I've just been stabbed in the kidney!

...And so have you! After a successful grassroots campaign shut down Bush's plan to give all of the ports in the USA to the Dubai Ports World corporation in United Arab Emirates, thus giving them the "keys to our kingdom", so to speak, we've been told in no uncertain terms that our opinion doesn't mean a thing by the Whorehouse. Bush is "The Decider". He's The Man. He gave us to the Arabs, lock, stock and barrel! Mr. Bush, if you read this (you CAN READ, can't you?), thank you for liberating "we, the sheeple", from the hellish existence that is freedom and liberty. Really, I mean it. We were getting tired of having to elect corrupt dipshits with lots of Daddy's money, Saudi money, and corporate money fleeced from the American consumers anyway...Yeah, we actually prefer to be kept in slavery and ignorance by your corporate masters. Your greed knows no limits, your integrity is tantamount to finding a single mustard seed placed carefully on the fruited plains of what used to be our country. Now that you have clarified things, let me point something out to you, you miserable cretin:

Some of us who live here would like to know how handing our ports to Arabs is keeping the American people safe? Why don't we take the Executive branch and outsource it to Pakistan, or Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia, or (gasp) Iran? Sure would save us all the time and money of voting. Oh, that's right, our vote, our mandate to you doesn't matter anyway, nor does our sovreignty! You've proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt! We're just one big happy slave world to you. You didn't even have a clue when prices at the pump were approaching $4.00 a gallon- let me quote you here, you imbecile- "Wait, what did you just say? Gas is $4 a gallon? I hadn't heard that..." Is it because you CAN'T READ? You, sir, are a fourth-rate despot, a dime-store cowboy, a cheap empty-suit puppet. Please, for the sake of everything good and noble that this country you and your cronies have ruined, step down NOW and go live in a cave in Pakistan with your made-up boogieman, Osama bin-Hidin! You two can count your money there. Because, in the end, that's all that matters to you anyway- that you and your corporate masters make obscene profits at the expense of your country. Not your "spreading democracy" to people who neither want it nor deserve it, not keeping safe the people of the United States of America, not having a good, honest legacy to pass on to your successor, none of that matters to you. We are tired of your charade. You are "EPIC FAIL" personified. After the people have told you in detail that we do NOT want to hand the country over to terrorists, who you are doing battle with in our name, you go and do it anyway. Hope you can sleep at night on your money-stuffed pillows and mattresses, it's kind of hard sleeping on sidewalks. You have single handedly sold us out. Good job, dumbass. See below for the story I refer to, if you haven't figured it out.

http://www.worldtribune.com/worldtribune/WTARC/2008/me_gulf0246_06_16.asp

Gulf firm is first international port operator to be certified for security by U.S.

ABU DHABI — A leading Gulf firm in the United Arab Emirates whose plans to operate six U.S. ports was last year rebuffed by Congress, has been certified as a partner in a U.S. port security program.

The state-owned Dubai Ports World has been certified as a partner in the Customs-Trade Partnership against Terrorism. DP World underwent a successful audit that determined the company met international ISO 28000 security standards required by C-TPAT.

In 2007, DP abandoned plans to purchase a British company that operated six major ports in the United States, Middle East Newsline reported. Congress was opposed to a state-owned UAE company having direct access to U.S. ports.

Executives said DP World has become the only international port operator certified by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. They said the certification would ensure improved standards throughout the company's 44 terminals.

"We are proud to be part of the C-TPAT initiative and to have achieved certification for all our terminals," DP World chief executive officer Mohammed Sharaf said.

"It is recognition once again of our commitment to maintaining and managing high levels of security standards, procedures and processes at our terminals, which in turn contributes to international efforts to secure the global supply chain. We regard security as a baseline service for our customers."

End Story

Now, I'm not saying that these fine Muslim chaps would be so careless as to let, say, a suitcase nuke or twelve into our country in a container, but hey, it could happen, so why take the chance?

