The Great Oil Spill of ’10…

I love dolphins, pelicans, and shrimp as much as anyone else, maybe more, but I cannot bring myself to the level of outrage others have attained due to the BP situation in the Gulf of Mexico.

Is it unfortunate? Yes, of course it is. Is it a regrettable environmental situation? Of course. Does British Petroleum need to revise their safety procedures and update their contingency plan(s) for their drilling platforms? Absolutely.

Is it the end of the world and a destroyer of our ecosystem. No.

Admittedly, I haven’t digested too much information regarding this situation. I think a great deal of the coverage has been hype and has been skewed by an underfed, overzealous media.  My simple response when accosted by a ecomaniac or generic office newsy is that I don’t particularly blame BP for the situation, and I refuse to throw them under the bus when it comes to recovery efforts.  I don’t think BP is an apathetic party to this, and I firmly believe they’re doing all they possibly can to ameliorate this situation. 

I think this because BP is, quite literally, losing billions of dollars in oil and patronage as a result of this accident.  

The ridiculous politics of this situation aside (all big business is corrupt and governed by shady back room dealings; get over it), the capitalist in me knows that an oil spill is bad business, and bad business equals lost profits. Lost profits equals lost jobs, smaller paychecks, and unhappy shareholders. Unhappy shareholders want nothing more than the CEO’s head on a stick if they’re losing money.  The public backlash against BP and the media slander of BP is nothing compared to the wrath of these aforementioned shareholders.

BP will contain this mess as best as possible because of these reasons. Slinging mud at their signs or creating facebook petitions against them is just a foolish backlash by people who consider themselves to be aware, yet offer knee-jerk reactions to whatever the local news happens to feature.

I sincerely hope BP and whatever agencies they’ve contracted with are successful in this clean-up, and their success comes quickly, but this isn’t the end of the world. Nature is resilient and the wildlife will survive. BP needs to bring some supertankers to the region with the capacity to suck/filter the area and commit to an enduring process of cleaning up the affected areas.  Also, BP should pay out for lost income to those directly effected by this incident. Hopefully the financial hit BP has/will take will be a catalyst for the entire industry to have more rigid safety guidelines and more effective plans ready for a situation such as this.

Unfortunately disasters and necessity are the main informers of invention, so this will end up being something that saves more lives and wildlife than it will ultimately destroys.  If we didn’t suffer through several devastating airline crashes we wouldn’t have the safety precautions in place now that make flying the safest form of transportation possible. If NASA hadn’t suffered through Apollo setbacks, the Challenger explosion, and Columbia’s faulty tiles, the space program would not be as safe as it is today. Not to be callous, but if you want an omelette, you have to break some eggs. Unfortuantely some of those eggs are larger than others.

We should calm down and let capitalism fix its own mistakes. We should learn from these disasters and remember the causes, lest we repeat them and cause more damage.

Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God

“The strongest reason for people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against the tyranny in Government.” –Thomas Jefferson

“If Caesar had been as virtuous as he was daring and sagacious, what could he, even in the plenitude of his usurped power, have done to lead his fellow citizens into good government?… If their people indeed had been, like ourselves, enlightened, peaceable, and really free, the answer would be obvious. ‘Restore independence to all your foreign conquests, relieve Italy from the government of the rabble of Rome, consult it as a nation entitled to self-government, and do its will.’ But steeped in corruption, vice and venality, as the whole nation was,… what could even Cicero, Cato, Brutus have done, had it been referred to them to establish a good government for their country?… No government can continue good but under the control of the people; and their people were so demoralized and depraved as to be incapable of exercising a wholesome control. Their reformation then was to be taken up ab incunabulis. Their minds were to be informed by education what is right and what wrong; to be encouraged in habits of virtue and deterred from those of vice by the dread of punishments proportioned, indeed, but irremissible; in all cases, to follow truth as the only safe guide, and to eschew error, which bewilders us in one false consequence after another in endless succession. These are the inculcations necessary to render the people a sure basis for the structure of order and good government. But this would have been an operation of a generation or two at least, within which period would have succeeded many Neros and Commoduses, who would have quashed the whole process. I confess, then, I can neither see what Cicero, Cato and Brutus, united and uncontrolled could have devised to lead their people into good government, nor how this enigma can be solved.” –Thomas Jefferson to John Adams, 1819.

“When patience has begotten false estimates of its motives, when wrongs are pressed because it is believed they will be borne, resistance becomes morality.” –Thomas Jefferson to M. deStael, 1807.

