Free To Be You and Me

Where Has All the Freedom Gone? Long Time Passing...

2006-09-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Hey, been around lately? Looked around my site? Guess what. I haven't. I've been a bit busy. And lazy. Plus, I've kinda anaesthetised from anything happening. I've missed a lot to blog about. But can't remember much of what's been going on.

So, I'll start with what's been bothering me recently.

The New Orleans Saints. WTF? So Monday night was their return to the Superdome, and it was given the treatment of a king reclaiming his throne after years fighting abroad. ESPN unnecessarily spent the whole day there, pontificating on why this is such a huge deal for America and for the country's history. ESPN should change it's name to Lifetime for Men, because all they do is fluff pieces about widows, players' rough pasts, and memorable games. What happened to recent events, like playing clips of games known as "highlights?"

Let's talk about the damage. Hurricane Katrina RIPPED apart New Orleans, terrorized and killed many, left even more homeless, with no future and with no options. The Superdome became a warehouse for the deceased and diseased, the dying and the trying. The seats, the field, a good part of the roof, it was all ruined. So 13 months and $185 million later, the Superdome is back. And ready to rock! (Courtesy of awkward pairing U2 and Green Day. An aside: Bono-you're pretty cool. Changing your existential-lite taut surrealist piece you titled "Beautiful Day" to include lyrics about Hurricane Katrina is a bit surreal, yeah, but a bit tasteless.)

<----speaking of Tasteless, yet somehow Tasty! Does someone want to tell this person (woman?) that Katrina was not GOOD?

The Saints won. 23-3. Spike Lee was there. And talking to the Monday Night Football anchors. Kornheiser (the real-life Jason Alexander) asked him if this means New Orleans is alright. He responded, "How the fuck would I know? I'm just here to promote my 9 billion hour long documentary, which you can watch on HBO now or on HBO on-Demand." Okay, he didn't say that, but come on, what the hell is he doing there. Avery Johnson was there, who grew up in New Orleans. Allan Toussaint and Irma Thomas sang the National Anthem. (She's still alive? AWESOME. I bet she didn't sing, "Wish Someone Would Care" or "It's Raining.")

And while this was an important event, it was dwarfed by the ridiculousness of the writers who needed to prophetize and regale the awesomeness of this day.

Par Exampla, Michael Smith, writing for ESPN.com, had this to say:

Often, we try to make sporting events more meaningful than they really are. We try to attach some real-world social significance to them when in fact they are just games. This is different, though. Sports are this country's great escape, but the moment those thousands of people filled the Dome to escape Mother Nature's fury, that building became more than just an arena. This game is about life and death. I honestly cannot think of a more important sporting event. Ever. You try. The Saints are coming home to a building thousands actually called home during the flood.

First off, this game was NOT about life and death. No one had their lives on the line with this game. GAME. IT'S A GAME. You know what GAME is life or death? Russian Roulette. Second of all, Sports are NOT America's great escape. The movies are. More people watch movies than go to/watch sporting events. No statistics here, but I feel it. YOU SUCK, Michael Smith. BOO!!! Woody Paige 4 eva!

My favorite article though was written by ABC News, a bastion of accurate, non-fearmongering news. Their use of positive, feel-good quotations were overshadowed by Joe Horn, who sounds like the most depressed man ever. If he were drinking by himself at a bar, he'd probably get the bar to sui out before the end of his monologue. Bukowski was depressing sad, Joe Horn is hilariously sad.

"They can sit in those seats," said Saints wide receiver Joe Horn, "and say 'You know what? Okay, the city needs $200 million. We need some money for something else. But for four hours, I can sit with my kids and I can enjoy my football team.'"

Good point. For the 72,000 sitting there. Because you know who doesn't have TV? New Orleans' residents. As you later say, the 9th Ward doesn't even have running water. He goes on.

Joe Horn said that the quick repair of the Superdome should give people a sense of hope that the rest of the city can bounce back.

"If you can rebuild a place that's 1.9 million square feet," Horn said, "you should be able to come back here and rebuild a 3,000-square foot house."

You WOULD think that, right? So listen to the guy who oversaw the renovations talk himself out of why that's so...

Doug Thornton, who oversaw the renovations this past year at the Superdome, said those concerns are unfounded because the $116 million that FEMA kicked in to repair the facility could not have been used for neighborhood rebuilding, because it was set aside for public facilities like the Superdome.

"This money … in no way took away from money that was being allocated to the home program or the … individual neighborhoods," Thornton said.

I'm sorry, but to me, the Superdome is nowhere NEAR the first thing FEMA should be paying to fix. Plus, quick math, it cost around 185 million to repair the Superdome. FEMA put in $116 million. So where's the other $60 million coming from? I assume it's from the City of New Orleans, which gets everything from taxes. So, really, the citizens of New Orleans are paying for this. Is this what they wanted? The first thing to fix is the football stadium? Really though? I mean, really? Since 70,000 people attend, does that mean that they are paying for $857 seats?

Drew Brees with the awkward comment, "You don't realize how die hard these fans are until you come down here and they you start winning, and it's crazy," Brees said." Note to Brees: Die Hard? Not a good way of putting it.

And finally, more depressing Joe Horn.

Saints receiver Joe Horn spoke of people he has met who said they just couldn't go back into that building because the memories were still too raw.

"They said, 'Joe, I've been a season ticket holder, I've been going to the Dome watching games, but after what I've seen, baby, after what I've seen and what I went through, I cant step foot back in there,'" Horn said.

Well, okay! So in short: Hurricane Katrina was absolutely horrifying. Not just for the destruction, but for the lack of governmental help afterwards. Anyone talking about why this game was monumental for the reasons described above should not be allowed to comment on such things anymore.

I will leave with one of my favorite rappers at the moment, Lil Wayne, and his track, Georgia Bush.

"Then they telling y’all lies on the news
the white people smiling like everything cool
but I know people that died in that pool
I know people that died in them schools
now only to survive what to do
got no trailer you got to move
now it’s on to Texas and to Georgia…"

FF

Technorati Tags:New Orleans, Katrina, Freedom, Saints

Warren Buffett Is The Man!

2006-06-30T00:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, most of my friends know that I've always been a huge Warren Buffett fan. In high school, I read his shareholders' quarterly pamphlet, when he wrote that the stock market would crash because the tech bubble would burst. He warned that people who were heavily investing in technology stocks, and Silicon Valley in general, would get rocked. He went on further to point out that Berkshire Hathaway's B Stock (which I own) would not invest in the tech market, because he KNEW.

This was in 1998. The next year, the bubble burst. The economy died. And with it, millions of people lost jobs and were in trouble, and shit.

<----Dude, check me out. I'm awesome! And whispering something into this woman's ear (wouldn't you like to know what I'm saying?)

