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AKA ....MY RANTS

May 2, 2002

I find it forever interesting how the system, our government today and historically is afraid of the power of massive alternative thinking. The mainstream wealth monopoly is this country will perpetually seek to keep the masses quite, entertained, content...ignorant to the true value of their system. May Day is an example of our governments weakness and its strength. The weakness - what is possible when the masses realize the truth. The strength - the governments ability to destroy and cover up

Here is the story of May Day:

> May 1st, International Workers' Day, commemorates the historic struggle of

> working people throughout the world, and is recognized in every country

> except the United States, Canada, and South Africa. This despite the fact

> that the holiday began in the 1880s in the United States, with the fight for

> an eight-hour work day.

> In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions passed a

> resolution stating that eight hours would constitute a legal day's work from

> and after May 1, 1886. The resolution called for a general strike to achieve

> the goal, since legislative methods had already failed. With workers being

> forced to work ten, twelve, and fourteen hours a day, rank-and-file support

> for the eight-hour movement grew rapidly, despite the indifference and

> hostility of many union leaders. By April 1886, 250,000 workers were

> involved in the May Day movement.

> The heart of the movement was in Chicago, organized primarily by the

> anarchist International Working People's Association. Businesses and the

> state were terrified by the increasingly revolutionary character of the

> movement and prepared accordingly. The police and militia were increased in

> size and received new and powerful weapons financed by local business

> leaders. Chicago's Commercial Club purchased a $2000 machine gun for the

> Illinois National Guard to be used against strikers. Nevertheless, by May

> 1st, the movement had already won gains for many Chicago clothing cutters,

> shoemakers, and packing-house workers. But on May 3, 1886, police fired into

> a crowd of strikers at the McCormick Reaper Works Factory, killing four and

> wounding many. Anarchists called for a mass meeting the next day in

> Haymarket Square to protest the brutality.

> The meeting proceeded without incident, and by the time the last speaker was

> on the platform, the rainy gathering was already breaking up, with only a

> few hundred people remaining. It was then that 180 cops marched into the

> square and ordered the meeting to disperse. As the speakers climbed down

> from the platform, a bomb was thrown at the police, killing one and injuring

> seventy. Police responded by firing into the crowd, killing one worker and

> injuring many others.

> Although it was never determined who threw the bomb, the incident was used

> as an excuse to attack the entire Left and labor movement. Police ransacked

> the homes and offices of suspected radicals, and hundreds were arrested

> without charge. Anarchists in particular were harassed, and eight of

> Chicago's most active were charged with conspiracy to murder in connection

> with the Haymarket bombing. A kangaroo court found all eight guilty, despite

> a lack of evidence connecting any of them to the bomb-thrower (only one was

> even present at the meeting, and he was on the speakers' platform), and they

> were sentenced to die. Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolf Fischer, and

> George Engel were hanged on November 11, 1887. Louis Lingg committed suicide

> in prison, The remaining three were finally pardoned in 1893.

> It is not surprising that the state, business leaders, mainstream union

> officials, and the media would want to hide the true history of May Day,

> portraying it as a holiday celebrated only in Moscow's Red Square. In its

> attempt to erase the history and significance of May Day, the United States

> government declared May 1st to be "Law Day", and gave us instead Labor Day -

> a holiday devoid of any historical significance other than its importance as

> a day to swill beer and sit in traffic jams.

> Nevertheless, rather than suppressing labor and radical movements, the

> events of 1886 and the execution of the Chicago anarchists actually

> mobilized many generations of radicals. Emma Goldman, a young immigrant at

> the time, later pointed to the Haymarket affair as her political birth. Lucy

> Parsons, widow of Albert Parsons, called upon the poor to direct their anger

> toward those responsible - the rich. Instead of disappearing, the anarchist

> movement only grew in the wake of Haymarket, spawning other radical

> movements and organizations, including the Industrial Workers of the World.