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Things I miss about Connecticut

The clear difference between streets and highways

Every road here is a highway. They call them State Roads, County Roads, or US Routes, but they’re all highways.  If you want to go anywhere, you have to merge in to existing traffic going 60 mph.  The speed limits on the actual highways range from 60-70 mph, but every other road in this state is 55 mph with traffic lights.  Essentially everything in Florida is located on the Berlin Turnpike.  It is just weird.  There are no “neighborhoods”, instead dwellings only exist within walls of gated communities where cookie cutter tropical homes, each complete with a perfectly centered palm tree in the front yard, sit 10 feet apart from each other.

Sweaters

I love hot weather.  One of the only redeeming things about this state is its weather.  I do, however, miss wearing sweaters and jackets.  I miss this because I have an extensive, and quite fashionable collection of sweaters.  I will likely will myself to feel cold when it’s 65 in December in order to justify wearing sweaters and/or a jacket.  This is not to be mistaken as missing cold weather or seasons, as my love for semi-tropical weather trumps the first snow of the season or colorful leaves.

Culture/Education

I’ve spent nearly 28 years on this planet living in the major cultural, economic, and educational corridor between Boston and New York.  I am spoiled by this.  I demand my friends be sharp, informed, sarcastic, and have the ability to dress well.  I enjoy talking to educated people about current events and other learned things…not too many outlets for that down here.

 

It was a lame post, but I’m tired and not completely sure about how possible it is to revive this blog.

Things that piss me off: August 2009

A lot of things piss me off.  Hopefully they piss you off as well. Here is a run down of the top 5 things that have pissed me off in August (in no particular order).

1. Fleas

These little fucks infested my girlfriend’s father’s vacation house in Vermont and nearly ruined a trip we had been planning for a month.  The trip was still a relative success, but the effects of this fucking curveball have remained with me during the days after my return to civilization. This is most notable when looking at the 20+ bites on my foot and lower shin area. I’ve also become paralyzed with fear that we somehow transported them from the infected nest in Vermont to my fucking bedroom. I’ve spent the last 48 hours living like Howard Hughes and rubbing alcohol on my welts and vacuuming my fucking bed.  Awesome.

(This is just edged out “Vermont” on the list)

2. Drivers other than myself

Why is it that I’m the only fucking person who stops at Stop signs?  I want to know why every fucking person on the road is in such a big hurry to get somewhere and believes they’re the most important person on said road.  I admit that I drive fast, but I also drive well. I anticipate things, I recognize situations, I understand traffic patterns and understand my place in the flow of traffic.  These bad drivers have several different categories (which may be a future post).  I am just looking for an excuse to stop my vehicle one day and beat the ever loving shit out of some douche in BMW or some oblivious lane changing Puerto-Rican in an old Acura (or Honda Civic).  Every time some trashy black woman zips past me doing about 95mph in a mid-90’s Maxima with tinted windows I shudder with rage.  The problem with shitty drivers is simply an extension of the problem with society in general, but it still pumps pure, unadulterated hatred through my veins.

(see also: fuck Vermont/fuck Massachusetts)

3. Gross Work hook-ups

Nothing is quite as disgusting as two unattractive/trashy people uniting in to one unattractive/trashy couple. This unholy union can only transcend normal offensiveness if it is a couple you have to see on a daily basis at work.  Hearing intimate details of their relationship day in and day out leave you wretching in your cube.  I have no particular problem with inter-office romances, as I have dabbled in office tang myself, but when the people hooking up are of questionable character and regrettable stock the result is always gross.  I loathe hearing both parties independently talk of their love for the other to anyone who dares stop and talk to them for a moment.  These types of people are also the kind of people who fall in love after a couple weeks of dating (no doubt fueled by well-gin, buffalo wings, and “Fast and Furious” movie nights).  A close relative of this category is the “gross people cheating with each other with other gross work people” category.  That being just as gross, but somewhat entertaining in trainwreck kind of of way.

4. Lack of cell phone service or internet

This is 2009, right? Why is it that I have the sum of all human knowledge at the tip of my fingertips available to me at any time…except when I’m among people who could truly benefit from this technological advancement (I’m looking at you, Vermont)? If I get in trouble or need to figure out directions outside of portions of the country laid out grid-style, I realize that I am fucked. This was evident when flea bombing a house in Vermont and realizing that if I choked on toxic fumes I would probably die because there is NO FUCKING SERVICE.  I don’t understand how we can create a phone with the fucking internet, but we can’t solve the problem of dead zones and dropped calls.  We can fit literally 400million transistors on to a computer chip the size of a fucking Cheeze-It, but we can’t get internet in Vermont (or on one end of my street).  Someone needs to step the fuck up and fix this problem, and do it soon.