The fact that you went behind our back and did it to us under dark of night, without any further debate, shows the contempt you have for your subjects. And soon, when they finish the other side of Mount Rushmore, you will be preserved for all of history to see, carved in granite with Millard Fillmore, Andrew Johnson, and Howard Taft. As fitting a memorial as I could ever see for you. Your unilateral sellout will come back and bite you, I can guarantee it. That's one of the reasons I am writing my Congressman urging your immediate impeachment. Have a nice day, you backstabber.

As always, I am-
Amir Fazadh

Who's really running things in Weaselton, DC?

Let's put this another way- who is running the election? The "war" in Iraq? The war on the middle class?

Look at recent articles from more than the usual "sources", and you'll find the answer is...

The media.

That's right, the liberal-biased media, to be exact. The same people who were analyzing the Soviet government-controlled media have now found new and interesting ways to control the American people's minds and wallets. To quote Ray McGovern-

"The experience of those of us whose job it was to analyze the controlled media of the Soviet Union and China for insights into Russian and Chinese intentions have been able to put that experience to good use in monitoring our own controlled media as they parrot the party line."

We are in heap big trouble. When you stomp in a pile of doggy doodie, the smell doesn't stop when you quit stomping...it spreads.

Now, for those of you with a modicum of alacrity over the past couple weeks, you may have noticed a very small story about a certain Representative (Dennis Kucinich) outlining his 35 articles of impeachment. It didn't get much coverage before news of Jamie Lynn Spears' baby gained traction in the news. But it happened- Dumbya finally got Articles of Impeachment leveled at him. It didn't get far, because all the politicians are on the take, along with the media. I don't know if you've noticed, but this trend has been steadily gaining momentum during the past 7 years. Something serious happens on the world stage, and it gets reported once. Then, some Hollywood harlot gets drunk and flashes the papaROTSi, or something equivalent, and once again, the media goes nuts obfuscating the truth. I'm tired of it. This is almost like Soviet Russia, and I'm not being droll, this is for real. The media DOES report serious news, but you have to have lightning-quick reflexes to catch it before they they run the six-part miniseries on teen pregnancy and the newest Hollywood weight-loss diet. This is bullshit. There's lots of bullshit in the media these days, from the networks canceling the best shows, only to replace it with more "reality TV", to the aforementioned deliberate misinformation and propaganda campaigns. Did you notice the HUGE coverage of Tim Russert's death? Yes, he was a decent journalist, and probably a really nice guy to boot, but DAMN! A FULL WEEK's COVERAGE? Nothing but Tim Russert on the news every night? And all the sycophants angling for the camera's attention to tell their story of how Tim Russert's passing affected them? I know the news media is a small, closed, nearly impenetrable club, but please, do your frakking jobs and REPORT ON SHIT THAT MATTERS!!! IS THAT SO FRAKKING HARD TO DO?

Israel's Ehud Olmert and Dumbya go together last week and discussed plans to start the Iran war before Dumbya leaves office, setting up a possible enaction of Martial Law here at home, and with the powers he has given himself with the help of your elected officials, he can do that, yet the only places I see it being looked into seriously are foreign news sources. We run round-the-clock team coverage of the floods in the midwest. The average American can't even locate Iraq, Iran, Syria, or Israel on a globe. It doesn't matter to them. We just plain don't care any more. We don't even care enough to go to the polls (not that it really matters anymore anyway). We are content to sit at home after work and watch "TMZ" to see which rapper is going out to which club, or which has-been actor is trying to jump-start their career. Like any of THAT matters.

Hope you bought your radiation kits when they were cheap. Got your Geiger counter ready? We're gonna need it. Dumbya is ready to start the bombing, and I don't think it'll be too far off from now.

Is it time to punt?

Well, folks, the way I'm seeing it, it's third and long...real long...we're deep in enemy turf, on their 20-yard line, and we have NO leadership on this team anymore. The coach has slipped out the tunnel to go to the local Irish pub across the street, Paddy O'Furniture's, the quarterback has gone into the locker room for a nap, the running backs have seemingly switched jerseys. We're in deep kimchee, people.

In my opinion, it's really time to punt. Get the special team on the field- that's US, by the way- and kick like there's no tomorrow. Because, if we continue with this game plan, there will BE no tomorrow. We're giving the opposition the game, and helping them by showing them our playbook.

