If u don't know your history... you'll be doomed to repeat it

America has this really bad habit of freaking the public out...
to the point of senseless murder...
a controlled mass hysteria...
whether by our government or fellow citizens, it's a scary thing...

watch your back! u never know if you'll be tagged a witch, a freedom fighter, a commie or a terrorist

here's some info on one way history seems to continually repeat itself... all of the info is from wikipedia... i've underlined the reoccurring themes


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Salem Witch Trails
February 1692 to May 1693

The Salem witch trials were a series of hearings before local magistrates followed by county court of trials to prosecute people accused of witchcraft in Essex, Suffolk and Middlesex counties of colonial Massachusetts, between February 1692 and May 1693. The episode has been used in political rhetoric and popular literature as a vivid cautionary tale about the dangers of religious extremism, false accusations, lapses in due process, and governmental intrusion on individual liberties. In Salem Town, over 150 people were arrested and imprisoned, with even more accused but not formally pursued by the authorities. At least five more of the accused died in prison... The courts convicted 29 people of the capital felony of witchcraft. 19 of the accused, 14 women and 5 men, were hanged. One man (Giles Corey) who refused to enter a plea was crushed to death under heavy stones in an attempt to force him to do so.

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Lynching
Nearly 5,000 Blacks were lynched
in the United States between 1860 and 1890

Lynching, as a form of punishment for presumed criminal offenses, performed by self-appointed commissions, mobs, or vigilantes without due process of law took place in the United States before the American Civil War and afterwards, from southern states to western frontier settlements. The term "Lynch's Law" (and subsequently "lynch law" and "lynching") apparently originated during the American Revolution when Charles Lynch, a Virgina justice of the peace, ordered extralegal punishment for Tory acts. In the South, members of the abolitionist movement or other people opposing slavery were usually targets of lynch mob violence before the Civil War. During the war, Southern Home Guard units sometimes lynched white Southerners whom they suspected of being Unionist or deserters; one example of this was the hanging of Methodist minister Bill Sketoe in the south Alabama town of Newton in December 1864.

After the war, southern whites struggled to maintain social dominance. Secret vigilante and insurgent groups such as the KKK instigated extrajudicial assaults and killings to keep power and to discourage freedmen from voting, working and becoming educated. Mobs usually had alleged crimes for which they lynched blacks. In the late 19th century, however, journalist Ida B. Wells showed that many presumed crimes were exaggerated or did not occur.

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McCarthyism
roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s

McCarthyism is the politically motivated practice of making accusations of disloyalty, subversion, or treason without proper regard for evidence. The term specifically describes activities associated with the period in the United States known as the Second Red Scare, lasting roughly from the late 1940s to the late 1950s and characterized by heightened fears of communisy influence on American institutions and espionage by Soviet agents. Originally coined to criticize the anti-communist pursuits of U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy, "McCarthyism" soon took on a broader meaning, describing the excesses of similar efforts. The term is also now use more gernerally to describe reckless, unsubstantiated accusations, as well as demagogic attacks on the character or patriotism of political adversaries.

During the post-World War II era of McCarthyism, many thousands of Americans were accused of being Communists or communist sympathizers and became the subject of aggressive investigations and questioning before government or private-industry panels, committees and agencies. The primary targets of such suspicions were government employees, those in the entertainment industry, educators and union activists. Suspicions were often given credence despite inconclusive or questionable evidence, and the level of threat posed by a person's real or supposed leftist associations or beliefs was often greatly exaggerated. Many people suffered loss of employment, destruction of their careers, and even imprisonment. Most of these punishments came about through trial verdicts later overturned, laws that would be declared unconstitutional, dismissals for reasons later declared illegal or actionable, or extra-legal procedures that would come into general disrepute.

