¥ Bumper sticker of the week: Armageddon
is not good foreign policy.
¥ Quote of the week: ÒAnd there is
distrust in Washington. I am surprised, frankly, at the amount of distrust that
exists in this town. And IÕm sorry itÕs the case, and IÕll work hard to try to
elevate it.Ó George W. Bush, Jan.
29,2007
¥ Six levels of stupidity:
1. Common stupidity: You can see these
people all around. Butchers, bankers, candlestick makers. Common stupidity is
as widespread as the common cold, and just as hard to get rid of.
2. Ignorant: This person is unable to
appreciate current, cultural and popular references.
3. Simple: This person does not like to
think too much. This includes analyzing and abstract theorizing.
4. Anecdotal: This person derives all
insight, bias, and perception from his or her past experience.
5. Dumber than a box of rocks: This would
be like a lawyer turned politician. Such people are mired in the vastness of
stupidity. And theyÕll stop at nothing to prove it. The funny thing is, they
think they are smarter than the rest of us. ThatÕs how dumb they are.
6. Moronic: This person behaves in a
stupid way that is almost completely irrational and impossible to chart. When
you meet this person, youÕll stop arguing against abortion. They number one out
of about every one-hundred. For some reason, they are usually in charge of
something. An example would be someone who shoots himself in the foot and
proceeds to bandage his nose.
¥ Current Peever boycotts:
¥ Wal-Mart:
I havenÕt been to the new store yet. IÕve made a vow not to go. So far, so
good. Bigger is not always better. In Wal-Marts case, bigger represents
bullying. Arrogance personified. Bigger is how they intend on putting everyone
else out of business. They are big-time anti-union and notorious for low pay
and lousy benefits.
¥ Salvation
Army: The worlds largest charity. I give them things, they sell them to the
poor. Nice work, if you can get it. IÕve never cared for a charity fashioned
after the military. Makes me nervous. Soldiers for Christ. An Army of
Christians scares me.
¥ Galesburg
City Council meetings: Too boring.
¥ McDonalds,
KFC, Burger King: Too many calories, too much fat, not enough nutrition.
These places are good for the corn industry, bad for the body. But people love
this crap, especially the overweight ones.
¥ ExxonMobil:
The number one benefactor of the Bush administrations Òlets help the oil
industry,Ó domestic and foreign policies. World record corporate profits. They
continue to refuse to invest in clean, renewable energy resources. They deny
global warming and continue to want to drill for oil in the Arctic Wildlife
Refuge. This is one of the major companies moving the world towards extinction.
¥ Starbucks:
(newly added) Reportedly radically anti-union and apparently they have reneged
on their fair-trade agreement with coffee growers. Newly arrived in town, IÕm
giving them their welcome. Shop for coffee locally. There are plenty of good,
hometown places.
¥ GREDA withdraws $186,000 request:
Apparently they didnÕt have enough votes to get it through. I hope the city
council is ready to hear some bull. IÕm going to send the council members some
bullshit protectors, cause itÕs about to start. If I were a council member, I
would pull out the recent full-page ad they ran in The Zephyr and ask how many
jobs all these ÒaccomplishmentsÓ add up to. Take the $186,000, put it in a CD
at 5 percent, and believe me, youÕll be money ahead.
¥ Alchemy of positive doubt: I have
always thought that being a conservative would be an awful way to lead oneÕs
life. Conservatives have always struck me as people who are not very excited
about the possibilities of life. They prefer things as they were. They are
hesitant to try new ideas, new pathways, new ways of looking at old problems.
They need everything written down in neatly displayed columns. No deviations.
They prefer that old time religion, smacking with sexism and homophobia. I have
never seen any conservative initiatives that would move things forward. They
all go backward, towards Òthe good old days.Ó I have personally never felt that
thinking conservatively would allow me to reach me greatest potential, which at
a minimum is casting positive doubt on anything done in the name of right-wing
ideology. Some alchemists try to change base metals into precious ones. I try
to change the status quo into chaos.