The Supreme Court has voted to give the denizens of the Guantanamo Bay Penile Colony the same rights as this country's citizens. Next thing you know, they'll be voting in our elections as well! This is WRONG. You don't give a mugger your gun, you don't help the burglar load up his truck with your 42" plasma TV, this is just stupid. Yet, in a 5-4 "decision", the SCOTUS has given the terrorists in Guano Bay full access to our courts, with all the rights of US citizens. Writ of Habeas Corpus and all! Why is this a Big Deal?

Because the SCOTUS is operating on a pacifist, politikally korrekt agenda, without regard for its REAL citizens. The terrorists were caught on the field of battle, firing live rounds of their favorite munitions at OUR troops. Not blanks, not flashpots, this wasn't a rock concert. LIVE AMMUNITION was being expended to KILL OUR TROOPS. Someone's son. Someone's husband. Someone's daddy. Yet, SCROTUS seems to think that these "people", and I use that term quite loosely, the same rights as US citizens?

Whoever voted in favor of this needs to taken out back of the courthouse to face the wrath of millions of US citizens. I say let the families of those killed fighting Dumbya's war have first crack at getting these judges to explain just why their loved ones' murderers deserve ANY rights in our system. I'd much rather see military tribunals try these "enemy combatants", and if found guilty, let them swing. Hang their sorry asses. But not the SCOTUS- noooo, they think that these "enemy combatants" would make swell members of our society! Give them full access to our civilian courts, let them hire the best lawyers from NYU or other liberal universities they choose, and give us the lawyer's bill. I'm sure the American Criminal Liberals Union will want to jump in on this. Anything they can do to hasten the downfall of America is OK in their books!

We need to recall the whole damn government, because they have shown that they are traitors. The granting of rights to the Guano Bay detainees is a seditious, treasonous act that should be rewarded with a noose. The Government of the US has NO interest in protecting its citizenry, only enslaving them. It's time to rise up, grab OurPitchforksAndTorches, and start our OWN tribunals. Start with the SCROTUM, er SCOTUS. Their scummy actions prove that they do not stand for American ideals and justice. They don't stand for Truth, Justice, and the American Way at ALL. They stand for enriching themselves, and pushing a communist, pro-radical Mooslim agenda. We need them out, and it must happen NOW. We need to go back to our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States of America, and read it. The founding fathers warned us that this kind of situation would happen, and gave us instructions on how to protect against it. We need a recall of ALL of the government, Executive, Judicial, and Legislative. We need to do it now, before the prisoners start voting....

Come to think of it, maybe that's not such a bad thing. Let's strip US citizens of the right to vote, and let the rest of the world vote for us. We don't seem to be able to take the time to do it ourselves anyway, and those that voted in 2000 elected Dumbya because "he looks like a guy I could have a beer with"...OK, following that logic, would you really want Barney from the Simpsons running the country? That's what you got!

March on Weaselton, DC, and take our country back!

Adrian Garcia

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I'd meant to, but my friend Adrian Garcia passed away on Monday, June 9.

Adrian was diagnosed in 2005 with terminal colon cancer. He was given only a short time to live, as in weeks. After consulting with a second surgeon, it was determined that the surgeon would be able to clear the tumor out without Adrian having to be on a colostomy bag the rest of his life. So he went ahead and had the surgery. The surgeon successfully removed the tumor, and reattached his colon.

A CAT scan turned up some awful news, the cancer had not been eradicated, but had, instead, set up shop in Adrian's liver. Three tumors, all malignant, were found there. Thus began Adrian's fight...

Adrian was a world-class bassist, playing for KC and the Sunshine Band, Sheena Easton, Debbie Gibson, Martin Nievara, and a host of shows in Las Vegas. Truly a magnificent player. He was a frequent contributor on TalkBass.com, where I "met" him, and was a fountain of knowledge. He never talked down to people, was never condescending, and was always positive. News of his passing, even though it was expected, sent shockwaves through the TalkBass community. He was one of the greats, and everybody knew it. What really struck me, in his "R.I.P Adrian Garcia" thread, was that most people talked about how he had touched their lives, about what a great person he was, not his playing. That alone speaks volumes about the man.

