops be protected from the US' use of depleted uranium ammunition. (link) If Australia is demanding this, then that leaves me with a question: what about our troops, will they be given the option of being protected from this ammunition? Are we then going to watch our troops coming home from Iraq sick from exposure to the stuff? Talk about a weapon of mass destruction, this weapon doesn't just kill the target, it kills everyone. And now its in the soil in Iraq, everyone is breathing its lethal dust. Think of this, how are the people of Iraq to live in their new toxic reality? Ughhh, what a mess!

Exerpt from website regarding the consequences of using depleted uranium in the first Gulf War (link): During Desert Storm, the U.S. used Depleted Uranium (DU) on the tips of many warheads. It is an extremely hard metal and the most effective weapon to pierce amour. But DU is also a heavy, radioactive material with a 4.4 billion-year half-life. Upon impact, approximately 60-80% of DU becomes sub-aerosol particles. It can enter the body through inhalation, ingestion, or an open wound. It can also be transmitted from the father, and is able to pass through the placenta to a child. More than 400,000 vets were exposed to over 315 tons of DU dust, much of it contained trace elements of plutonium, the most toxic element known to humankind. The Veterans Administration cites over 164,000 Gulf War veterans on disability status, and nearly 15,000 have died since Desert Storm.

Rumsfeld's Golden Ticket

rumsfeld,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Rumsfeld was cleared in prison abuse scandals! Hooray, its a glorious day for
democracy! (link)

Bush Doing What He Does Best: Destroying Security

1A_bush3,
originally uploaded by mandler.

The fact is, Social Security can meet 100% of its obligations for the next 37 years with no changes to the current system. After 2042, the system reports that it can pay more than 70% of benefits without any changes. That sounds pretty encouraging to me.

To make up for this lag in 37 years, we could require income above 90,000 to pay social security taxes (no income above that amount is taxed currently), which would make the system in strong shape.

But, this is not a suggestion that we would hear from Bush, considering the connections to big money that his family has. No, Bush's attacking suggestion is that we need to scrap the current public system and make it privatized, so people can gamble with their social security by being able to invest in stocks and bonds. Not only would this reduce checks for some with bad investments, but it would cost 3 trillion administrative dollars and billions paid from individuals in account fees (for Bush's wealthy donors at financial institutions.)

Bush said today "I pity the politician who stands in the way of the solution." (link) Rich words coming from him. Ah yes, the most mind fucky of U.S. Presidents, twisting perceptions of the real agenda, catering to our hopeful misperceptions, abusing us yet again. The week minded cowtow to the Emporer with no clothes.

Granted, for those interested in stocks and bonds, this idea might actually work into their current field of knowledge, but for the rest of the US, we're not fucking into gambling with our ultimate security. Not only do some of us have no interest in this privitization social security account thing, but, some of us shouldn't be encouraged to gamble by our government. A lottery ticket is a cheap thing to wave in front of your citizens while you steal their money right out from under them. No, this Social Security privitization is not in all your citizens best interest--AT ALL!

What it boils down to is Bush isn't looking out for us, he is looking out for himself. Maybe he doesn't understand that for some, this is all we have to allow for ourselves to survive as elderly individuals. Fuck that, he knows exactly what he's going for. Unfortunately for some, this means misery, while his chronies earn an extra buck from uprooting our current established and successful social security system.

Not to mention, Bush is also attempting to stack the Federal courts with his judges (link) and he's playing games with our taxes. (link)

Click here to stop the rug from being pulled out from under us with Social Security.

take the red pill

take the red pill,
originally uploaded by mandler.

dude looks like a shady

In pictures: International Women's Day

_40903711_acid_300_afp,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Talk about bravery: Bangladeshi women victims of acid attacks, often carried out by men whose advances have been spurned, use candles to spell out the word "acid" in Dhaka.


Article On Cause

Utter not a word.

jack,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Forget that headline about whether a certain person's brother is going to run for a certain office in a certain year. Don't give it your attention...ignore him, give him no energy, and he will go away.

Italian Developments

giuliana,
originally uploaded by mandler.

3/12/05 Giuliana Sgrena updated her statement to say that she didn't think that the Americans were trying to kill her. (This is good.) This sort of negates everything I wrote below, except for the fact that she deserves a transparent explanation.

Exerpt from Reuters article:
Sgrena's partner Pier Scolari, speaking outside the hospital where she is being treated, accused U.S. forces of recklessness. "I hope the Italian government does something because either this was an ambush, as I think, or we are dealing with imbeciles or terrorised kids who shoot at anyone," he said.
Hear Hear! Its so time to awaken, and I'm so ready. Giuliana certainly does have a chip of American shrapnel on her shoulder, My homeland is rightly accused of deliberately targeting Giuliana Sgrena to try and kill her; apparently, we've gone insane over how Italy delt with the terrorist kidnappers and the fact that they might have actually paid randsom for her release. So, our predictably unpredictable government tried to kill her (to send "a message" of death to Italy?) Sounds crazy, but, if any bit of this is true, where exactly am I living? Who the fuck are my leaders-- the mafia? This isn't ok with me AT ALL that the world can't put it past us that the worst possible scenario is quite possible coming from Bush and his coconspirators! Why am I still sitting here typing, allowing myself to be a part of this conspiracy? I should be in the streets raising heaven and hell over my irresponsible and out of control government?