> By covering up the history of May Day, the state, business, mainstream

> unions and the media have covered up an entire legacy of dissent in this

> country. They are terrified of what a similarly militant and organized

> movement could accomplish today, and they suppress the seeds of such

> organization whenever and wherever they can. As workers, we must recognize

> and commemorate May Day not only for it's historical significance, but also

> as a time to organize around issues of vital importance to working-class

> people today.

> As IWW songwriter Joe Hill wrote in one of his most powerful songs:

> Workers of the world, awaken!

> Rise in all your splendid might

> Take the wealth that you are making,

> It belongs to you by right.

> No one will for bread be crying

> We'll have freedom, love and health,

> When the grand red flag is flying

> In the Workers' Commonwealth.

> This article written and distributed by: [email protected]

February 6, 2002

If a person cannot have respect for the life of a living creature, what are they capable of respecting? It is sad but it is our culture, we have respect for only that which brings us economic value. To change we must find a new foundation for our society and the likihood of that happening by shear american choice is slim. When life is valued in how much you accululate by its end, there is little room for compassionate bonding with things around us that bring us true richness.

I have a sincere lack of faith in humanity and I experience it daily. From "professors" to presidents and all the little drones inbetween. What really throws me into pondering why at all I still participate in this purgatory of a system is this idea of institutional learning. 1st, what is it we "learn". We learn how to function effectively into a sector within this ethically flawed economy. We are not trained to think for ourselves, to question authority, question the ethics of our system; we are not classically educated to ponder moral issues; instead we are trained to function as drones, in an area of our choice, with the promise of reward being a 'good' job that will afford you the 'finer' things ( things being everything material)in life. Does this system work? How about the divorce rates in America, alcoholism, stress, mental health...are these the promised finer things or the consequences of attaining them?

Presidents? leaders? No! I have become completely aware what the presidency really is from this administration.The sector of the economy that has to most to lose from the other party winning will 'contribute' what ever is needed to get 'their' guy in. This is evident and obvisous with dick n' bush (sorry for the crude humor, but it was there), Enron, at the time of the elections, had to the most to lose with stricter environmental laws regarding emissions, production, exploration and of course fuel effiency standards. Therefore, they, more than we may ever know, contributed millions to Bush, and as just announced thru the hearings, (enron)recommended to Bush 12 cabinet appointees, 2 of which were choosen. So, with that in mind, guess who is writting energy policy in Washington? ENRON. Faith in your leaders? Your leaders are corporate puppets.

Anyway, I am serisously evaluating the true value of what I am "learning" here. I must suppress any orginal thought and vison, rub elbows with a smile to all those unethical, say 'yes sir' and not mean it and meet ambiguous deadlines of whose relavance is only symbolic to the immoral system in which I have no confidence in.

Ironically, there is so much these 'professors' need to learn, I have a very difficult time respecting them and there requirements.

We absolutley live in a dark age, this one is a dark age of community ethics.

( community = man and his fellow creatures).

December 13th, 2001

Today I just read that the United Nations is recieving the Nobel Piece Prize with K. Ananan accepting. This a joke. The United Nations peace keeping force is a temporary solution to permanent problem. On the surface their mission seems admirable, resolving armed conflicts between fighting factions. But, who are we kidding, places like Kosovo, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Uganda and Timor have had rivil factions fighting for gernerations. Serbia has been the flashpoint for several wars. A few international mediators will stiffle the hostilities now for fear of retaliation from the UN, but as soon as it becomes unpopular or unaffordable and the UN leaves, hostilities will resume.

I have never held the UN is high regard, especially K. Ananan after the debacle in Rwanda in the mid-1990's and more recently in East Timor. The UN is impotent. Mr. Ananan waits until fighting begins, hundreds of civilians slaughtered then decides action may be needed. Once that is decided, it takes weeks for a coalition to form and troops to be deployed. By that time thousands more are dead.

Also, how about his glorified effort in Iraq? Once Iraq stopped letting weapons inspectors access to its installations, the US warned of action. However, K. Ananan stepped in, talked to Saddam to the result......we abandon the weapons inspections. Now, 5 people are dead from Anthrax and the postal service is spending billions to ensure the mail is safe. Of course the Anthrax came from Iraq. The terrorists met with Iraqi officals months before the attacks and they are they have been producing that stuff for decades.