So I tend to listen to him when he has something to say. After all, he is the world's 2nd richest guy (behind Da Billy G. Show).

And what a great idea that he should want to give away his fortune to charities. Specifically, the Gates' Foundation. He had planned on giving it all to charity when he died, but because his wife died before him, and they were planning on having her be the one to divide all the money, he decided to do it while he was still alive. So he is giving away about 4/5 of his money over a certain amount of years, depending on how well his Berkshire stock does each year (how fucking smart is he? He totally just ensured his stock will continue to go up for years to come by pledging this).

Who has a problem with this? I'll tell you who. Roman Catholics, the Family Research Council, and the Population Research Institute. They claim that his money will go to Planned Parenthood, which sponsors abortions. The Gates Foundation has made it abundantly clear that the money they give is earmarked NOT for abortions, but of course in giving them money, Planned Parenthood can move around funds from one side to another.

Now, with Buffett giving money to the Gates Foundation, these people are pissed.

"The merger of Gates and Buffett may spell doom for the families of the developing world," said the Rev. Thomas Euteneuer, a Roman Catholic priest.

They don't think Planned Parenthood is a good idea. A place where men and women can get free advice, free condoms, seek treatment for a number of reasons, and if need be, can get abortions. All securely and privately, too.

Planned Parenthood, which is the leading provider of abortions in the United States, has received $34 million from the Gates Foundation over the years -- out of a total of $10.5 billion in grants worldwide

That's .3% of the grants worldwide. I didn't write that down wrong either. .3% It's nothing. And they are worried about this. They make up some unsubstantiated number about how many "babies" have been killed (let's just say 500,000, shall we?) and proclaim that that's how many the Gates' have killed.
As a side note, it's funny that they pretend to care for the "babies", but then they round to a near number in representing each and every one of the deaths. 500,000? Does that mean that they just say, "oh, give or take a few." How hypocritical.

And here's the part that really ticks me off.

Beyond the issue of abortion, some critics oppose the Buffett and Gates foundations' support for global family-planning and population control programs.

"Some of the wealthiest men in the world descend like avenging angels on the populations of the developing world," wrote Population Research Institute president Steven Mosher, a frequent critic of Gates and Buffett. "They seek to decimate their numbers, to foist upon vulnerable people abortion, sterilization and contraception."

First of all, that quotation, about foisting upon "vulnerable people" is really saying the "un-Godly." That is, the people who don't have God in their lives are the ones who Gates and Buffett are preying upon, forcing them to take contraception and sterilization (does that mean that religious people aren't clean!?!?). So anyone who finds themselves in an unfortunate position are suddenly heathens, without God and alone? Ridiculous.

I have no clue who the Population Research Institute is, but it certainly sounds official. Too bad their views line up rather nicely with Roman Catholicism. Rarely do "institutes" that branch from religious views ever carry any weight on the youth.

In a statement today, Freedom Fighter, president of Freedom Under Corporations Keeping the Youth Obstensibly Underrepresented, said, "Hey, yo, Mosher. F.U.C.K.Y.O.U."

Warren is better than his distant cousin Jimmy,
FF

P.S. One more picture of Warren Buffett.

<----Dude's eating ice cream. ICE CREAM. He's SOOOOOO Cool!!!!!

Technorati Tags:Warren Buffett, Abortion, Freedom, Gates Foundation

Freedumb Tales! L.A. Gossip

2006-06-21T00:50:00.000-07:00

<-----Our Freedom Intern hard at work on fact-checking

Okay Freedoms and Freedomettes, in our first installment of Freedumb Tales, we look at one particular private L.A. High School and the recent scandals with which it has been rocked.

Which private high school in the LA area (North Hollywood-Malibu) has recently:

1. had teacher and student protests (over a teachers spat involving the teachers' wife and her eventual death from cancer),

2. has been known to get its' name in the LA Times for "charitable work" (they must have a GREAT PR guy),

3. had to invent a reason to fire their version of a vice principal because they were worried his "gayness" was being forced onto the children,

and now

4. had a student-teacher relationship develop out of the student's need to pass and the teachers'...er, manly NEEDS.

And it's not: Oakwood.

The Sleeping Giant Has Awoken

2006-06-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I got a comment asking my thoughts on recent current events. It goes a little something like this, ___ __. (Fill in the blank!)

Immigration March, or a Day Without an Immigrant.

It was alright. I mean, I couldn't get my Subway sandwich in the morning, because the restaurant was closed. But there was another one still open closer to work anyway. But besides that, it makes a lot of sense that Immigrants should have the same rights as citizens. But you haven't heard much about it lately, have you? Doesn't it seem like it was brought up in the same way that the whole recent talks from Republicans about gay marriage were brought up? That is to say, pushing an agenda right before a vote or election? Immigrant rights is an issue often times championed by Democrats, and I wonder if it was really meant to do anything except get in the news for one or two full news cycles. And of course, the news stations played it like a national emergency. (AHHH!! THE IMMIGRANTS ARE COMING TO GET US! RUN TO YOUR BOMB SHELTERS WITH YOUR PRESERVED MAYO AND WHITE BREAD AND AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS!)

I do have to give Gov. Schwarzenegger some credit though, because, he being an immigrant himself, he was encouraging people not to protest. He was disappointed by people protesting, no doubt because of two reasons: 1. California is SEVERLY dependent on our immigrant population, and ANY day where their production isn't counted severly hurts our economic situation, especially considering the fact that we're in such economic dire straits as it is. And 2. Regardless of the fact that he is an immigrant, he's also rich, and therefore immigrant rights don't really affect him. Once you have money, they won't do anything to you. And there will ALWAYS be people willing to take the shitty jobs no one else wants to do because there will always be immigrants.

And here's my point: There will never be any days without immigrants. Ever. It's an empty threat. This day was designed to show how much of the economy is based on immigrant jobs, which Washington already knows. They know immigrants account for a lot, it's just that immigrants here are living MUCH better lives than they were because they came here. So it's not like immigrants are going to leave the U.S. and go back home, they are here to stay, with or without citizen rights.

So while I support immigrant rights and all that, I don't see it happening. Not as long as THE MAN is still in power.

Peacers,
FF

P.S. The title is from a shirt that I saw a protester wearing during the protests, a sly reference to the fact that Mexicans are stereotypically "lazy." It's at once subtle, passive aggressive and threatening at the same time. That's the spirit!

Technorati Tags:Schwarzenegger, Day Without Immigrants, Freedom

I Shouldn't Have Left You, Without A Dope Beat To Step To

2006-06-17T00:27:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time. Let me explain my absence.

I'm lazy.