Martha Martha Martha!

Martha makes lemonade from the lemons
Well, I've got to hand it to her. She's made it through a good part of this ordeal. I wonder what is going on in that head of hers? I'm sure it's a mixture of business as usual as well as what to do with this recent unique experience of being behind bars and seeing the world from that angle. I hope she can hang onto that, and that she doesn't just get caught up in being Martha all over again. It must feel like a rebirth to her. I hope her recent analogy of lemons to lemonade is revealing of her plan, to reveal the light of her experience to the world. She is in a very interesting position to let the masagonistic corporate world have it. All the power to her! Its been a man's world for too long and the planet is suffering under this male dominated regime. What is it going to take before the pendulum swings in the other direction? Enough is enough--over 50% of the planet is women. I always say, may the power of women unite!! Martha for President (hey, if George can be President, then a smart convicted corporate felon certainly can!)

Balancing Blog Planes

Balance The Blog,
originally uploaded by mandler.

I don't want my blog to be (just) bitchy! I was just looking at this blog. I have a knack for revealing negative stuff and the various negative omens around me. But, don't get me wrong, I wanna focus on the positive as much as possible. Its about balance. Hmmmm...Its a complex world I live in...

From my Yogi Tea Bag: "Travel light, live light, spread the light, be the light."

America The Shameful

Protesting Kids,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Ok, so the Italian journalist, Giuliana Sgrena, was released from her captors in Iraq. Apparently her news agency was critical of the invasion of Iraq. And now and Italian Intelligence Agent, who was instrumental for her release, is dead, the U.S. shot him while they were approaching a checkpoint. And if it weren't for him, she would be dead, because he hurled himself on top of her to save her life. And, now, she has a piece of U.S. shrapnel in her shoulder now (a chip on her shoulder.) I am so like not liking being an American right now--our country is shady--capital S. We are sending so many fucked up messages to the world right now. The people of the world don't like us. In other news, there are song birds outside my window picking at the seeds I laid out in the snow!!! YAY!

Bush Takes Shit On Social Security

Buddhist Monk,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Robert Landauer writes a great article on the Social Security issue "Borrowing $4.5 trillion over 20 years to deal with a 75-year Social Security shortfall that is far less than that looks like a cure worse than the disease."

Oregon Live Article

Monkeys at the Maul

our mission: to cage all beasts?,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Just read about chimps mauling a visitor at a monkey sanctuary. Weird cuz the people visiting were visiting a chimp that they used to have as a pet. Four chimps escaped and two attacked the male visitor.

Maybe they don't want to be cooped up in a cage for the rest of their lives? Maybe they want to be more than just primates admired by "responsible animal lovers?" Maybe they were having their revenge? I'd do the same thing. Revolt!

Anyway, the two that attacked were killed. The person who killed the two chimps was described as "saving a life." That's so George Bush, manipulative talk trying to evade the truth of the matter. Yes, a life was saved, but at the cost of two, and at the cost of freedom for these monkeys. So we're back at square one--is the primate's message of being driven to insanity being heard or even considered?

What were these escaping monkeys, in effect, telling the humans? My guess is that they weren't happy living in a cage and that they wanted to be living a normal life of a chimp (in Africa?) Is this a unrealistic hope for them? To be in their natural habitat? If so, why are we preventing them from this, why is that a threat to us? Because we can't keep them in a cage as a lesser animal, as an animal to be either saved from poachers, saved from science, saved from the entertainment industry, or kept as a pet in a cage or "sanctuary"? A sanctuary from who, what? Us? Why must they be perpetually protected from us? Just move them back to their natural habitat where they can live in freedom, away from us human beans, for God's sake!
article:Yahoo Monkey Attack Story
article: more on monkeys held in captivity

Wayne Dyer Rocks My Worlds..

images,
originally uploaded by mandler.

Beware of the messages you send out to the world and to the Universe. The following was prefaced by Dr. Wayne Dyer saying that you can't give away what you don't have:

"That the ocean of abundance is there. And you can go to that ocean of abundance, and you can take a mac truck and you can fiullit up 20 times a day and take it out of there and, guess what, it doesn't impact at all, the ocean of abundance, it doesn't even go down a zillionth of an inch, its unlimited. Or you can go to the same ocean of abundance with a eye dropper and you can take this much out once a month and say "that's all that seems to be available for me."

Similarly, he discusses that if your attitude with the Universe is "gimme gimme gimme" you will find the same message coming from the world and the Universe. But, if you refocus your demands on the world and instead say "what can I give to the world" "how may I serve you", you will find similar messages coming back to you from the world and the Universe. Its just how it works.

Anyway, I like Wayne Dyer, he be the bomb.

saggin at the eye night

saggin at the eye night,
originally uploaded by mandler.

This is a moment...