One particular event really exemplifies the impotency of K. Ananan. During the Rwanda uprising there were several hundred Dutch peace keepers in the country. 6 were captured by a fighting faction, tortured and killed. Instead of sending more troops in the quell the fighting, as they claim to do, they decided to pull out all remaining troops. The troops were stationed in a compound were several hundred civilians went to escape certain death from roaming death squads of the opposing faction. Knowing that the civilians were there, K. Ananan decided to pull out the troops, the only thing standing in the way of the death squads. Just hours after the soldiers departure all of the civilians were rounded up at the compound and executed, including women and children. So, with these facts in mind, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to K. Ananan.

June 21st 2001

Today I had two friends mention a book, actually they recommended it. It is titled something like "how to win people and make new friends". On the back of the book it describes how this book will teach you to get people to do what you want them to, become popular, be the social life of the party, and worst of all how to THINK NEW THOUGHTS! The book actually says it will teach you how to think new thoughts. How pathetic and low can we as a culture sink to when we have to be taught as adults how to think? This is the consequence of the media age, or information age. With the inception of Radio, TV and now, even the internet we from birth are deluged every minute of every day with an advertisement telling us what we will be popular drinking, look attractive wearing, and be thinner eating. No wonder people feel so lost, we are constantly being told what will make us popular, sexy and smart, but of course these promises are empty, and keep us chasing them for ever, as fads are always changing. Somewhere in this mess the true values that make people interesting and attractive are lost, as a person from childhood is made to believe that profit driven items and attitudes are what will really will make them socially successful and attractive. Traditionally, individualism was the key to a defining a persons social value. Today however people are being programmed into an army of drones driven by the promise of marketers who will sell them everything they need to be. Those who do not conform to the mainstream madness are socially excommunicated, to which they form their own clicks with their underlying principles of unconformity.

The media is universally liberal. Reports are covertly biased towards that stations moral convictions. It is not possible to get whole unbiased news as it must first pass through a reporter, who perhaps inadvertently enough presents it with his/her twist or opinion. Their bias may be hard to decern as it may lie in just the way sentences are phrased to more positively or negatively portray a situation. People have no incentive or ambition to form their own opinions on what they see and more rarely read, as it is presented in pre formatted fashion so people will merely regurgitate what they see and hear and therefore continue the political agenda of that station or media network.

What incentive is there anymore for people to think new thoughts in this era? The only profound decisions that need to be made today are white or wheat, diet or regular. In our ultra pampered lifestyle every thing is just a drive, call or click away, very little thought needs to given as to where our next meal is coming from or even through the modern miracle of convenience, how are we going to get it.

Children especially in this society have absolutely no need to think, the TV tells them everything they need to know. MTV shows what they need to wear to school to be trendy, what new slang is expressed to use to anger parents and make them seem cool to peers or even what kind of movie they need to interested in, as all advertisement on MTV is geared to that $$ demographic and believe me they know how to portray what kids will want to buy.

How many kids do you ever see reading a book for pleasure? How many after school stickball pickup games to you even see any more? These very important and traditionally valued experiences are rapidly being replaced by less intellectual and physical activities inside, such as the internet and TV.

It is no wonder why a book that teaches us how to think again and shows us the essentials of being socially attractive again is a best seller.

June 19th 2001

No matter how many horrors I encounter on a daily basis, I can always lie my head back, close my eyes and feel some sense of comfort that I can escape this madness that is modernity in.....Ireland.

