7. Society V

Like many other people, I find myself desperate for someone real in a world of cardboard heroes. America is full of charlatans performing in order to bilk the masses out of a dollar, dancing on stage when the wind blows right. The real heroes fight not for the dollar, but for the greater good- and it doesn’t matter which way the wind blows. But the greater good is not getting the headline; the dancing has been stealing the show.

Our politicians lie and deceive us. They ignore the lessons of history and force us down the same roads of disaster. Iraq is Vietnam all over again. Complete with the lies focused on “ending terrorism” akin to “halting the spread of communism”. We are told to fear terrorist cells among us, just as we were told to expose communists among us and create blacklists in the 1950’s. It is the politics of fear, not the politics to aid the people. False “keeping it real” celebrities and entertainers are placed out there in our mass media culture as icons offering nothing positive for a community- they are simple cardboard stereotypes dancing on a string.

Paris Hilton found god and community service in jail, following up with an exit interview on Larry King claiming to have never used drugs- yet she was caught in the act days later. Her community service (as of today) continues to be club hopping and making pedophile inspired clothing for children. As a member of a community, I am grateful for her profound contributions. 50 Cent (the former crack dealer) will challenge anyone black that he perceives as not keeping it real (Oprah and Kanye West), but he won’t criticize white George Bush for leaving whole communities for dead in the wake of Katrina. He told critics to back off of the "man". To me “keeping it real” does not entail doing a jig for the man.

We are unwilling witnesses as those who can (and should) speak out sit on their hands with their mouths shut, but then are offered praise for the easy situations. Michael Irvin said nothing as Rush Limbaugh (sitting right next to him) suggested that Donovan McNabb was only the QB in Philadelphia because he was black . But he is roundly praised for his generic and teary “don’t give up hope” Hall of Fame acceptance speech. At the Katrina disaster benefit, Mike Myers had a look on his face as if someone had just electrocuted his pet when Kanye West made the gutsy statement that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people”. Even though I am no fan, that was heroic stand for convictions in statement. Maybe Mike was thinking about his next box office results?

But we criticize those who dare to lose it all when they get “uppity”. Kanye was emphatically denounced as being inappropriate with his timing of this during a benefit. I am pretty sure that the tens of thousands languishing in New Orleans did not mind his timing. As was Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney as she spoke out early against the election fraud in the South during the 2000 and 2004 elections, as well as the war in Iraq. She could only try to fight the tidal wave of republican dollars that swept in and defrauded the voters in her districts forcing her out of office. *Google her images and see how many blatant racist images you find from her critics.

Having been there myself, I realize how hard it is to speak out when your livelihood hangs in the balance. You know something is wrong, but the flash of family, homelessness, and retirement income flashes across your consciousness like a bolt of lightning. You have to speak up, but that lump in your throat may just be next week’s grocery bill. It depends on willingly swallowing hard, or having a big mouth to let it out. Either road has sacrifice. Dancing for the dollar is a trade with the devil. You get the paycheck, but you sell your soul.

What is it about the times that we are living in that so many of our leaders have lost their souls? If everyone leading has their eye on the dollar, who stops us from going over the cliff? This is all smelling like universal financial slavery. It’s not a new idea that I write about, but it is truth. The time has come for not a few, but many of us to rise up and seek out. Standing up in the face of adversity is the greatest character trait that I can identify. Who will be hope personified in our modern world? And more importantly, how will we support them? Or have the dollar and the devil already won the war?

(August 2007) A life reduced to S**T

I am greatly disturbed today. I saw a news story on a local channel (WHAM 13- ABC) about a woman who was shot to death yesterday morning. She was walking down a street when a man on a bike rode up, robbed her, and shot her in the chest. My sick feeling began with: she was killed for what? Maybe $20.00? But , it got worse. At the end of the story, they make a clear note that she had a MySpace page. I felt a need to know who this was that passed. In looking Shalonda up ( I won’t give her name out of respect), I felt like I was punched in the gut. Her page opened with a wickedly profane warning littered with F bombs to anyone spamming her, and her blogs were not much better. I only opened up her most recent blog which was a long rant in extremely graphic detail of her most recent large bowel movement (S**T) before she went on stage (she played bass for a band). I felt sick. A young life lost, barely mentioned in the news; and all that remained as a legacy was an internet profile detailing a profound bowel movement. I come across these types of personal pages on MySpace/Facebook all the time. I am sure that her life was more than this internet litter, but I am also sure that I was not the only one who looked her up to find this footnote. I think that WHAM-TV was 100% wrong to highlight this page on MySpace, any quality editor would have seen that it was inappropriate content for this story. All day I was hung up on a life lesson. If it (it being life) ended today, what would be left behind? What contributions have been made, or are being made to society? We don't know when it will end, so what will our final act be? Will it be a life in detail, or deformed?