<----Lazy Freedom Cat

Now, many people will ask, "But Freedom Fighter, don't you always talk about how people are always dissing your generation with the stereotype that they're all lazy?" Yes. But I am part of Generation Z, and this is who we are. What a perfect example. Someone who always rails against and cries out for the generation to which they belong.
It's hypocrisy at its' finest. If Generation Z will stand for anything, it will no doubt be the hypocrisy we have faced from older generations, and the hypocrisy we have faced from each other.

Maybe we are all doomed. In that case, can I have first dibs on your Hello Stranger early mixes? They are ALL the rage!

Love,
FF

Technorati Tags:freedom, freedom fighter, generation z

23. State of the Union

2006-02-01T00:36:00.000-08:00

I am looking for someone who wants to blog about their opinion on the State of the Union given today by President Bush. I would like a guest contributor. If you want to do it, please email me at FreeToBeYouAndMe.Freedom@gmail.com, or by clicking here

I will have my response in a few days.

21. A Spoonful Weighs A Ton

2006-01-28T17:33:00.000-08:00

I received this email yesterday, and would like to respond with a few words. Of course, you can always email me at Freedom Fighter:

FF,
I wanted to ask you a question in hopes that you could ask your readers for some insight.

I am 21, and teachers and other older people ask me all the time why our generation feels like the weight of the world is on our shoulders? They ask me, "Why do you think you are more entitled to get sympathy for everything that's happened to you than our generation?"

I try to explain to them that, at least in my case, I've had more shit happen to me personally in my short time than they have had happen to them.

Can you help me out?

Yes, I can. Thanks for the letter. And I agree with you, I think it's true that our generation has had some crazy shit happen to them on a personal level than others. As I said in my opening post, my parents have been through Vietnam, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War, 9/11, and other stuff I'm not remembering now. Our generation, to the same effect, have seen 9/11, Columbine, the war in Iraq, etc.

But, I still believe I've seen more shit than my parents have, just from life experiences.

Growing up in L.A., I saw the Rodney King riots, my dad has been held up at gunpoint in front of my house, in front of me. I had both salmonella poisoning and meningicocal, nearly killing me.

Going to college in Colorado, my friends had been AT Columbine. They had hid in the kitchen and locked the door, waited out the shootings and the banging on the doors by the killers, demanding they open. I sat with my roommate freshman year while we waited, for a whole day next to a phone and next to the TV, waiting for his mom to call and assure him his dad WASN'T in a tower when they fell. I went to 5 funerals last year. 3 were my good friends, my age, 2 deaths by suicide, one by cancer. I've laid two best friends down, and that was just SENIOR YEAR.

There's been more personal attacks on our generation than any generation before. When I think of my dad, and my mom, at 22 years of age, I know they weren't as conflicted as I am now.

When they ask us, "What makes you think you can go on with your life without caring for the world in which you live?" I want to say to them, "Right now, in my life, I don't think I can care for a world that has wronged me. I need to look within myself first in order to look outside.

So, maybe the answer to all this is that, even though we may be lazy, apathetic and generally uninterested in the politics of this nation, we just need a little time to come to our senses, and a little time to work some things out with ourselves.

My generation deserves it.

Free To Be You And Me

20. New York poor New York

2006-01-24T15:34:00.000-08:00

I had to show people this seemingly banal article about the comments sections in the Washington Post website, washingtonpost.com, being taken away due to strong comments made by anonymous people.

They took away the comments section after people turned it more into an online brawl than a place for citizen discussion. I think this is stupid and pointless on a few different levels.

First, I have to point out that they aren't the only ones who monitor all anonymous (or supposedly anonymous) emails and comment posts. Further in the article they have a quotation from Craig Newmark, of Craigslist.

"The vast majority of people are trustworthy and good," he said, "but it really doesn't take much more than a few people to really abuse a site." Mr. Newmark said that offensive postings were often flagged for removal, adding: "We are open, an expression of democratic ideals, but like anything democratic, it has its problems. It imposes a burden."

The big newspapers, The New York Times, The L.A. Times, The Washington Post and so forth, are so out of touch with readers. In ten years, most people will be reading newspapers online. Gone are the days of writing letters into the newspaper by hand, walking down to the cornerstore, buyinh a stamp, putting it in the mailbox and waiting two or three days to see if it gets printed. Now, all you have to do is walk to your computer, and you're done. AND, on top of that all, your comments will get published for ALL to see.

It was not that long ago when readers enraged by something they had seen in the newspaper would have to find a pen, a piece of paper, an envelope and a stamp to make their feelings heard. Now, mainstream media outlets find themselves under attack for not providing bandwidth and visibility to people who wish them dead.

This is ridiculous. Ice cream also cost a nickel. Who the fuck cares? Leaving the comments section open on online editions of major newspapers ensures that the newspaper will HAVE to take their reader's opinions into account, because everyone else reading the online version DOES. They shouldn't be able to edit the letters they get and post only the ones either thanking them for writing the article or only slightly denouncing it (example: I thought you could have done a better job showing both sides of the argument. But thanks for writing it anyway.) And if they don't want to be part of the community, fine. Is there some other place that's more convenient, with more resources and that allows for full disclosure with viewpoints from all over the world? Yes, I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head. Oh wait, yes I can. THE INTERNET.

What was it that the Washington Post and The New York Times (especially Jayson Blair) lacked? Oh yeah, reality.

19. Still B.I.N.

2006-01-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

A new Bin Laden tape surfaced yesterday, where once again he told us to be ready for another attack. He said that Al Qaeda is waiting for the perfect time to launch a huge attack on America. It's "imminent." This is his 19th taped message since 9/11. I'm STILL prepared for an attack, STILL living in fear, STILL looking for suspicious characters. STILL rock my khakis with a cuff and a crease.

I'm a little confused though on how I should feel. If I take his threat seriously, and I check every suspicious person who walks by, and I run full sprint from the house to my car, speed through the grocery store, avoiding touching anyone for fear they may have something planted on them, aren't I just playing into his plan? Doesn't he want America to be frightened, and to create chaos and anarchy by his "imminent" threats? It seems to be working on Wall St. As I write this, the Dow is down more than 150 points, because crude oil is at $68.30 a barrel on concern over the latest audio tapes that surfaced Thursday warning of new al Qaeda attacks and ongoing concerns about a possible cutoff of supplies from Iran.

On the other hand, if I DON'T worry about an ongoing terrorist threat, and live my life like I'm supposed to (and as the President suggests) then I may not be as prepared as I could be in case a terrorist attack DID happen. I would have let my guard down, which sucks. I don't want that to happen.

So which one should I be? Anxious, nervous and on my tippy-toes? Or non-chalant, non-reactant and apathetic. Well, considering that seems to be my M.O., or at least MY GENERATION's "M.O.", I think I know which way I should turn.