Early on in his cancer battle, Adrian posted something that was out of character for him. I saw that post, and immediately went to Amazon and bought him a book. When I was checking out, I realized I needed his address, so I called him up. I told him to watch his mailbox. About three days later, the book arrived, and he called me after he had read it to thank me. The book was entitled "You Can't Afford The Luxury Of A Negative Thought", and it was written specifically for patients facing terminal illness. He thanked me repeatedly, commenting on how thoughtful it was that someone that had never met him in person would do something so beautiful for him. He later told me that he had carried it everywhere over the two years of his fight, to every doctor visit, every chemo treatment, every lab test. The other book he took with him to every visit was his Bible.

When you talked to Adrian, you were immediately made to feel that you were his best friend. He was warm, engaging, intelligent, and full of joy and love. You could tell that from the first word. Something else that was amazing was his acceptance of his situation. He wasn't angry, wasn't sad, just determined to try with all his might to beat this damned disease. He was always very cognizant of his disease, but didn't let it get him down. "It's not up to me", he'd say, "It's all God's will. We don't get to know His plan. It's all in His hands."

His unwavering faith, and his positive outlook despite his grim prognosis doubtless aided him in exceeding the doctors' "weeks", trading the weeks for years. He worked right up until the last month, when his bass hurt his liver to hold and play. Playing bass was him expressing his soul, it was one of the things he was sent here to do. And he was great at it.

He called me at the end of April. I was just getting the last of my gear off the stage in Kemah, when his name came across my cell phone. I knew he'd be in bad shape, but I wasn't ready for the pained, weakened voice that came across...

"Hey man, I'm sorry if I'm bothering you..." Hm. AS IF!! "I was going through my phone and clearing out all my messages, and I though I'd make a few calls to people I owed a call to..." His voice was strained, much of the joy had left. He was weak. "I know you bought my cabinet from me like month ago, and I'm sorry I haven't sent it yet. I'll have a friend take it to the UPS place and get it to you."

"Adrian, you don't have to do that. Are you OK? You don't sound good at all..."

"I'm actually in the hospital...the pain meds are kicking in, so I apologize in advance if I lose focus..."

I flashed back to the last phone call I ever got from my mom. It was the same voice. Tears were streaming down my face, and I didn't care who saw it. This was my friend, calling me for the last time, from his hospice bed. And we both knew it.

"I finally had to give up my gig last week. I couldn't do it anymore, it hurt my liver too much. The pain meds messed me up, too. Just not good for sight-reading." Giving up his gig was like giving up his identity.

"Adrian, I wish there was a way for me to take some of this burden from you, to give you back your gig, is there anything I can do?"

"There you go again, always trying to make things better. You're so generous, and so full of love..."

"Dude, how am I supposed to be? Cold and calloused? You're the one who's full of love! Are you hurting bad?"

"Oh, I have good times and bad times, some days are better than others, some hours are better than others, but I can't complain. It's this disease, it's just doing it's thing, you know? And I know that soon enough, I won't have to do this any more. I'm tired of this fight. I take two steps forward, one step back. But at least I've made progress. I've fought it as hard as I can, now it's time to go home and see the Lord..."

By this point, I was in agony. This was a farewell call. I feel honored and blessed that Adrian would take the time to call ME, of all people, and tell me goodbye. I didn't want to say goodbye yet. I wasn't ready.

"Adrian, is it OK to call you next week?"

"I don't know what kind of shape I'll be in, but if you want to try, please do. If you don't get through...I'll try to answer, but I might not be able to. Don't worry about me, I'll be OK. I'll be going home soon. You keep the faith, and don't stop loving people. You're a good man, and a good friend. Oh, and thank you once again for that book- it really helped."

"You're welcome. I think about you a lot of the time when I play, you've helped me as well, even if you don't realize it."

"Keep the groove, man. I'll get that cab to you soon, I will."

"I already told you don't worry about it. I have my Schroeder cabs, so I'm not hurting for another one."