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Terrorism
right now... duh

***** so my thoughts on terrorism is that its the same thing as McCarthyism... i dunno know if anyone else is saying it, so i will... these days anyone can be tagged a terrorist. and if i'm not mistaken, according to the patriot act, we loose our rights and privacy once the government decides we can't be trusted anymore... meaning being arrested without being charged with anything, no rights to a lawyer, phone and home taps without your knowledge... and god forbid u "look" like a terrorist, because then you're subject to being profiled by anyone off of the street

don't think it effects u? actually the government has a "list" and once you're on it you're screwed... a couple people included on this list include authors exercising their second ammendment rights, soldiers who have dedicated their lives to fighting for this country but maybe disagree with something the military has asked them to do, and i'm pretty sure there is a completely innocent 8 yr old on that list who's been on it since he was 2... trust me... it effects u

wiki's definition of terrorism:
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion. At present, there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism. Common definitions of terrorism refer only to those violent acts which are intended to create fear (terror), are perpetrated for an ideological goal (as opposed to a lone attack), and deliberately target or disregard the safety of non-combatants (civilians).

Some definitons also include acts of unlawful violence and war. The history of terrorist organizations suggest that they do not select terrorism for its political effectiveness. Individual terrorist tend to be motivated more by a desire for social solidarity with other members of their organization than by political platforms or strategic objectives, which are often murky and undefined.

Terrorism has been practiced by a broad array of political organizations for furhtering their objectives. It has been practiced by both right-wing and left-wing political parties. One form is the use of violence against noncombatants for the purpose of gaining publicity for a group, cause, or individual groups, religious groups, revolutionaries and ruling governements.

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ALBERT PINE QUOTE:

"What we do for ourselves dies with us.

What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal."

miracles... truth or myth

people who are close to me know that i've been dealing with some pretty serious legal issues for the last two years. i don't know what happened but the best possible outcome has come out of this ordeal. i don't wanna get too much into the details, but the only outcome that could've been better would've been to get the whole case dismissed.

i'm a true blue deist, and until yesterday, i haven't been able to believe in any miracles... i think because everything that happens can be explained away... and also because i don't believe that god micromanages our lives... and even tho i still think he's created the universe, our brains (that we only use 20% of), and our free will for the purpose of us using those things, im beginning to believe that maybe in extreme circumstances he does take a moment to make something miraculous happen...

i should be in prison... but i'm not...

i have a purpose on these streets... i realize that now... hopefully i can live up to that

DEISM

when it comes to religion there's a really unfortunate thing that happens... people only see each end of the spectrum without realizing that the truth of our relationship with a higher power lies in between the two.

there are the people who believe strongly that there is a higher power AND religion... but then the people who don't believe the same decide to write off both religion and a higher power when it doesn't have to be that way at all.

in walks Deism... to some, like thomas paine, deism is still considered a religion... its actually the belief in a higher power and no belief in organized religion...

instead of me going on and on about what this theology is, i'll just refer u to wikipedia... there's really good info there. Here's a portion of it:

"Deism is a religious and philosophical belief that a supreme being created the universe, and that this (and religious truth in general) can be determined using reason and observation of the natural world alone, without a need for either faith or organized religion. Deists tend to, but do not necessarily, reject the notion of divine interventions in human affairs, such as by miracles and revelations. These views contrast with a dependence on revelations, miracles, and faith found in many Jewish, Christian, Islamic and other theistic teachings.

Deists typically reject most supernatural events (prophecy, miracles) and tend to assert that God (or "The Supreme Architect") has a plan for the universe that is not altered either by God intervening in the affairs of human life or by suspending the natural laws of the universe. What organized religions see as divine revelation and holy books, most deists see as interpretations made by other humans, rather than as authoritative sources.