Picture it : your stuck in traffic, you look to your right and you see a car full of middle class suburban white kids dressed like inner city blacks listening to ghetto-millionaire "thugs" rapping about how angry they are about being underprivileged!? Even though I fully realize that the institutions that allow them the opportunity to spread their "art" and provides them with the extraordinary wealth, is the same institution they preach so violently against. Who buys most of their records? Middle to upper-class whites, the very demographic they violently scrutinize in their lyrics. OK, now look to your left, you see a 40 something mother of two driving a profoundly large SUV. The rational? Spend 35,000-50,000+ grand on a vehicle which gets 8-17 miles per gallon so you can have the biggest, most impressive vehicle in the lot at your daughters soccer practice. Status. Never mind oil and gas prices are going up because demand is increasing (because of less fuel efficient vehicles and climate change). Never mind that these things are incredibly fuel inefficient, made for serious off road experiences and have high maintenance costs. Now you look ahead and spot a McDonalds restaurant. Upon inspection you notice the large goofy statue of Ronald McDonald waving to grasp your children's attention so you have no choice but to stop and feed you and your family the convenience food that is the very reason heart disease is the #1 killer in this country. Looking at the statue you begin to compare this large figurine to those of sculptures 1,500 years ago. You think of the fine craftsmanship and strict attention to detail and above all the lavish way that the human form was portrayed, beautiful, lean, muscular with a look of conviction, then you again see the modern masterpiece with the big clown like shoes, obnoxious dress and painted face. You would think after 1,500 years art would progress, not digress.

Realizing now that humanity over the last 100 or so years has been technologically advancing, logically we are in a severe state of decline.

SO,

as I sit here I pretend to be somewhere, where the land is unspoiled, trees are still indigenous, the air carries hints of seasonality and people are still simple and wise. That place was Ireland. Ireland for most of its existence has been known for its economic deficit and rich agricultural traditions. Green, rolling hills with the view not spoiled by a tourist hotel or urban sprawl. However, much to my disappointment, Ireland is now the economic hub of Europe. Now home to giants like Microsoft, Intel, BMW and other monsters. The once culturally mysterious folks of Ireland are no longer simple and wise, but hi-tech and hungry for the superficially for filling trappings that wealth in modern society offers. Flashy cars, large homes that are architecturally void of character, 101 choices of fad coffees and etc., etc. etc. It pains me to see such a homogeneous race of people once filled with pride built from years of hardship, a culture steeped deep in history, religion and tradition now rapidly transforming itself into a generation of spiritually empty yuppies.