"I guess I gotta go...the pain meds are kicking in...I love you, man. Take care, and God bless you."

"God bless you, too, my friend, and I love you too."

And with that, I sat down in the middle of the parking garage and sobbed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On Monday, June 9th, while I was busy having a bad day at work, I saw a text message. Two words...

"He's gone"

And my day got really bad. Nothing really meant anything after that. All my problems seemed to just vanish into the chasm that was the hole in my heart. I was stunned, even though I had been expecting it...it still felt like someone had kicked me really hard in the 'nads. Had a hard time driving home that day- I've never driven through an aquarium before.

The bass cab that Adrian had sold me was donated to the auction that Carey Nordstrand is setting up, to auction off Adrian's other bass, "Charity", and all proceeds will go to St. Jude's Cancer Research Center, in accordance with Adrian's wishes.

Rest in peace, brother Adrian, your fight is over. Hurt no more, my friend, and be with the Lord in Heaven...

Man hit by car, left in street...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/06/05/ignored.hitrun.ap/index.html#cnnSTCVideo

I am stunned...people WATCHED this happen, yet they walk on by, or stop and gawk, then drive on. They left him there, NOBODY HELPED HIM. Ten cars DROVE AROUND HIM as if he were a piece of a tire from a blowout, or a discarded piece of trash...

WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE THESE DAYS???

What if that had been a 2-year old child? What if that had been YOUR child? Or, what if that were YOUR grandpa?

The total lack of regard for a human that is injured, who people WATCHED get cut down by a couple of street racing punks, shocks me. Nobody stopped to help him. Nobody called 911. People actually drove around him- I wonder if they were pissed off at him that he was getting in their way?

Is this really happening in the USA? Are people that self-centered and self-absorbed that they can't even stop for a few minutes and help save someone's life? Can't even be a hero for a minute? WTF? Even ANIMALS don't treat their own kind this way!

I guess life means nothing any more. People kill every day, more and more. Don't like someone? Pop a cap in them... Someone pisses you off on the freeway? Run them into a bridge abutment. Someone is cut down by a car in the street? Leave them be. Don't stop. Go about your day as if nothing happened. It's not YOUR problem.

Our moral compass is thoroughly demagnetized in this country, and I am SICK AND TIRED of it. This was WRONG. We spend trillions of dollars to help people in other countries, yet we cannot bring ourselves to spend two minutes to call 911 and make sure the victim of an accident gets medical help? I am ashamed and disgusted.

It's OK to run people down and leave them for dead in the street. Human life means nothing. It isn't worth a dime...not even worth a phone call! That's the message here, folks. So everybody go out and run people down on your way to work today...but please, try to aim for the politicians and lawyers! I think they're worth two points...

As always, I am...

Amir Fazadh

Obamanation?

Well, Obama is the next president, in my opinion. Hillary's "attack dog" style didn't sit so well with the Super-delegates, nor with many voters. Now, rumblings are that he may actually have her be his running mate...oh, jeez, can he be that stupid? Really? I don't think that would be such a good idea. The idea of an African-American at the helm of this country frightens many in this country. I don't know that this would be the best time for it, but I'm not paying the bills, so I get no say. Having a power-hungry female Caucasian-American as VP isn't too comforting, either. Yet, I haven't seen anything from the McCain side that would compel me to vote for him, either. He's as big a liberal as the other two.

I think that a prudent move would be for Obama to nominate someone like Joe Lieberman. It would give the junior senator from Illinois a good sounding board, and someone on his team with solid credentials, and someone who can actually formulate some sort of PLAN! "Hope" is not a plan, it's a declaration of faith, and by the way, what faith is Obama today, anyway? He just quit his church this past week, should we be suspicious?

On the Republican side, I'm thinking that McCain's best move could be to nominate Hillary, thumbing his nose at GOP party leadership, as has become his style, and to run on a true "bipartisan" ticket. He talks about it all the time, and it's not like they don't have anything in common ideologically. He would gain a large percentage of the female vote, which at this point is seemingly going to Obama, and would give him the testicular fortitude that he apparently lacks at this point. If John could do this, it would give his ticket instant "star power", since the true conservatives of this nation really don't support him anyway. They see right through this charade, the "Emporor's Clothes"...He's a liberal, and I've seen several articles where he wanted to switch parties anyway, so this would short out Obama's liberal agenda. Call it the "Unification Platform"...