5. Mac incompatibility with PC’s

This is mostly because my girlfriend can’t figure out how to import pictures from iPhoto in to Facebook. I feel like I should be able to solve this problem very quickly if i try, but I also feel like she should learn how to navigate her computer w/out any assistance.  This makes it to the list because I have to hear about how it is “impossible” to accomplish this task, which is likely very simple if not blinded by the kind of rage that begets a girl being thwarted of uploading pictures to a new Facebook album.  I must add that a second mouse button would be nice, I don’t really care for holding down Control or that silly swirly Mac button when trying to do mundane tasks like Copy and Paste. Whatever though.

until next month…

Michael Vick: An American Hero

I know that I’m a difficult person to like.  I’m incredibly judgemental, demanding, impatient, and intolerant.  I tend to overestimate my importance in most conversations, and I often have the perception that my opinion will be highly regarded and respected because, well, it should be, because I’ve been told by family, a few friends, and even fewer teachers, that I’m really smart.

I realize that my perception of myself may be a bit skewed.  I realize I have relatively little to show for such an opinionated person, but I accept this, and figure that it is likely too late for me to change these things.  I also think that I could have ended up much worse.  I have strong sense of decency and an intolerance of that which is unjust (hence the over the top website).  There are few things that effect me emotionally, but one of those things is when people mistreat animals. 

I am no PETA freak or Vegan. I enjoy few things more than the taste of rare steak, and I am quite certain that the Polar Bears are doing just fine.  This brings me to something that has been simmering on the justice front for some time: Michael Vick.  I won’t go in to too many details about the life and crimes of Michael Vick.  There are certainly more reputable and detailed accounts of such things on respectable sites, but I feel the need to chime in the subject because I actually feel strongly about the issue.

Recently Michael Vick was released from prison to serve out the remainder of his term at a half way house or work release program or something of that ilk.  This gift was bestowed upon the former First Overall Pick in the NFL Draft because he supposedly paid his dues and was eligible for an early release.  I guess this early release nonsense happens all the time (or at lease movies tell me it does, as I do not run in the circles that have first hand knowledge of such things), but I also suspect that his being a star athlete had more than a little to do with it.  Again, this isn’t new.  Favoritism shown to athletes is as old as society itself, and is simply part of life, from high school sports to OJ Simpson, these things are just accepted. They aren’t right, but they take place and everyone knows about it.

What Vick did is not the standard foolish, spoiled athlete kind of crime. He didn’t fuck a white girl who regretted it later, nor did he hold a gun for one of his friends who mistakenly thought he was living in a rap video.  Michael Vick had dozens of dogs killed for his own amusement, and for financial gain.  He employed people to keep this operation going.  He provided a safe location for these crimes to take place.  He thought he could get away with it because he was famous and famous people are untouchable.

What Vick did was believe all the bullshit our society heaps upon celebrities, athletes, and anyone else who convinces us that they’re important or attractive.  Michael Vick felt no remorse and has no real idea how serious his crimes were.  Not only were his actions irresponsible, cruel, and arrogant, they were a violation of all things right and just in society.  Animals, specifically Dogs, as they have been side by side with humans for thousands of years, are essentially children (I’m aware how cliche it is to discuss the innocence of animals, and I don’t want to sound like too much of a hypocrite, as I eat meat, wear leather, and enjoy a good equestrian event now and again).  Michael Vick is a murderer of the worst kind.  He is so out of touch with his humanity that he felt it acceptable to participate in something so unabashedly evil.

Now that Vick has been formally released from prison and has allegedly “paid his debt to society” the NFL has “conditionally reinstated” him.  This means that he can currently work out with NFL teams, participate in training camp (including two preseason games), and work out with an NFL team during the season.  This also means that unless he kills someone or seriously fucks up, he’ll be playing in a regular season NFL game by November.

This also means that he’ll be making an NFL salary, which starts around $500,000 and will likely be significantly more than $1million because of his past success,  position played, and desperation of whatever team who signs him.  I have vowed that if my favorite team signs Vick, it will mean the immediate end of my patronage (which has lasted my entire life).  I would hope that any decent person would feel the same way, and express these feelings to a degree where any executive in the NFL would realize how counterproductive giving Vick a second chance would be.  I am also aware that football is a business, and some asshole will see signing Michael Vick as a positive thing for his team, and laud himself and the franchise for their ability to give second chances and understand the meaning of penance.

What Michael Vick deserves is to be torn apart by the very same dogs he tortured.  Vick deserves to be treated with the very same indignity and inhuman disdain that he and his ghetto hanger-ons showed those animals.  This will never happen, of course.  We, as a society, still have this bullshit idea that people can change when they do things like this.  People who pull this shit don’t change.  The only criminals who change are those who commit tax fraud, or those who kill the guy who fucks their wife or their kids.  Those people change.  Michael Vick won’t change, and people like him won’t change because we’ve decided that people like him are more important than everyone else because of their entertainment value.  Even worse, people will give Vick and his people a pass because they probably grew up in a ghetto somewhere where “they didn’t know better.”  Because killing things that can’t fight back is okay if you’re from an economically depressed place, right?

