Pissed Off!

OK, I've tried my best not to talk about politics and the wars for the past few journal entries but I just can't keep quiet any more. Of course, you knew that. The fruits of rampant incompetence in this administration are being harvested right now. Insurgents have increased attacks in Iraq with an average daily death toll of 100 people. Increased Taliban attacks in Afghanistan. If there were any question as to the complete disregard of innocent lives it is our policy with the current war between Hezbollah and Israel. The US has basically given Israel the green light for indiscriminate bombing of the Lebanese people Even our strongest ally, Great Britain appears to be aligning itself with other European nations in the condemnation of Israeli attacks. It pains me to see the amount of suffering that is happening in the world because of our actions and in-actions. I love this country but sometimes it's leaders piss me the fuck off!

It is my sincere hope that this coming election season will be a referendum against those who supported this illegal war in Iraq. If you are a Democrat on Capital Hill who continues to support this war your days should be numbered (Can you say Joe Lieberman?!). It is also time to put people in Congress who are not beholden to the energy companies or the religious right so we can make this administration accountable for its actions and have a comprehensive plan to bring our troops home as soon as possible. I don't care if they are Republican or Democrat or Green. Senator Arlen Specter(R-Pa) is definitely on the right path. He just submitted a bill that would allow Congress to sue the president. You can read more here.

Dahr Jamail is an independent journalist who is traveling in the Middle East and reporting news that the mainstream media seems to skip. You can read his entries at the following website. http://dahrjamailiraq.com. Also, don't forget about the links on the left. As I said I'm pissed off. The question is are you pissed off? Have you had enough yet?

So When is the Rapture??

There is war in Iraq, a war in Lebanon, another tsunami in the South Pacific, famine over here, floods over there and all I can think about in the midst of what appears to be Armageddon is how hot it is! Doesn't the Bible mention something to the effect of hell on Earth during the last days? If that is the case then I'm living in a lava pit. I figured I was going to hell anyway but I guess hell couldn't wait for me to get there. I have the typical black man's condition. You know, sweatin'! Not sweating. That is what white people do. They look like they have a glow or shimmer. Sweatin' is what us black folks do. The tell tale signs are wet forehead, pits and chest. I distinctly remember being at the park last weekend with friends. We were all watching the big kickball game. I've got beads of sweat dripping from my forehead and chin. My Caucasian counterparts look like they just came from the spa. What's up with that?

I have learned never to leave the house without my paper towel. If you are black and it's hot you have to carry that paper towel or if you are fancy (AKA Bourgie) then a nice handkerchief. Just go to a black Baptist church and you will see what I mean. Everyone has a nice handkerchief or a fan with a picture of Martin Luther King Jr. During the sermon you will see women appear to get caught up in the Word and get the Holy Ghost. They start Jerking in the aisles, throwing their hands up and even speaking in (what sounds like) tongues. Then they faint and the nurse (OK, a woman wearing a nurse's hat) has to calm them down while fanning them to bring them back from apparent Glory. Some say it's the word of God, I say it's the heat. It is always too hot in Baptist churches. So to try and beat the Glory of God's creation I crank up the AC in my apartment to high and try to do as little as possible. Not very hard for me. When it gets this hot I could give a damn about global warming and conservation. But it is kind of a vicious cycle. I crank the AC. ComEd Uses more power which causes more pollution. It's enough to give you a brain freeze. At least my forehead isn't sweating now!

Beast Master

As you all know I'm a very modest and humble person. I'm rarely one to toot my own horn. I do, however feel the need to make you aware of a milestone I recently achieved. My friend Michael Lacey and I stopped smoking a year ago on the 4th of July. I have not smoked one cigarette in over a year! I was never a big smoker and was really trying to help out my friend Mike. Congratulations Mike on a year of success!

I could talk about the deleterious health effects of smoking but lets talk about that other stuff. The cost of cigarettes alone should make anyone want to quit. $7.00 a pack! What the hell?! That's almost two gallons of gas or a cocktail at an upscale lounge. I've also noticed my sense of smell has returned. I have become aware of the halo of smoke that constantly surrounds my puff happy friends. It's kind of uncanny that I didn't recognize it before but ya'll stank! Here's one. Less need for Fabrize!

I must admit that all is not roses in the no smoking zone. I still get cravings once in a while. To soothe the savage beast I feed another beast, literally! I've reached a new milestone in tonnage these days. Lately I have been losing the battle of the bulge (no surprise there!). Sometimes I think I can actually feel my gravitational pull on small objects! Budget restraints have made it necessary for me to cancel my health club membership so I'm back in my running shoes and on the jogging trail! Say what you will about running but its dirt cheap and extremely effective. So check back with me in a year and hopefully I will have finally controlled the beast that lives in my gut!

Like a Monkey Throwing His Own Poo!

I have come to the realization that most people are just plain nasty! These people have the hygiene of a chimpanzee! This is not something that is new to me but I have taken full notice of late. One day while at work I was taking care of number 2. I heard one guy leave the stall and walk right out the door. Can you believe that shit?! Pardon the pun. I almost jumped off the pot and yelled, "You nasty bastard, get back here and wash your hands!" The rule of thumb should be whenever you come out of a stall you need to automatically wash your hands! I'm actually at the point that whenever you go into the bathroom you need to wash your hands regardless of what you are doing! This would be a perfect situation for "Terrible" Terry Tate: Office linebacker to handle.

Another time I was highly disgusted was when a friend at a bar had a nasty sneeze. I sat there drinking my beer and watched him sneeze into his bare hands a couple of times. Then as he was leaving he shook my hand and left. I was in shock and about to throw up at the same time! It was one of those things I didn't think about until after it actually happened. I could hear myself saying, "This MoFo did not just shake my hand after sneezing in his own hands?!?" I made a bee line to the bathroom and washed my hands as if I might contract the Ebola virus! What is so hard about washing your hands? I don't get it. Like Iraq is to terrorists, the office environment is a breeding ground for germs! So I keep a big bottle of Purrell at my desk at all times. The next time I have to shake a VIP's hand I will be thinking that he was probably the one leaving the bathroom and didn't wash his nasty hands!!