This is what I get when I type "Apathetic" into google images. Somehow it makes sense.

What about you?

Free To Be You And Me

Track 18: (Untitled)

2006-01-18T01:18:00.000-08:00

I wanted to take a second and explain the links I have put up to the side. Everyone should take a look at them.

I have added the BBC News link because it is one of the least bias news sources out there for talking about American politics. It is also one of the only sources I can look at to get international news. America seems to have this thing where we don't talk about things that aren't happening in America, so I have to go outside to get this kind of news.

Balloon Juice is a great blog written by John Cole that mixes satire and political commentary, much in the way that Freedom Fighter does, just with better clarity and a general sense of DISPENSING commentary, not receiving it.

Political Animal is another great blog that's an offshoot of Washington Monthly. Washington Monthly, in their own words, say, "Are you fed up with the imperial Bush White House? The timid Democrats? The spinnable national media? Well, now is the time to join people such as Warren Buffett, Paul Krugman, Garry Trudeau, Molly Ivins, Bill Clinton, and the producers of "60 Minutes" and "The West Wing" who turn to The Washington Monthly each month for journalism that isn't afraid to shake some sense into the system. If, like them, you're hungry for the inside scoop on what's really happening in Washington and what can be done about it, you need our incisive and original coverage."http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif

Wonkette is part of Gawker Media, and is a gossip site for Washington D.C. politics as well as life there in general. I also read Gawker and Defamer, because I HEART juicy Gossip.

Fox News, I'm sure, is off-putting to many people who read Free To Be You And Me. It seems like an odd choice, but it makes some sense. I like to read a bit of what the right-wing comments on, and what they think the top stories are. I like to read their spin on it, in the same way I read CNN.com to get a different take on the situation. This hopefully makes the information I get a bit more balanced.

Metropolitan Los Angeles Blogging is really a no-brainer for anyone who blogs from L.A. They are very vocal in local politics as well as local events. I am all about community, so it's nice to know there is a community of Los Angeles bloggers.

If you have any other choices for Freedom Links, let me know. I am always looking to seek out more and more information.

Free To Be You And Me

17. A Flag is Down

2006-01-16T14:59:00.000-08:00

I was driving down Wilshire Blvd in West L.A. today and I saw something interesting. A flag from a pole high above the VA had fallen down and was floating around on the street. It wasn't made of cloth, though, it was a flag made from banner material. Don't know what you'd call that. I pulled off the side of the road to watch it for a second, it was not unlike the scene in American Beauty with the plastic bag. After about a minute, I realized that it was still there, and no one was picking it up or moving it off to the side. They were just avoiding the flag from falling on their windshield and they wouldn't be able to see over it.

Which brings me to my point: Does America care anymore? Didn't the flag used to be a symbol for every ideal America held close to their hearts? Didn't people use to make sure the flag didn't touch the ground, or make sure it never got stepped on, or dirtied, or wrinkled even. I know this is a lot to get just from one minute of watching this spectacle, but doesn't it seem true?

This is a copy of Rosamond Johnson's
"The Old Flag Never Touched the Ground."

Are Americans sick of being Americans? Won't someone help pick up American spirit, American ideal, or American pride?

Of course, it should be pointed out that Freedom Fighter did not pick up the flag. He was late for a Freedom Lunch.

Free To Be You And Me

16. School's Out Forever

2006-01-12T23:39:00.000-08:00

I meant to comment on this article a bit earlier. It seems that the public school system in America is failing the older generations. Well...no shit. Look at it. It's horrible. Americans seem to be under the assumption that America will continue to be competitive in world economics. Our school system is lacking in so many ways compared to countries like Japan, or India. That's where all the jobs are going these days anyway. But there's a fact that I'd like to explore in the article.

"The bottom line is that this nation cannot rightfully expect to lead the 21st century's information and technology-driven global economy when we have upwards of 30 percent of our young people not even graduating from high school," [U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Tom] Donohue told a news conference called to announce the chamber's agenda for 2006.

In some minority areas, the number of students failing to get a high school diploma is closer to 50 percent. "This is a travesty," Donohue said.

And later:

The chamber is already working with other business organizations to double the number of U.S. math, science and engineering college graduates by the year 2015.

Types of Dropouts:

Beauty School Dropout

American Idol Dropout

Butterfly Dropout

30 percent seems like a lot, right? And it is, I've seen it myself. I spent 4 years in Denver, and last year's public high school graduating rate was absolutely frightening. Check this out:

• 5,633 — The number of students who began eighth grade in Denver Public Schools cla
ssrooms in the fall of 1999.

• 1,884 — The number of those students who graduated from a DPS high school five years later.

That's a dropout rate of 67%. Only 33% of the kids who started there graduated. Now, there's surely some methodology to take into account here. Some kids moved out of the district (20%), some kids were still in school for a 2nd senior year (7%), so it's all in all about 41%. Who's to blame for this?

Parents: Maybe it's not spending enough time with their kids, or instilling them with the values necessary to continue their education and contribute as a citizen of the U.S.A.

Society: Maybe it's everything teenagers are exposed to through television, or the arts, or video games, that makes them become apathetic or unwilling to take an interest in themselves.

Teachers: Shouldn't they be able to make the material interesting enough to get kids to stay? Shouldn't they present the material in such a way as to make it seem necessary and obvious that they stay? Dangerous Minds-style?

Teenagers: Shouldn't we (and I use we because I am only 22, and there's not much difference in age here) have the initiative and take it upon ourselves to at least graduate high school? Think of all the jobs that require a high school diploma.

Well, that last comment probably wouldn't convince me, considering that most of those jobs are going overseas anyways at this point.

What do you think? Who's to blame and what suggestions could be made? Leave a comment.

Free To Be You And Me

15.5 Better Than...Freedom Fighter?

2006-01-11T00:44:00.000-08:00

This is a response I got in relation to my last post, 15. Better Than Ezra. I wanted to post it (at the approval and anonymity of the author) because I wanted to show everyone that I am open to new ideas, always looking for the right answer. Please feel free to email me anytime, for questions, suggestions, comments, etc.

Freedom Fighter,

After reading your last post "15. Better Than Ezra" I must write in to express my views on what the authors of the L.A. Weekly must have been thinking when they wrote this article. I have read it, so I'm thoroughly prepared.

First of all, Ezra Klein and Joshuah Bearman wrote this article in jest. Since it is a left-tinged weekly reader with an entire issue devoted to top 10 lists, it only made sense to have one dedicated to this idea.