Deism became prominent in the 17th and 18th centuries during the Age of Enlightenment, especially in what is now the United Kingdom, France, United States and Ireland, mostly among those raised as Christians who found they could not believe in either a triune God, the divinity of Jesus, miracles, or the inerrancy of scriptures, but who did believe in one god."

the book Age of Reason by one of our founding fathers, thomas paine, is also a really great reference... he was the one to put a spotlight on deism in america back in the 1800s so i believe he has good incite into this religion... here's one of his quotes:

"the only religion that has not been invented... and that has in it every evidence of divine originality, is pure and simple deism. it must have been the first and will probably be the last that man believes..."

he says of christianity:

it's too "absurd for belief, too impossible to convince and too inconsistent to practice..."

anyway... hope this helps =)

NO H8

NO H8 open photoshoot event in NY! Spread the word! BE HEARD! http://lnk.ms/5Yd8q



and yes the picture that's bottom right is Cindy McCain... wife of Senator John McCain... he might be an old, narrow-minded fart... but at least his wife and daughter, Megan McCain, have a bit of sense.

another big supporter of the NOH8 campaign is Jackass', Steve-o... here are some campaign pics of Steve-o... for shits and giggles =) (and yes... in support of gay marriage, steve-o marries himself)

A WORD TO THE KIDS

u can grow up to be whatever u want to be... just don't be stupid

DOES YOUR JOB WANT U ALIVE OR DEAD?

corporate owned insurance... also referred to as "dead peasants insurance" (dpi) or "janitor insurance".


its been going on for 50+ years but has been recently popularized by michael moore's 2009 doc, Capitalism: A Love Story. for those of u who haven't seen his movie, there is a portion of it that basically discusses how blue chip corporations like wal-mart and winn dixie have been taking out life insurance policies on their terminally ill employees (cashiers... tellers... janitors) without the employee's or their family's knowledge... when said employee passes, then the company cashes in. making anywhere from a few thousand to a few million. in the doc, moore talks with families who feel jilted cause they're left with numerous hospital bills & debt, while the big wigs are collecting from their loved one's death.

well, i've learned over time to question everything...

i began researching dpi and discovered its roots... the technical term for the type of ins that corporations take out on employees is: corporate owned ins (COI). it was created so that in the event of a major executive passing, the company wouldn't suffer any losses. the ins pay off would allow the company to make up for any profit loss the executive would've normally made, and it pays for the company to find & train a replacement.

but it begs the question: why take out ins on low level, low wage employees? who's passing doesn't cost the company a dime!

i found a discussion on this topic @ http://bsalert.com/artsearch.php?fn=2&dt=1&as=2556...
on it, one of the dudes who works @ an ins company that represents winn dixie gets to talking. his response to this article was the first i had found of its kind. everything else i found supports what moore discloses in his doc. but this guy, lawrence jay kramer, says that what i've come to believe is only half true. (i included my two cents to that website because i just can't keep my mouth shut)... in a separate blog that he wrote (http://tinyurl.com/yld2sfc), he basically tells us what he claims to be the whole truth...

* he agrees that corps. take out ins on their employees...

* because the money spent on ins policies are tax-free, he says that that is the only reason these company's take out COI...

* his claim is that company's like winn dixie and wal-mart actually benefit more the longer their employees are alive because of the tax breaks... because they don't actually get to keep any of the money that is paid to them as the employee's beneficiary, in the event the employee passes away...

* he states that the money awarded to the corporations as beneficiaries has to go back to the ins company in the form of more premiums (so basically this means that the corporation is forced to use the money to take out MORE COI on other terminally ill employees).

i don't kno if what this guy is saying is true... he could be full of poo for all we know...

i do, however, realize that what he's saying can be confusing so let me break it down differently:

in my example i, roxy, will be the corporation... lets say i hire a massage therapist... the massage therapist will represent the employee of the corporation...

i hire a massage therapist who has cancer... i take out life insurance on him because i know i'll get a tax break for doing so... i'm basically getting a back rub and tax breaks at the same time... seems like quite the deal so far. i can understand why the corporations want their employees to stay alive, lol...

my massage therapist passes away... my tax break goes away too... boo hoo!

as my massage therapist's beneficiary, i get a pay out because of his passing... but oh no! i'm forced to give the money back to the insurance company for more premiums =(

what should i do? i got it! i'll hire another massage therapist! and a manicurist too! i use the money from my 1st massage therapist to pay for the premiums on my new therapist and manicurist... wow... still extremely win/win for me because i'm getting double the tax break @ the price of my first employee =)

i'll never have to pay for another COI again... as my employees die, the insurance company gives me money to take out more COIs... so i end up with lots of fun tax breaks...


eh... so anyway... that's what i've found in my research of "dead peasant insurance", (btw, in lawrence's blog he talks about where he thinks that term was coined)

i think it sucks... even when employees are fully aware that they're are allowing their jobs to do this... i think there is a moral line that is being crossed... but this is america, so what's new...


let me know what u think =)

HMMMM...