I could go on for hours about this, and in scanning over this I probably should because this isn’t really a well formulated article or essay or anything, but I needed to get this out.  I’ll go over this in the coming days in order to fix spelling, grammar, etc, but it should be fine for now.  No one reads this site anyway.

Lastly, when I sat down to write  whatever it is that I’ve ended up writing I googled images of Vick to attach to this post.  Aside from the generic Vick picture that  I will undoubtedly post to break up the visual monotony of the text, I  found several pictures of a dog that was rescued from the Vick residence.  I have a very hard time dealing with pictures of dogs (or any animal) who have been mistreated or who are sick and I’m sure most sane people feel similarly.  I will post a link to this picture at the bottom of this article because it will convey much more than a late night rant by me ever could.  Click at your own peril.

Never let fucks like this get away with these things.

“Gypsy” the dog

UPDATE (8/14)

Michael Vick has been signed with the Philadelphia Eagles.  This is further proof of the degradation of profession sports (as well as further proof that Philadelphia is a city of trashy people, and exceptionally classless sports fans).  I look forward to rooting for a snapped knee or severed vertebrae every time that fuck steps on the field.  Good job, Philly.

Friends of Justice … with some really neat projects!

Close friends of ours, Jess and Tim, have always had a knack for anything crafty. At first I just thought they were artistic for fun, but apparently they have branched out further and have decided to market their talent. And talented, they are. I’m amazed anytime I walk into their apartment and see all of the handmade household items. Mirrors, frames, light switch cases, magnets, tables, you name it.

The themes are always amazing and fun, and the craftsmanship is excellent. Feel free to browse their sight if you are interested (and trust me, you won’t be disappointed). Please don’t mistake this for some cheesy advertisement; I am a friend who finds them extremely talented and wants to share their stuff with others.
<http://thirtyninedesign.etsy.com&gt;

Enjoy!

Military Respect

I was at work at Starbucks the other day, and saw three men in military uniforms come in and browse the menu while in line. I thought nothing of it at first. My attention was then drawn to a regular customer, who, honestly, I never thought much of, coming up to the counter. She is what I considered a rude, Woodbridge lady.

My opinion was changed when she handed me her credit card, instructing me to pay for anything the men in uniform ordered. They were not even aware of this action, as she did it while they were in line looking at the menu.

When they ordered and went to pay, I informed them that they had been taken care of. They profusely thanked the woman, who in return only said, “No, thank all of you.”

I was in awe at the simple act of kindness and gratitude from a woman who I originally thought wouldn’t care enough about anyone else to do something like that. It was a sight worth seeing.

updates to come

Been busy of late,  but updates are on the way.  A few targets that will soon be addressed:

Starbucks

United Auto Workers Union

Offices

Feel free to send in any suggestions or write your own post and send it in.  I think it would be great to receive guest posts and turn this in to a communal board for justice.

Anyway, updates are coming.

Happy Easter

The sweet taste of justice…

(source)

Old school

I’ve attended two unexpected funerals over the past week and a half.  This, of course, is two more than anyone wants to attend, especially considering the incredibly sad circumstances surrounding them.  One moment during these two funerals stuck out to me more than any other.

This particular moment occurred during the procession to the cemetery for my neighbor (who’s obit is the previous post).  Anyone driving in a funeral procession is aware of the anxiety associated with keeping pace and keeping those hurried drivers not in line from cutting you off/interupting the flow of said procession.  While driving through an…economically depressed area of Meriden we spotted an elderly black gentleman standing on the sidewalk watching the procession in front of him while holding his hat over his chest.

This unexpected act of respect was incredibly touching.  I was completely taken aback by such a gesture, especially for a complete stranger.

I felt it necessary to chronicle because it seems that as a society we’ve lost these minute little shows of respect, and it pleased me to see them being kept alive, especially in an area that I normally would have written off as a ghetto full of various miscreants.

A few days ago I was “stuck” at an intersection while a funeral procession passed in front of me.  I remembered the small, respectful gesture shown by the aforementioned individual and took off my own hat and held it over my chest while the procession passed.  I sincerely hope that things like this are more common than I had believed, and that if it isn’t, then people will begin to catch on and show this small gesture whenever the opportunity arises.

(this is, of course, nullified if the person being buried is a pedophile, murderer, or nazi)