(January 2008) Conspiracy Theory #431

Although I have a few books, I am not a conspiracy buff- nor am I a brain dead believer. I read them for fun. One of my favorite conspiracies is about the only sport that I am a monster fan of- the NFL. The conspiracy goes that to support the Iraq/Afghanistan war, and to create a fierce patriotism post 9/11...the government and the NFL conspired to have the Patriots win the 2002 Superbowl. Right, that'll create patriotism...the New England Patriots. Most Americans don't even know what or where New England is...I’m not sure that would inspire very much at all. So, I have a conspiracy, with first-hand knowledge. I believe that Blockbuster is faking incompetence, and here's my convoluted reasoning.

I. I joined the online movie deal only 6 months ago. I was happy. Happy is good.

II. My Blockbuster (and many stores) look like they are overwhelmed and full of idiots that have no organization skills. Piles of movies sit all over the store, rentals and returns are stacked in teetering columns, and mounds of movies for sale, old popcorn and candy, and nonsense merchandise crowd the store.

III. When I joined it was $9.99/month. 1 movie at a time, and I was able to exchange my mail movies at the store -NO limit, and I received a free movie or game rental once a month. I watched a lot of movies. a LOT.

IV. Then Blockbuster changed the deal. They said I could only exchange my mail movies for 2 a month.

V. Then they stripped the free rental/game out of the deal.

VI. Then the stores all changed their policy from no late fees (which is not true, they had a certain time limit, and then they charged your credit card for the cost of the movie), to any movie HAD to be returned the next day by 11am, or you would be charged .99 a night.

But they did this without notifying customers online, or in store.

VII. Then they announced that my deal was no longer valid, and my fee for the same service was going up to $11.99/month.

VIII. Many times during this span, I emailed complaints that movies on the top of my queue (list...damn French) were being skipped even though they were marked as "available". It was as if the support tech never even read my email in replying. They never

responded specifically to any of my complaints. Each one was scripted. Imagine going up to someone and asking about the weather, and they respond with: "Thank you for your comments. We at Blockbuster are happy to serve you and provide you with the best online service with thousands of movies available for just a click!" But is it sunny or rainy? "Thank you for your comments. We at Blockbuster are happy to serve you and provide you with the best online service with thousands of movies available for just a click!" ...ok, but I just want to know if I need an umbrella, is it sunny or rainy? "Thank you for your comments. We at Blockbuster are happy to serve you and..." Feel the rage yet?

IX. Through another source I found out that their distribution sites and proximity determine what movies you get. So site A may have

your top movies, but because you live closer to site B, you get #4 on your list.

X. I cancelled my service after only 6 months. That made me sad. I have enough things that make me sad in the world

...CURSE YOU BLOCKBUSTER!!!

XI. The other night I was coerced to go rent a movie for my wife and sister-in-law,

and I noticed 2 things that make my conspiracy valid:

1) Even though they have a huge sign that they have movies for $ .99 per night, all of the movies that have come out in the past 6 months are $1.99 per night, and $1.99 per day after that...even though they have NO REAL LATE FEES?! I am not sure, but I think that charging someone after a "due date" qualifies as a late fee.

2) I was 4th in line. The 3 people in front of me were all renting. Every one had a late fee, or money due on their account due to movies not returned on time. I watched 3 couples rent single movies, but paying a combined $6 to $8 for the newly rented movie and the overdue fees from their previous rental.

So I think this is a planned look of incompetence. It's a conspiracy for money. No one complained- even though they were obviously annoyed. This perceived lack of competence creates pity, who wants to yell at a kid who makes minimum wage and can't help you anyway? This also allows for Blockbuster to make whatever rules they want, and to charge anyone anything they want...kinda like the church...and I also think Blockbuster may have had an employee shoot Kennedy from the Grassy Knoll, and possibly are responsible for killing Christ and moving the football every time Charlie Brown went to kick it..

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