Bush HAS failed as a leader, and he should be held accountable for his actions and should pay the price (a lasting image of him as a failed President would do fine by me). I don't think what Klein and Bearman thought they were doing was taking pleasure in the misfortunes of others like Hurricane Katrina victims, I suspect they were merely taking pleasure in watching the President squirm. Everyone in this country feels for Hurricane Katrina victims and everyone else hit with hardship this year. We ARE all in "this" together (as you yourself say in your profile) so it's important not to jump to the conclusion that the authors don't care. They think that the Democrats can fix the problems that Bush has created, so they presume that everything will be alright and it is safe to criticize the President.

Criticism is good for a country. At the very least, it shows interest in the subject and a willingness to learn some of the facts. If people can learn some of the facts, surely getting more information won't be hard, right? People can have criticism but still support the country and the President. I have many reservations about him and his supporting staffers, but I will continue to support his decisions with the best of intentions and well wishes. When he succeeds, the country can begin to grow. And at time like this, the growth of the U.S. is important.

Very Best,
XXXXX

Free To Be You And Me

15. Better Than Ezra

2006-01-09T00:33:00.000-08:00

I usually sit at a Quizno's on Thursday, reading the new L.A. Weekly. I've only recently started reading the articles that come before the music section, because I've never much cared for reading. But this week they had their big "Zeitlist," their "annual compendium of 1. Politics, 2. Culture and 3. Ephemera" and I found one list in particular rather ridiculous. It was called "4 Reasons to be Glad Bush Is Still President". I'll let you take a second and read it over before I dissect it.

Now then, let's dive in. (Aside: I usually like the work Boing Boing does, and enjoyed his article in the L.A. Weekly, but I don't like his opinion on this article.

The thing I find interesting by this article is the fact that it is no way supporting him. This isn't that new to me, considering L.A. Weekly is a complete left-wing paper. The reasons you should be glad Bush is still President have to do with his failure as a leader and decision-maker, and the authors, Ezra Klein and Joshuah Bearman, assert that he's so screwed now that you should be glad it's not a Democrat in office (Kerry, specifically.) In it, they write,

"The fact is that there's no good solution to Bush's disaster, and that's why it should stay his and his alone. Bush built the SS Fuck Up single-handedly, so he can sit in the bridge, snap a crisp salute and go down with it all by himself."

ZING! They continue on this destructive point, emphasizing that he made his bed, not he'll lie in it. Later, they write,

"Soon, someone will either have to 1) raise taxes, 2) cut programs or 3) preside over the recission that will result from foreign governments refusing to bankroll our debt. He's the Accountability President; let him bask in all the blame."

Or how about this juicy quotation,

"Now they'll emerge, in all their glorious criminality, and the country will really get to see Dorian Gray's portrait."

It IS bad to form to gloat, and certainly not necessary. I'm not one of the people who believe in rubbing facts in people's faces, but I also don't mind pointing out the obvious. But I'm still not sure this whole situation is obvious. If I remember correctly, the recession they speak of was a result of the last few years of Clinton's office term and the increasing pressure and leverage put on the tech market (or "bubble"), which inevitably crumbled under the weight of its' own superiority and therefore, inferiority. The stock market too crashed as a result of this bubble burst, which was something that could have stopped in Clinton's reign, but it was too late in Bush's. Certainly 9/11 didn't help the country's economy either. I don't think many people wanted to ride on a plane after that. I don't think many people wanted to go to work in a high-rise and concentrate. I think the country was grieving. Probably a few months too long, but what are you going to do?!

Schadenfreude. This is an interesting topic. And leave it up to the Germans to create this one. I first heard this term on Boston Legal, and mainly because it was a scene in which Heather Locklear took pleasure in watching her husband die.

SCHADENFREUDE!!!!

The L.A. Weekly article is supposed to be criticizing the Bush administration, but I think there is a fine line between criticism and Schadenfreude, and I don't think they quite understand it. Schadenfreude implies that the joy you are getting is from watching someone ELSE's misfortunes. When the President of the United States fails, the United States of America fails. Since we are part of the U.S.A., we fail, too. And that's not Schadenfreude. When Bush failed at operating with functionality during Hurricane Katrina, the country as a whole failed. Many people died as a result of his administration failing to react to the situation and situations before and after the hurricane hit. I do not take pleasure in watching that unfold. When Bush's national debt grew by 40 percent, signaling that even more people will have to go under the poverty level after taxes will inevitably have to be raised in compensation, the whole country failed. Many people will lose their jobs because of the slowing economy, or because of the need to raise taxes in essence to pay off the national debt increase. I agree that certain things about the Bush administration need public exposure, but they do not need gloating and they certainly don't need schadenfreude.

You may ask: Is criticism bad for a country? No. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism isn't bad either. I think it's preferred, even if it's not accepted as viable. Constructive criticism implies that you care about the situation to WANT to work through it and help everyone involved. Cricitism does nothing for a country. It just points out the apathy in the American way of life. It should be noted, though, that criticism with an admission of no good solution IS okay. If you think something is bad, but you admit you don't know how to fix it, I think that is okay, and honorable. As long as you're working towards a decision within yourself.

This article is neither constructive or criticism at all. It's merely a piece showing the failure of the AUTHORS to grasp the whole concept at hand. That is, the destructive work of their article on the American psyche. Thankfully, I doubt many people read it anyway.

I don't take pleasure in watching the destruction of my country. Do you Ezra Klein and Joshuah Bearman?

Free To Be You And Me

14. Help! (piano only version)

2006-01-06T15:43:00.000-08:00

Freedom Fighter is searching for a job. He has to put Freedom Food on the table, and pay his Freedom Bills.

Today I interviewed for a position, and the employer asked me why I had worked in so many different fields. And I started in on my prepared answer, where I talk about how that's actually a big advantage that I hold because it makes me a more rounded person, and I'm able to approach problems and general work in different and thorough ways.

Then a funny thing happened. I realized that it looks like I'm on a search for the perfect fit, for the job that will make both me and the employer happy. It must look incredibly wise to the employer, something that everyone wants, and here's a guy that is actually doing it. "Here's a guy," they'll say, "that really has his values in perspective." I'm searching for life. I'm searching for the American dream. I'm searching for meaning.

But that's not necessarily true. In all actuality, I'm just too lazy to get a real job. I don't want the responsibility that comes with it. I don't want to be yelled at when someone else does something wrong, I don't want to be forced to clean up other's mistakes. I don't want that kind of pressure, always on the cusp of being fired because I lack seniority, not skill.

And what a great example of my generation. That's SO us, isn't it? I don't want the responsibility of having to clean up older people's failures. Let them deal with it, I just want to kick it and chill. Drink a beer. BBQ a veggie burger. Hang. But I'm forced to be put in this situation that isn't really benefiting any of us, now is it? I'm forced to go out there and get a job, like my generation is forced to take the political reins and take everything headon.