RELIGION IS THE STRONGEST PRISON I KNOW

please... thank you... may i... ma'am... sir... excuse me... smile... hand shake... politeness... courtesy...

lived my life w manners... always believed that we, as only human, are allowed to feel differently about different topics... that no matter how stupid your opinion might be, its your opinion and u are entitled to it. i'd keep my ideas to myself in an attempt to avoid conflict. i'd never in a million years express my black sheep ideals and conclusions on what's going on in this world we're subjected to... just keep my place and hopefully blend into the background at the same time

well, after years of exploring my individuality w multiple hair colors, piercing, tattoos, music and jobs that would make some blush, i've developed a new outlook on things... a sort of elitist attitude if u will... i began to feel like i had this inside peek at the real reality of our times and began to seriously disagree w the institutionalized beliefs we've been force fed our whole lives.

i began to form strong opinions on politics... relationships... social conformity... and most importantly to me, religion.

i grew up a christian... even went to south bay christian school in san diego as a kid. always believed that the bible was the true word of god. became a real religious freak in high school. i believed what the church told me about speaking in tongues and catching the holy ghost. i devoted everyday of my life to staying involved with people who i thought were of god. ignoring all the adultery and theft that went on. all of the backstabbing behavior. damn, i lost my best friend after starting church full time. but even with all of that i thought there was something there. it wasn't until i started realizing how much money the church was making off of my 10% of minimum wage... started seeing that people of the church had totally divient lives outside of those four walls... something was not adding up...

a couple sundays, out of curiousity, i visited a mosque... and while i'm sitting in the service it hit me like ike to tina... here i am... among people who will die or kill for there religion... and next sunday when i'm back at my christian church i will again be among people who are willing to die or kill for a completely different religion... just doesn't make sense that god would be so shallow as to say that there is only one way to believe and that everyone else is going to burn eternally in this proverbial Hell.

years of self discovery and research later, and i find myself here... on this planet with crazy strong convictions and not afraid of pissing anyone off... and willing to shout on a mountain top that organized religion is a ploy by the government to gain power and money and to instill a false sense of security (and fear) to those willing to fall prey.

through my years of questioning and never being satisfied w the rehearsed answers, i've landed here on this blog.

i believe in a higher power, however, i do not believe in organized religion... it's called Deism. it was here before man started creating all of this hocus pocus scripture nonsense and it'll be here when all the aforementioned is long gone... if u believe in a higher power i can assure u that u will not find his (or her) word in a bound book of man written stories... there is nothing that can make me believe that my higher power would be so stupid as to entrust his word w man... leave it vulnerable to misinterpretation and and subject to alteration.

one of our founding fathers, thomas paine, says in his book "The Age of Reason":

"my own mind is my own church... all national institutions of churches, whether jewish, christian or turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize money and power.

i do not mean by this declaration to condemn those who believe otherwise; they have the same right to their belief as i have to mine. but it is neccessary to the happiness of man that he be mentally faithful to himself. infidelity does not consist in believing, or disbelieving; it consists in professing to believe what he does not believe."

and i agree...

listen, i'm not gonna start arguments with people who believe differently than i do, but if asked i have no choice but to be painfully honest about how i feel. there are other things more important than organized religion. and i'm glad i've realized that before its too late.

PROPAGANDA

The one you feed

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked, "Which wolf wins?" The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

(artwork from neurosis 2009 european tour)