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	The American Alternative \| home recent disappointments \| Environment \| religion \| Fuel \| Pop Culture \| Editorials \| Ignorance-American Style \| "Axis of Evil?" recent disappointments AKA ....MY RANTS May 2, 2002 I find it forever interesting how the system, our government today and historically is afraid of the power of massive alternative thinking. The mainstream wealth monopoly is this country will perpetually seek to keep the masses quite, entertained, content...ignorant to the true value of their system. May Day is an example of our governments weakness and its strength. The weakness - what is possible when the masses realize the truth. The strength - the governments ability to destroy and cover up Here is the story of May Day: > May 1st, International Workers' Day, commemorates the historic struggle of > working people throughout the world, and is recognized in every country > except the United States, Canada, and South Africa. This despite the fact > that the holiday began in the 1880s in the United States, with the fight for > an eight-hour work day. > > In 1884, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions passed a > resolution stating that eight hours would constitute a legal day's work from > and after May 1, 1886. The resolution called for a general strike to achieve > the goal, since legislative methods had already failed. With workers being > forced to work ten, twelve, and fourteen hours a day, rank-and-file support > for the eight-hour movement grew rapidly, despite the indifference and > hostility of many union leaders. By April 1886, 250,000 workers were > involved in the May Day movement. > > The heart of the movement was in Chicago, organized primarily by the > anarchist International Working People's Association. Businesses and the > state were terrified by the increasingly revolutionary character of the > movement and prepared accordingly. The police and militia were increased in > size and received new and powerful weapons financed by local business > leaders. Chicago's Commercial Club purchased a $2000 machine gun for the > Illinois National Guard to be used against strikers. Nevertheless, by May > 1st, the movement had already won gains for many Chicago clothing cutters, > shoemakers, and packing-house workers. But on May 3, 1886, police fired into > a crowd of strikers at the McCormick Reaper Works Factory, killing four and > wounding many. Anarchists called for a mass meeting the next day in > Haymarket Square to protest the brutality. > > The meeting proceeded without incident, and by the time the last speaker was > on the platform, the rainy gathering was already breaking up, with only a > few hundred people remaining. It was then that 180 cops marched into the > square and ordered the meeting to disperse. As the speakers climbed down > from the platform, a bomb was thrown at the police, killing one and injuring > seventy. Police responded by firing into the crowd, killing one worker and > injuring many others. > > Although it was never determined who threw the bomb, the incident was used > as an excuse to attack the entire Left and labor movement. Police ransacked > the homes and offices of suspected radicals, and hundreds were arrested > without charge. Anarchists in particular were harassed, and eight of > Chicago's most active were charged with conspiracy to murder in connection > with the Haymarket bombing. A kangaroo court found all eight guilty, despite > a lack of evidence connecting any of them to the bomb-thrower (only one was > even present at the meeting, and he was on the speakers' platform), and they > were sentenced to die. Albert Parsons, August Spies, Adolf Fischer, and > George Engel were hanged on November 11, 1887. Louis Lingg committed suicide > in prison, The remaining three were finally pardoned in 1893. > > It is not surprising that the state, business leaders, mainstream union > officials, and the media would want to hide the true history of May Day, > portraying it as a holiday celebrated only in Moscow's Red Square. In its > attempt to erase the history and significance of May Day, the United States > government declared May 1st to be "Law Day", and gave us instead Labor Day - > a holiday devoid of any historical significance other than its importance as > a day to swill beer and sit in traffic jams. > > Nevertheless, rather than suppressing labor and radical movements, the > events of 1886 and the execution of the Chicago anarchists actually > mobilized many generations of radicals. Emma Goldman, a young immigrant at > the time, later pointed to the Haymarket affair as her political birth. Lucy > Parsons, widow of Albert Parsons, called upon the poor to direct their anger > toward those responsible - the rich. Instead of disappearing, the anarchist > movement only grew in the wake of Haymarket, spawning other radical > movements and organizations, including the Industrial Workers of the World. > > By covering up the history of May Day, the state, business, mainstream > unions and the media have covered up an entire legacy of dissent in this > country. They are terrified of what a similarly militant and organized > movement could accomplish today, and they suppress the seeds of such > organization whenever and wherever they can. As workers, we must recognize > and commemorate May Day not only for it's historical significance, but also > as a time to organize around issues of vital importance to working-class > people today. > > As IWW songwriter Joe Hill wrote in one of his most powerful songs: > > > Workers of the world, awaken! > Rise in all your splendid might > Take the wealth that you are making, > It belongs to you by right. > No one will for bread be crying > We'll have freedom, love and health, > When the grand red flag is flying > In the Workers' Commonwealth. > > > This article written and distributed by: [email protected] February 6, 2002 If a person cannot have respect for the life of a living creature, what are they capable of respecting? It is sad but it is our culture, we have respect for only that which brings us economic value. To change we must find a new foundation for our society and the likihood of that happening by shear american choice is slim. When life is valued in how much you accululate by its end, there is little room for compassionate bonding with things around us that bring us true richness. I have a sincere lack of faith in humanity and I experience it daily. From "professors" to presidents and all the little drones inbetween. What really throws me into pondering why at all I still participate in this purgatory of a system is this idea of institutional learning. 