Some of us will want to get an important job right out of college, with prestige and responsibility and a corporate credit card. (Hint: They EVENTUALLY pay you back...) Those people out there suck. Think about them. Take a moment and think of all the kids who were excited to get a job right out of college (or high school, at which I hear some kids stop their learning). Now think about if you liked them. Most chances are, you didn't. 'Cause they were putzes.

Do you know what a putz is?

It's a worthless person. It is a person that sucks. People who suck.

But, you know what sucks even more? Those are our shiny examples to the older people that we should have more and more responsibility tacked on. They say, "Well, Charlie Putz can deal with it. He's RESPONSIBLE." Well, good for him. He also won't get laid for any reason other than money. And do you want that to happen to YOUR son, mom? DO YOU?!!?!?

Free To Be You And Me

13. I Am A Man Without A Country (Ralph Stanley version)

2006-01-04T23:04:00.000-08:00

In Kurt Vonnegut’s new book, “A Man Without a Country,”

Kurt talks about how leaders are nothing more than deranged guessers, and have been throughout time. The leaders know that the way to keep the public on their side is to berate them with snake-oil and false truths.

Loaded pistols are good for everyone except inmates in prisons or lunatic asylums.
That’s correct.
Millions spent on public health are inflationary.
That’s correct.
Billions spent on weapons will bring inflation down.
That’s correct.
Dictatorships to the right are much closer to American ideals than dictatorships to the left.
That’s correct.
The more hydrogen bomb warheads we have, all set to go off at a moment’s notice, the safer humanity is and the better off the world will be that our grandchildren will inherit.
That’s correct.
Industrial wastes, especially those that are radioactive, hardly ever hurt anybody, so everybody should shut up about them.
That’s correct.
Industries should be allowed to do whatever they want to do: Bribe, wreck the environment just a little, fix prices, screw dumb customers, put a stop to competition, and raid the Treasury when they go broke.
That’s correct.
That’s free enterprise.
And that’s correct.
The poor have done something very wrong or they wouldn’t be poor, so their children should pay the consequences.
That’s correct.
The United States of America cannot be expected to look after its own people.
That’s correct.
The free market will do that.
That’s correct.
The free market if an automatic system of justice.
That’s correct.
I’m kidding.

Free To Be You And Me

12. Like A Pebble (Oh, Like a Pebble)

2006-01-04T01:43:00.000-08:00

HAHA

America will lose the title of biggest automobile maker next year or so to Toyota Motor Company. Does this concern anyone else? I’ll tell you why this concerns me...not because GM makes better cars than Toyota. Which it doesn’t. GM makes horrible cars that break down easily while having constant problems. They are also both technologically inefficient and aesthetically displeasing.

And it doesn’t concern me that Toyota will be bigger than GM. I don’t believe that since Toyota is NOT an American car company, they suck and America is always number one. It doesn’t suck at all, and they make great cars at great prices and they are both structurally sound and economically excellent (alliteration is awesome!) It’s because GM, as a result, will cut 30,000 jobs in the next few years to try and make up for their managerial failures. (Source)
It is not the workers’ fault that GM designs, markets and tries to distribute horrible disappointments. When they try to market an SUV with an American-tinged sentimental song called “Like A Rock,” or by having a country star sing about his favorite pick-up truck (Toby Keith), they don’t include the other 95 percent of Americans. Most Americans don’t care about towing a mobile restaurant/home because the waitress made some comment in passing about wanting to go to California. Or lifting an 18-wheeler by towing a system of pulleys with the truck and then driving the truck underneath it to show how stupid the stuntman must be. Or showing a man cliff jumping into his SUV as his way of going from his house to his car. Why do they continue to think SUVs have a chance to survive? Gas prices are too high for it to make sense to buy a gas-guzzler.

GM believes that their 2006 line of large SUVs should boost sagging sales, and that they plan on allowing flexibility between building SUVs and pickups. They believe they need to keep capacity for the vehicles that GM can sell at the greatest profit --the larger vehicles. With these announced closings, GM will be keeping its’ capacity of large sport utility vehicles and pickups intact, even though sales of SUVs have slumped in recent months in the face of higher gasoline prices.

Gas prices have continued to thoroughly SUCK. They're still up16 percent from a year ago, and both GM and Ford saw a MAJOR drop in sales of big SUVs and pickups in September and October. I’m sure they insist not all of that is due to oil prices, but they need to shift their focus from large SUVs and pickups to producing profitability from other vehicles.

The stock has tumbled some 40 percent since July. The three-month drop in GM stock has shrunk its market worth to about $12 billion, which is far less than the $19 billion in cash on its balance sheet. And its 9 percent dividend yield may seem tempting but is also a sign investors believe GM won't be able to keep paying $2 a year to shareholders much longer.

GM has seen its slice of U.S. vehicle sales slide steadily over the last 30 years, taking its share of the U.S. market down to 26.2 percent in the first 10 months of this year, compared with 43.8 percent in 1980.

As recently as 2001 and 2002 it had been able to stem the decline, posting slim gains, but the slide resumed in 2003. (Source)

So, back to the point. This all concerns me because so many hard working Americans will be out of a job. This is like “Roger and Me,” except I’m not as fat. It’s not only the 30,000 people who will be out jobs at GM. Even though, I should point out, that it will only be at most 26,000 who will need to find work after being hired in other car manufacturing plants, or change industries. It also drastically affects companies and factory workers that are related to GM. All the companies that make miscellaneous accessories in the car, they too will lose jobs. Someone makes the seatbelts, and the armrest consoles, and the car stereos. And with GM dropping their capacity, the other companies will be forced to cut back too, and that means losing more jobs there. That number is not computable to me. Maybe someone else can help me with that. Maybe someone else can help AMERICA with that.

Free To Be You And Me

11. The Kids Aren't Alright (Diddy label remix)

2005-12-31T11:10:00.004-08:00

Thank you to “anonymous” for your post about not giving up trying to reach the youngsters with political rhetoric and trying to gain momentum for the youth to lead. Maybe you’re right, but we should try and figure out how. Diddy tried with his “Vote or Die” campaign, which didn’t amount to much (especially since one of the biggest advocates of the campaign, Paris Hilton, didn’t even vote herself.)

Yes, I know what Bye Bye Birdie is and what the reference is of which you speak. The musical number from the guy that Steve Carrell played in “Bewitched” and some other old lady, “Kids.” You probably know the song as “What’s the Matter With Kids Today.”

I like that version, but I am surely in the minority when I say I have seen/heard of Bye Bye Birdie. But I bet kids of my generation will remember the Simpsons parody of the song:

Kids: Adults!
Adults: Kids!
Kids: Adults!
Adults: Kids!
Kids: Adults!

