TORN

As one of the people in this country who strongly believes that the war in Iraq is a waste of billions on a daily basis, I'm torn between my political beliefs and my tie to the women and men who have to fight the war.

I spent seven years in the service of Uncle Sam in the 70s and 80s. It colors life for me to this day. I read the frontline blogs of several grunts on the ground in all parts of Iraq. I cry when I read about one of their buddies dying, or getting blown up and sent home. I have empathy for them. They get paid shit wages, have crap for equipment, and who the hell would want to have to wear 80 pounds of gear in 120 degree weather? It's not easy to run from bullets in all that shit.

I want them (the soldiers) to know that I think about them everyday.... I want that simple minded redneck living at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to spend three days with a bullet launcher, and all that gear, on the ground and in the fight. Maybe he'd be more inclined to think about ending the madness now. Not a single Iraqi ship is sitting off the coast of California or any other state. Not one single Iraqi is marching on the capital, so why are we tearing their country apart?

The Japanese hit us hard in 1941. We ruined them for it. 9/11 was different.... Extremist acting out their idea of a religious war. Anyone remember the Crusades? Religion makes some truly mad and willing to do anything in the name of God or Allah. So, for the act of 13 MEN, we send thousands to die in the desert. Then there are the innocents in Iraq who simply want a job, or food to feed their children. Walking down the street makes them targets too.

No matter what kind of constitution the puppet leaders in Iraq draft, extremists will still be a part of the population. No government can police each person's thoughts or actions. Personally, I'm glad about that. I certainly don't want Big Brother wandering around in my daily life.

As long as the leaders of this not so great nation, where 50 million citizens don't have healthcare, where children go to bed hungry at night, and where certain parts of the population are still marginalized, continue to act as the school yard bully, the police of the entire world, there will still be men and some women who will strike out at the innocents....

Changing the way we direct US foreign policy is the only way to insure that extremists won't do extreme things to get their message across. This government needs to spend billions to make a difference, not create rubble!

Spend More Time With Your Dictionary

Lately I have been looking up most words I read that don't appear in everyday language ....like ar·che·typ·al·ly.... don't think I ever knew that was a adverb... didin't realize it comes from something Jung said, so could be it's all bunk.

Come on, do you really know dictionary definitions of words that you don't use much? Next time ya don't know what it really means, go here...

http://www.m-w.com/

The View

The View
Originally uploaded by jaibone.

I find I miss San Francisco more than I thought I would.... what is it about The City By The Bay that is such a part of me.... history or attraction, it doesn't matter.... I'm looking forward to going back for Folsom Street Fair at the end of September.... I even miss this view.

On Fallen Hippies....

To all the kiddies out there in cyberland, take some advice from your Uncle Jai... never trust a man in a tye-dyed t-shirt who wears Birkenstocks and is tight with his wallet....

Why is it that a sub-species of homo-penis-erectus, commonly know as the Man Hippie, is portrayed as the loving, kinder, gentle species? I'm discovering, through active study, that there are certain members of this breed who exhibit signs of the carry over from the larger species of man. Greed, and dominance over the weaker of the sub-species.

Is it because they have forgotten why they chose to separate from the greater herd? Is it because they fear not having enough of those pieces of paper with dead guys on them to support their habit of nomadic wandering across the land that folks like me call Amerika? Is it because said fallen Hippie is a man? A man born to the privilege of being white. Never really releasing his attachment of having it be all about him....

Call me a radical, feminist, Dyke of you want to. But no matter the clothing, a wolf is still a wolf and will eat you while you sleep if given the opportunity... men are wolves, no matter what they say about how much kinder, or gentle they are....

Look out ladies who might choose said fallen one as a mate, he's liable to eat you too!

It's Official!

I hesitated writing this particular entry until a sufficient amount of time had passed since I let go of my serious addiction to the ever almighty Boob Tube! It's been two months and as every good addict in recovery knows, you take it one day at a time...Yeah, go ahead and laugh, but my addiction to channel flipping was serious! From early morning until late at night, and sometimes all night if I forgot to set the sleep timer, the screen shed it's evil light on me.... Yes, there are good things on the box, and you can learn from watching as well. But, I never got a lot done because I couldn't walk away....Now, here I sit writing... Something I didn't do a lot of during my days of active addiction..... I've produced art, made new friends, and actually gone out and done things I've said I was going to do since arriving in this town two plus years ago.... Amazing!Yes, there are things I miss; like the Food Network, and PBS, and The History Channel, but since I don't have the watch one show and turn it off gene I'm choosing to use that vast information superhighway called the World Wide Web to gather facts instead of sitting on the couch in front of the tube.I never thought I'd be able to say, Hi, my name is Jai and I am a television addict, but my disease is in remission and now I can pursue all my other interests with a clear mind...

Back To Space.....

Landing Coming, Worried Furrow In Brow...

So, I've watched the briefings, the video, the live feeds, and seen most of the still images from the latest shuttle mission. Logging on twice a day. I'm wondering why they chose a landing time that is way before most of the people in this country are awake. Conspiracy? Could be? Keep us in the dark until the sun comes up.... Ok, I doubt it, and I don't think I'll get up for it.... wait until I log on in the morning...

I am still fascinated about the idea of space travel, and love the images that said space program provides. But the money..... the extravagance of it, at least in my lifetime.... Am I paying for the salvation of the planet, or escape from said planet when it's all worn out long after I am gone... could be it is my karmic debt to future generations for my sins of driving a fossil fuel guzzling 8 cylinder van, and liking air conditioning, and refrigeration, and well, plastic.

There are nine people speeding around the planet right now, two stay on the ISS... and hope the shuttle makes it. Otherwise it's back to Earth for them in a functional, yet small, Russian capsule.

As for the seven on their way back down, in a "truck" that had to have space dock repairs, they must be wondering if Monday is their lucky day? Wondering if the engineers and slide rule geeks can get them back down without a hitch, or if it's another one of those days when "opps" is the last thing someone onboard is heard to utter as the sky lights up with their fiery chariot to the other side....

I was thinking the other day about how few astronauts have been killed when you think about how many have gone up. Three in Apollo One before it even left the pad, and 14 on the two shuttle missions. There were, afterall, multiple Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle missions. Not a bad count, really.... I'm hoping we don't have to change those numbers on Monday.

Question of the day...

Will I?

Will I ever tell her that she makes my palms sweat and my heart pound?

Discuss...

Sheer Boredom

Too Much Time On My Hands

What's with me and song quotes.... this one came from Styx...

So, really too much time on my hands and bored with the things that usually occupy my time between trying to round up new clients and looking for the ULTIMATE part-time gig that will pay the rest of the bills.....

My artistic gene seems to have become latent in the last few days.... Writing seems a chore, and it's too hot in the Pacific-Northwest lately.... drag your butt on the ground hot.... drag your feet through the sand hot....drag your nose through the muck hot.....bang you head on a wall hot.... hotter than hell, hotter than a witches tit in a brass bra...hot enough you MIGHT be able to cook an egg on the hood of a car....

Why don't we have cable on days like these? Oh yeah, none of us really watches TV.... But, cable movies on a day like this would be a very good thing... I'd be liable to forget how hot I am....

Wandering the cyber highway and mining for silver

"These days I've been craving a slice of chocolate cake as much as a good, hard f*#k. Seems like such a long time since I've had either. A vegan dry spell."

Quoted from a blog I read.... my sentiment exactly.... the cake would be great, but the f#*k would be oh, so, much better....

I'm about to wither and die on the vine.....