1st, what is it we "learn". We learn how to function effectively into a sector within this ethically flawed economy. We are not trained to think for ourselves, to question authority, question the ethics of our system; we are not classically educated to ponder moral issues; instead we are trained to function as drones, in an area of our choice, with the promise of reward being a 'good' job that will afford you the 'finer' things ( things being everything material)in life. Does this system work? How about the divorce rates in America, alcoholism, stress, mental health...are these the promised finer things or the consequences of attaining them? Presidents? leaders? No! I have become completely aware what the presidency really is from this administration.The sector of the economy that has to most to lose from the other party winning will 'contribute' what ever is needed to get 'their' guy in. This is evident and obvisous with dick n' bush (sorry for the crude humor, but it was there), Enron, at the time of the elections, had to the most to lose with stricter environmental laws regarding emissions, production, exploration and of course fuel effiency standards. Therefore, they, more than we may ever know, contributed millions to Bush, and as just announced thru the hearings, (enron)recommended to Bush 12 cabinet appointees, 2 of which were choosen. So, with that in mind, guess who is writting energy policy in Washington? ENRON. Faith in your leaders? Your leaders are corporate puppets. Anyway, I am serisously evaluating the true value of what I am "learning" here. I must suppress any orginal thought and vison, rub elbows with a smile to all those unethical, say 'yes sir' and not mean it and meet ambiguous deadlines of whose relavance is only symbolic to the immoral system in which I have no confidence in. Ironically, there is so much these 'professors' need to learn, I have a very difficult time respecting them and there requirements. We absolutley live in a dark age, this one is a dark age of community ethics. ( community = man and his fellow creatures). December 13th, 2001 Today I just read that the United Nations is recieving the Nobel Piece Prize with K. Ananan accepting. This a joke. The United Nations peace keeping force is a temporary solution to permanent problem. On the surface their mission seems admirable, resolving armed conflicts between fighting factions. But, who are we kidding, places like Kosovo, Rwanda, Sri-Lanka, Uganda and Timor have had rivil factions fighting for gernerations. Serbia has been the flashpoint for several wars. A few international mediators will stiffle the hostilities now for fear of retaliation from the UN, but as soon as it becomes unpopular or unaffordable and the UN leaves, hostilities will resume. I have never held the UN is high regard, especially K. Ananan after the debacle in Rwanda in the mid-1990's and more recently in East Timor. The UN is impotent. Mr. Ananan waits until fighting begins, hundreds of civilians slaughtered then decides action may be needed. Once that is decided, it takes weeks for a coalition to form and troops to be deployed. By that time thousands more are dead. Also, how about his glorified effort in Iraq? Once Iraq stopped letting weapons inspectors access to its installations, the US warned of action. However, K. Ananan stepped in, talked to Saddam to the result......we abandon the weapons inspections. Now, 5 people are dead from Anthrax and the postal service is spending billions to ensure the mail is safe. Of course the Anthrax came from Iraq. The terrorists met with Iraqi officals months before the attacks and they are they have been producing that stuff for decades. One particular event really exemplifies the impotency of K. Ananan. During the Rwanda uprising there were several hundred Dutch peace keepers in the country. 6 were captured by a fighting faction, tortured and killed. Instead of sending more troops in the quell the fighting, as they claim to do, they decided to pull out all remaining troops. The troops were stationed in a compound were several hundred civilians went to escape certain death from roaming death squads of the opposing faction. Knowing that the civilians were there, K. Ananan decided to pull out the troops, the only thing standing in the way of the death squads. Just hours after the soldiers departure all of the civilians were rounded up at the compound and executed, including women and children. So, with these facts in mind, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to K. Ananan. June 21st 2001 Today I had two friends mention a book, actually they recommended it. It is titled something like "how to win people and make new friends". On the back of the book it describes how this book will teach you to get people to do what you want them to, become popular, be the social life of the party, and worst of all how to THINK NEW THOUGHTS! The book actually says it will teach you how to think new thoughts. How pathetic and low can we as a culture sink to when we have to be taught as adults how to think? This is the consequence of the media age, or information age. With the inception of Radio, TV and now, even the internet we from birth are deluged every minute of every day with an advertisement telling us what we will be popular drinking, look attractive wearing, and be thinner eating. No wonder people feel so lost, we are constantly being told what will make us popular, sexy