Lovejoy: Kids! You've had your fun, now we've had our fill.
Homer: Yeah! You're only here 'cause Marge forgot her pill.
Wiggum: Kids, you're all just scandalizing, vandalizing punks.
Krusty: Channel-hopping, Ritalin-popping monkeys! Please don't quit the fan-club!
Marge: Kids! I can nag and nag 'til my hair turns blue!
Edna: Kids! You bum my smokes and don't say 'thank you'!
Rod & Todd: Why can't you be like we are?
Adults: Oh, what a bunch of brats!
Moe: We oughta drown you just like cats!

Bart: Adults! You run our lives like you're Colonel Klink!
Nelson: Adults! You strut around like your farts don't stink!
Lisa: Adults! You're such a drooling, boring, boozingboring bunch. Surly, meany, three-martini lunchers...
Ralph: I just ate a thumbtack!

Free To Be You And Me

10. Schwarzenegger and Kennedy and Shriver

2005-12-30T10:29:00.000-08:00

I'm from California. My governor is Arnold Schwarzenegger. I shouldn't really like him, but I still kinda do. Let me explain.

He's centered non-offendingly in the middle on many issues. When he began this year with a 58% job approval, he had many supporters from both sides. Then, he decided to hold this really weird "special election" to vote on some measures that were VERY Republican and right-wing oriented. He did this no doubt against many of his advisors' wishes. On Nov. 8, California voted against all his initiatives, because they sucked. That was a stupid mistake. But then he did something weird. During his concession speech of sorts, he thanked everyone for voting and for their opinions. I think he was interested in showing people that he was doing SOMETHING, and what better way to show that than having an unusually timed vote. However, it failed.

So what's he up to now, you may ask? Well, he's starting to move back to center. He is confering again with democratic leaders in California about upcoming issues in the State of the State address. And he has now hired Democrat Susan Kennedy to be his chief of staff. Kennedy is a former Gov. Gray Davis official (Democrat). She is also the ex-head of the California Abortion Rights Action League, and a lesbian. WAY left-of-center, right? It has to be said that she is also pretty good at her job, so maybe it has to do her with success at the job instead of her gossipy extracurricular resume.

However, he is still treading a very fine line now because of the fact that California has just as many radical Republicans as it does Democrats, and he is trying to make friends with the Democrats while not pissing off the Republicans. Very. Fine. Line.

Free To Be You And Me

09. Bluebeard

2005-12-28T22:27:00.000-08:00

Thought you guys might like to read this excerpt from Kurt Vonnegut's "Bluebeard".

I compained to Slazinger and Mrs. Berman at supper last night that the young people of today seemed to be trying to get through life with as little information as possible. "They don't even know anything about the Vietnam War or the Empress Josephine, or what a Gorgon is," I said.
Mrs. Berman defended them. She said that it was a little late for them to do anything about the Vietnam War, and that they had more interesting ways of learning about vanity and the power of sex than studying a woman who had lived in anotyher country one hundred and seventy-five years ago. "All that anybody needs to know about a Gorgon, " she said, "is that there is no such thing."

Free To Be You And Me

08. Meet The PaREntSS

2005-12-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

This post is in relation to a comment I got in my comment section. I urge everyone to leave a comment. XOXO

This weekend I watched Meet the Press, an incredibly cool show with Tim Russert that puts a lot of politicians and talking heads on the hot seat and demands accountability. It’s been around for 58 years, almost as long as my dad (59). If nothing else, it makes for good internet fodder. (See: this post)
This episode featured Dan Rather and Tom Brokaw, who are alright guys, actually. Very personable, and such funny voices, such characters. Anyway, this show had a lot of talking points in relation to my blog, so I thought I’d post this part.
From Sunday, December 25, 2005’s edition of Meet The Press with Tim Russert:

MR. RUSSERT: How do you make these stories interesting to people?

MR. KOPPEL: I think the only way you can make them interesting is to bring them down to the individual level. And the fact of the matter is that when we show one person whose pension has just been taken away from her or him...

MR. RUSSERT: That's memorable.

MR. KOPPEL: That's memorable, and you can say, "I identify with that person," or people out there watching your program can say, "I identify with that person." I think the medical care, which is a function of what we're talking about--yes, we have been priding ourselves on having the best medical care in the world--and you know something? You [points to Mr. Russert] can get the best medical care in the world, he [points to Mr. Brokaw] can get the best medical care in the world, I can. Most Americans can't. And there are 43 million Americans who aren't getting any medical care at all. That is a scandal. And...

MR. BROKAW: That is getting attention at least, where people are trying to come to grips with that. And what was so stunning to me was that the Bush administration, after winning very sizeable popular vote in the 2004 election, put as its highest priority the reform of Social Security and not health care in America because I thought that's where most people were concerned.

So he’s right. It’s hard to make people listen to the stories and underlying purpose of politics unless it’s equated on a basic level with everyone. That is, if the media threatens the audience with the idea that it could happen to them, the audience will listen. Kinda explains some stuff, right? So, is the media knowingly doing something good when they constantly try to threaten us with the latest disease, or political "scandal," or foreign war? Or do they just do it for ratings, trying to overblow the threat to make us watch?

Free To Be You And Me

07. Centerfield (Put Me In Coach)

2005-12-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Elisha Hearts Freedom Fighter!!

Who cares about steroids? Why was there a congressional hearing about baseball? The only legitimate reason I can think of is that state governments (or federal government) has a stake in the ball clubs and stadiums. The cities DO pay for a chunk of the project, as well as taxes, etc. Can the Congress revoke this? And should they?
I don’t know, I don’t necessarily care. Baseball is almost as bad as hockey, which APPARENTLY is going on right now. I haven’t seen anything about hockey since I used to play Mario Lemieuieueieueiux Hockey on Sega Genesis in probably 1995. DOES ANYONE CARE ABOUT HOCKEY? Yes, one person. My future girlfriend, sadly. And by future girlfriend, I mean “someone I will have no interaction with physically, emotionally, psychologically, or metaphysically. EVER.” Le sigh.

Free To Be You And Me

06. Let's Talk About Politics, Baby, Let's Talk About You And Me

2005-12-26T09:03:00.000-08:00

Thank you for the comments you have left for me. I wanted to remind y'all that I have a comments section where ANYONE can post anonymously if you wanted. Let me know everything there is to know from your pretty little heads.

I have also set up a Gmail account if you have something you want to say to me that won't fill up my comments section. Feel free to send links, articles, etc. If it's pertinent and helpful, I will ask if I can post it on the website. So, keep that in mind.

Comments section is always open, my email is Freedom Fighter!

FF

Free To Be You And Me

05. The Ruler's Back (Blueprint Intro)

2005-12-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

I realize that I never fully introduced myself to the world. Even though I kind of expect people just to know me and know my deal, in case you don't...