If Obama does succeed in getting to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. with Hillary in tow, I don't see him lasting more than a year before he gets killed off, and Hillary ascends the throne. I don't wish this on anyone, but look at the NY Senator's past- starting with Vince Foster, and going all the way up to her RFK remarks...was that a veiled threat I detected there? I'm not saying that there's anything to that, but appearances can be deceiving, this is politics after all...and there's this whole "racial tension" thing to be dealt with as well...I'm not suggesting that the racists in this nation would stoop so low, but you never can tell...or, he could die of "unspecified causes"...I can see it now- "Now who'da thunk that Obama was into autoasphyxiation? What a shame..."

Hey, you never can tell...weird stuff is happening these days, unnatural alliances are being forged, polticians are being bought and sold by the lobbyists like the common street whores and prostitutes that they really are, and we're paying the tab! Wake up, America, before it's too late! We need to march on Weaselton, D.C. with Our Pitchforks And Torches to let the crooked politicians know, in no uncertain terms, that they are supposed to work for US! The People!

Ok, never mind, it IS too late. We're gonna get screwed, hope you brought the K-Y...it's not going to be pleasant!

As always, I am...

Amir Fazadh

The Great Compromise of 2008???

Hello to my little friends in Michigan and Florida!

I say little, because you're half the man you used to be. That's right, your vote has been counted, and it is half of a regular vote! This is bigger than the slaves getting to vote after emancipation, but only being 3/5 of a vote. That was the last "compromise" that was delivered to voters. It was addressed by the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, in Section 2 of that Amendment, which reads-

Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.

So, those of you living in those states have been disenfranchised. The Democratic Party is deciding who you REALLY vote for. Don't like the results? Tough. They are telling you who you're electing, and this is FRAUD, plain and simple. Remember a couple posts back where I said the Corporations decide who gets elected? Case in point, and case closed. Are people pissed? Yes, judging from what I've seen and read. The people who are happy are those who voted for Hillary. They got more votes than they thought. Those who voted for Obama got rooked out of some delegates, though not enough to lose the "election".

Let me make one thing clear- THIS IS NOT AN ELECTION!!! The "people" do NOT get a say in this. Make no mistake about it, when I first heard Obama's name about three years ago, and he was labeled by the media as "The Democrat's Biggest Rising Star", I knew he was going to be appointed the next President. I stand by that opinion today. I don't think that McCain can win against him. The media has him portrayed as the New Messiah. The Corporations that run this once-great nation will make certain he is elected, a bought-and-paid-for package- not so different from the Village Idiot we currently have, skippering the sinking ship called America. WHEN WILL PEOPLE WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT THIS IS NOT "FOR OUR COUNTRY", BUT THE CORPORATIONS' COLLECTIVE WALLETS?

It's not about the "will of the people". It's not about "the nation", it's not about whatever hot-button, emotionally-charged issue making the headlines. It is about greed run amok. As they say, "Power Corrupts. Power Point Corrupts Absolutely."

We are having our rights stripped away from us, not just the enumerated rights spelled out in the Bill of Rights, but our very rights of self-determination. The era of the One-Party System is upon us, and people aren't seeing it. They are responding to emotion, accepting inane labels such as "Republican", "Democrat", "Conservative" and "Liberal", when the two parties would be best described as "Unbridled Greed", or "Corruption Incarnate".

I fear for this country's future, I really do. I think we may actually have gone beyond the "tipping point" this time, and are faced with a government "Of Itself, By Itself, And For Itself". That's NOT what was written in the Constitution- I know, because I've read it. We're headed in the wrong direction, led along by the complicit media, and the not-so-benevolent oligarchy that we know as the Federal Government.

We no longer have a say in anything that goes on, unless we band together and go after the demagogues with Our Pitchforks And Torches! Welcome to the New Amerika, comrades!

As always, I am...

Amir Fazadh