and smart, but of course these promises are empty, and keep us chasing them for ever, as fads are always changing. Somewhere in this mess the true values that make people interesting and attractive are lost, as a person from childhood is made to believe that profit driven items and attitudes are what will really will make them socially successful and attractive. Traditionally, individualism was the key to a defining a persons social value. Today however people are being programmed into an army of drones driven by the promise of marketers who will sell them everything they need to be. Those who do not conform to the mainstream madness are socially excommunicated, to which they form their own clicks with their underlying principles of unconformity. The media is universally liberal. Reports are covertly biased towards that stations moral convictions. It is not possible to get whole unbiased news as it must first pass through a reporter, who perhaps inadvertently enough presents it with his/her twist or opinion. Their bias may be hard to decern as it may lie in just the way sentences are phrased to more positively or negatively portray a situation. People have no incentive or ambition to form their own opinions on what they see and more rarely read, as it is presented in pre formatted fashion so people will merely regurgitate what they see and hear and therefore continue the political agenda of that station or media network. What incentive is there anymore for people to think new thoughts in this era? The only profound decisions that need to be made today are white or wheat, diet or regular. In our ultra pampered lifestyle every thing is just a drive, call or click away, very little thought needs to given as to where our next meal is coming from or even through the modern miracle of convenience, how are we going to get it. Children especially in this society have absolutely no need to think, the TV tells them everything they need to know. MTV shows what they need to wear to school to be trendy, what new slang is expressed to use to anger parents and make them seem cool to peers or even what kind of movie they need to interested in, as all advertisement on MTV is geared to that $$ demographic and believe me they know how to portray what kids will want to buy. How many kids do you ever see reading a book for pleasure? How many after school stickball pickup games to you even see any more? These very important and traditionally valued experiences are rapidly being replaced by less intellectual and physical activities inside, such as the internet and TV. It is no wonder why a book that teaches us how to think again and shows us the essentials of being socially attractive again is a best seller. June 19th 2001 No matter how many horrors I encounter on a daily basis, I can always lie my head back, close my eyes and feel some sense of comfort that I can escape this madness that is modernity in.....Ireland. Picture it : your stuck in traffic, you look to your right and you see a car full of middle class suburban white kids dressed like inner city blacks listening to ghetto-millionaire "thugs" rapping about how angry they are about being underprivileged!? Even though I fully realize that the institutions that allow them the opportunity to spread their "art" and provides them with the extraordinary wealth, is the same institution they preach so violently against. Who buys most of their records? Middle to upper-class whites, the very demographic they violently scrutinize in their lyrics. OK, now look to your left, you see a 40 something mother of two driving a profoundly large SUV. The rational? Spend 35,000-50,000+ grand on a vehicle which gets 8-17 miles per gallon so you can have the biggest, most impressive vehicle in the lot at your daughters soccer practice. Status. Never mind oil and gas prices are going up because demand is increasing (because of less fuel efficient vehicles and climate change). Never mind that these things are incredibly fuel inefficient, made for serious off road experiences and have high maintenance costs. Now you look ahead and spot a McDonalds restaurant. Upon inspection you notice the large goofy statue of Ronald McDonald waving to grasp your children's attention so you have no choice but to stop and feed you and your family the convenience food that is the very reason heart disease is the #1 killer in this country. Looking at the statue you begin to compare this large figurine to those of sculptures 1,500 years ago. You think of the fine craftsmanship and strict attention to detail and above all the lavish way that the human form was portrayed, beautiful, lean, muscular with a look of conviction, then you again see the modern masterpiece with the big clown like shoes, obnoxious dress and painted face. You would think after 1,500 years art would progress, not digress. Realizing now that humanity over the last 100 or so years has been technologically advancing, logically we are in a severe state of decline. SO, as I sit here I pretend to be somewhere, where the land is unspoiled, trees are still indigenous, the air carries hints of seasonality and people are still simple and wise. That place was Ireland. Ireland for most of its existence has been known for its economic deficit and rich agricultural traditions. Green, rolling hills with the view not spoiled by a tourist hotel or urban sprawl. However, much to my disappointment, Ireland is now the economic hub of Europe. Now home to giants like Microsoft, Intel, BMW and other monsters. The once culturally mysterious folks of Ireland are no longer simple and wise, but hi-tech and hungry for the superficially for filling trappings that wealth in modern society offers. Flashy cars, large homes that are architecturally void of character, 101 choices of fad coffees and etc., etc. etc. It pains me to see such a homogeneous race of people once filled with pride built from years of hardship, a culture steeped deep in history, religion and tradition now rapidly transforming itself into a generation of spiritually empty yuppies. back