I grew up in Los Angeles. I'm 22. I'm old enough to understand why it's shitty that Tookie was killed, I'm old enough to know people who died in wars, but I'm not old enough to care about California Skaquake, like my older sister.

So, in the words of a leader of kids in my generation:
What you about to witness is my thoughts
Just my thoughts man - right or wrong
Just what I was feeling at the time,
You ever felt like this, you vibe with me

Free To Be You And Me

04. No T.V. Party Tonight (feat. Henry Rollins)

2005-12-24T07:55:00.000-08:00

Quick bone to pick. I always hear people telling people that America isn’t a country that believes in violence. They say, “That’s not MY America. We are a liberal country that promotes peace.” This is stupid. America is SO violent. Besides us having the highest gun-related murder rate in the world, WE ALSO BUTT INTO SITUATIONS AND START FIGHTS. America is a violent country, this is a violent society we live in and anyone who can’t say that doesn’t understand the situation. John Lennon wrote “Imagine” with the idea that we aren’t at ALL like the song. “Imagine no possessions.” Which is okay and all, but the weird socialist, communistic anarchism that he talks about in the song isn’t that cool sounding to me. No possessions? I want my MTV!!!

Free To Be You And Me

03. Sneaky Feelings (an ode to the better Elvis)

2005-12-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

photo courtesy of Daisy's Funnies.
Eavesdropping. I consider myself a great people watcher. Coming from a background in filmmaking, I can look at a situation and pick out certain nuances to add much further depth into what I’m seeing. I pride myself on it. Bush admitted to eavesdropping, but tried to claim that it was legal and within the laws of the Patriot Act. Which is stupid. Everything about this is stupid. Even republicans like Rep. Mary Bono (Sonny, not Irish) believe this is stupid. Here’s my problem with it. What constitutes (ironic word use recognition time) the boundaries he can use? What if I ask my friend if he’s been to Washington D.C. lately to visit all the tourist attractions and to see the Cherry Blossoms open? Am I gonna start hearing clicking noises on the other end of my line?

Here’s where the line gets blurred. Or thinned, I’m not sure which is which. What if they catch onto a MAJOR drug deal. Technically, it’s not a terrorist threat. But that would be a huge break for their fight against drugs. They have no jurisdiction getting involved legally, right? I’m sure there’s something they can say to bypass that, but it doesn’t seem legal, even though something like that would be a good thing to stop. Down with drugs, up with hugs.

Free To Be You And Me

02. Britney Spears On The Cover of Rolling Stone

2005-12-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

I read the Economist. Not because it is foreign, and therefore funny when they write colour, and honour. Hehe. But also because they know their shit. And they know it better than other people who do the same job for other magazines. Time Magazine is having a problem where they think the way to attract kids my age is by dumbing down the topics, making sentences smaller and injecting more youth culture references into their writing. Cool! I applaud them for tackling some of the youth-oriented subjects, like Kanye West, who is amazing in many ways, but also because I genuinely believe someone there WANTS kids my age to get more involved. Tight! Rolling Stone tries its weakened tired hand at politics sometimes, and I approve. I really just flip through them, looking at the caricatures and then going to the semi-nude pictures of whoever it is on the cover. (Aside: remember Britney Spears’ first layout?) But nonetheless, fill it with whatever vaguely left-wing opinion you want. People will choose to read it, some people won’t. Opinions may change, or they may be reinforced. Fetch!

Because what marketing experts don’t understand, as well as magazine publishers and whomever else gets paid for pretending to know anything at all, is that we have opinions. We have beliefs and we have convictions. However, they are based pretty much on hearsay and misinformation. I think it is noble for venues like MTV to air a show about middle East tensions, but without following up on the current events or researching further after the show, the most in depth a person will get into that relationship is questioning why everyone dresses up as a Halloween ghost, 365 days a year.

What do y’all think? Is there any hope to trying to reach out to my generation on a topic as intense and important as politics? Leave a comment.

Free To Be You And Me

01. Intro Track (feat. Kylie Minogue)

2005-12-22T15:32:00.000-08:00

I am a product of America. I am the fruit and labor, the destruction and ruin, the drunken and sober creation of America. I am part of this lost generation of kids who aren’t “Gen X” but “Gen Why?” Older generations may not like what has become of this lost generation, far more unrealized than any generation before. We are lazy, inactive, politically apathetic, socially inept if not for medications. Older generations will cry, “Well, we were never on drugs as kids. What the hell is wrong with you!?!” And they’re right. I will not make excuses for my friends and my generation. I will not make excuses for myself. My parents were never on Ritalin, on Prozac, on Blitzer, on Dasher, on…They watched Dick Clark and drank at soda fountains, they laughed at Shelley Berman and Sid Caesar. They listened to Elvis, while THEIR parents cried at the destruction of that generation.

But, as my personal hero Bob Dylan sang, the times they are-a changin’. Yes, they thought the Cuban Missile Crisis was real (my parents were 14 and 12 at the time), their leaders were lost in senseless assassinations. They grew up during the civil rights movement. Good for them. My parents are still vaguely racist.

So, what excuse do we have? 9/11? Yeah, that was scary. The Cuban Missile crisis didn’t happen. 9/11 did. Terrorism is a threat that scares the shit out of me. (I don’t know if I can curse on blogger.com yet, I have to look into that…) Well, we aren’t in a draft, like my dad was (flat feet and near sightedness are what got him out of serving. What the fuck kind of army did we have back then? White, blond hair, blue eyes-style requirements?!!) The Iraq war is not something I condone, whatever name the Bush administration give it (Fight for Freedom? The Libretto for Liberty? That one is MY term! Use it, but give me credit!!!) But, here we are.

Sometimes I wish I could be a speechwriter. I’m not an amazing writer, but I can put sentences together structurally. I would probably just lift my speeches from song ideas or plagiarize, like I did my entire college career. I would have Bush up there at the mic, addressing the president of Iraq (Cheney?) via satellite at a U2 concert (Garth?) and the President of Iraq would say,

“Everything went from wrong to right, and the stars came up and filled up the sky. The music you were playing really blew my mind, it was love at first sight.”

Points to the person who knows that song.

We have no excuse. A note to my generation: WAKE UP. This is not a call to arms. My generation has no arms to spare, with one being on the Adderall bottle and the other on a bong. Or a hookah. Or an apple. Or a one-hitter. Or a plastic water bottle. Or a big water jug and a bath tub. Or a joint. Not like I would know any good techniques….

Let this blog be a diary in the life of a recent college grad seeped in the popular culture of the times around him. Let this blog be a sign o’ the times by someone on the ground, like A.C. in New Orleans. I will not offer many answers, as I don’t know them, but I will ask some good questions. And if politicians or speechwriters, or military personnel or civilians want to throw some ideas in, I would be the better for it.

Free To Be You And Me