The Clones Return to Harvard Square

Current mood: I Hate Clones, GO AWAY!!!

Two days ago I walked from the Pit in Harvard Square to the Harvard Book Store three blocks away. Walking to the book store, I encountered the usual summer weirdos, the kind I love--drunken poets talking in rhyme, ex-military types stoned out of their minds, the street booksellers with the dog and cat fairly comfy in a rear bike tote, Asian girls looking for grungy Reggae musicians to spice up their lives, and then the usual assorted sundry of tourists, locals and students. But the weirdos were, thankfully, clearly present, and not outnumbered by the dullards.

It took maybe 15 minutes in the bookstore to find the book I wanted (a breezy summer mystery with a female protagonist, perfect for the beach). I paid for the book (only $4 from the used book section in the basement) and walked out the door. I headed back toward the Pit.

I suddenly felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Had I been abducted by extraterrestrials? Or was I experiencing some kind of Cambridge flashback? In the space of a short 15 minutes, it seemed that the CLONES had landed, en masse. As I forced one foot in front of the other, wave after nauseating wave of CLONE people streamed past me, where only a handful had been just minutes earlier. Denizens of the Village of the Damned, all blank stares and stiff movements, inhabiting the sidewalks, cafes and streets, overwhelming all the weirdo summer energy with empty repressed rage, bringing all life to absolute zero. WTF???

The Clones are the soulless occupiers of space, lacking personality or joy or sharp edges, having been smoothed to smithereens by a forced education, adherence to the party line, bland vacations to theme parks, too many video games, too much Fox News, too many nannies, too much CONTROL, no crazy spontaneity, no LOVE.

Suddenly the Square was overrun with these nightmarish figures. A very perceptive person I know once said, "The strange thing about Harvard Square area is that you can see that the people are physically there, but they SEEM completely absent." She was right on. And it is totally creepy. Makes you want to shake someone, "Hey YOU!!! Are you home in there? Where ARE YOU??? WAKE UP!!!"

But I'm pretty sure if I ever tried that, the clone would think I was nuts, on drugs, or worse. Clones don't understand beings outside their own limited sphere, and even WITHIN their sphere, they haven't a clue. But they don't care.

These clones are cold, cruel, rude, self-centered, dull, privileged, mostly very very wealthy, the children of the corporate elite. I have actually seen these clones step over an old man passed out on the sidewalk without bothering to check if he was dead or alive. I have seen these clones chastise a homeless person "Get a job, you lazy bum!" I have seen the mother of one of these clones, herself a senior clone, laugh at the Asian man who plays his special violin in the square, laugh because he is different, seems a bit strange, someone not totally cloned, and so, a total threat to her world view.

Go AWAY clones!!! You are messing up my life and our world, and I DON'T like it!!! Go live in the jungle for awhile, or get your heart broken in a sordid affair, or live with a dozen cats and hoard lightbulb boxes, give all your money to charity and sail around the world, go to Iraq and visit a family with a child missing limbs blown off by Dick Cheney and his friends in their search for MORE oil for the company YOU invest in, ANYTHING to get your REAL self BACK into your body. It's got to be there SOMEWHERE. Maybe then you will find your heart, and get off this insane greed and power treadmill you run on every day of your sad horrible life--the deadly treadmill that is turning you into a life-sucking vampire clone.

Yes I am that optimistic. Or foolish. I have hope, against all odds, and despite many tears shed, that even insanely wealthy vampire clones can come back to life. And heal. And begin to help HEAL this earth. Yep. I believe in magic.

Grief Circles Needed, then WAKE UP and Take ACTION

This might be rambling, but so what? That's how I get when I feel overwhelmed with grief.

Just about every day that I live on this earth, I feel I can't bear it another second, cannot bear the whole-scale slaughter of every beautiful precious magic-infused being in service to profit and power by the psychopathic criminals who have come to run corporations and governments that span the globe, but particularly in the U.S.

Now a study shows that whales the world over are filled with toxins. The lead researcher says the only future he can see for whales is extinction.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100624/ap_on_sc/whaling

It hurts my heart and soul to a depth I can't express. When the US invaded Iraq to steal their oil and establish military bases, I suggested to our peace group that we have weekly grief circles on the MIT campus. I thought really wailing out our anger and desperation and soul-searing pain might be a good first step. I was ridiculed. But maybe that is what we need, for real. Grief. And then ACTION.

Maybe grief circles for the prehistoric Pelicans who are being slaughtered by British Petroleum (a company with one of the worst safety records ever, and no oversight from the oil boys' hand-picked government reps, and WHERE are the criminal arrests?) would start the process.

Then grief circles for the bees, who are dying of a "mysterious" illness which just HAPPENS to coincide with widespread introduction of genetically modified crops and newer better pesticides specifically DESIGNED to kill insects? (colonies are, not surprisingly, testing with deadly high levels of pesticides)

Oh but Monsanto needs to make MORE money, dontcha know? Who cares if we lose 3/4 of our food supply as a result of bees dying out, not to mention the simple tragic loss of a most amazing insect?

How about grief circles for the poor people of Baghdad who could not escape the bombs launched at no risk to American invaders, and shown on TV like some really cool video game? The rich Iraqis had plenty of advanced warning, and left the country. Only the poor were left behind to deal with the "shock and awe" of dead and maimed babies and grandmothers, as the US and their power- and oil-mad "allies" (i.e. partners in crime) killed several birds with one stone. A HUGE defense industry DEMANDS invasions and invented enemies. Otherwise, who will buy the bombs? And Iraq has the "richest" oilfields on earth, but Saddam had become reticent about "sharing" these riches with the US and its allies. Oh, but this is all old news, right?

Not so for the poor people of Baghdad. Hard enough to deal with a child growing up missing a limb or too with decent health care. Just try it with NO health care and NO money. And don't forget, the US is STILL in Iraq. And Afghanistan.

And how about grief circles for the Florida panther, trying its very best to repopulate (with help from a few wonderful scientists) despite being wiped out sometime last century. And then mowed down by a car driven by someone speeding to his/her vacation in the sun, at some fake oceanside resort. Wonder how these folks are enjoying the oil soaked beaches? Oh right. Small price to pay to drive that car, which killed that panther, who lay there dying in an incomprehending daze. What predator had pulled him down? The predator of greed and stupidity. The predator with insatiable need, the predator who can never stop and ask, "What can I do to CHANGE this catastrophe?".

Here's a suggestion: STOP DRIVING YOUR CAR!!! You KNOW you can!!! Walk or take a bus or commuter rail or ride a bicycle. And if your community doesn't offer public transit, ORGANIZE to change that. At least, if you MUST drive, SLOW THE FUCK DOWN for wildlife!!!

Or if you are living in the burbs, too far removed for biking, consider downsizing intentionally and moving closer to the city, where it will be easier to bike, walk and take a bus.

What ELSE can you do? Stop buying CRAP that you don't need. Start looking for ways to truly connect and those toys will lose their meaning.

And start speaking up. Call and write your government reps. Take your money OUT of oil stocks. Vote! Organize! Boycott! Go live in a cabin in the woods. Do whatever it takes to change the path these killer criminals have put us on and save our precious planet.

Oh hell, maybe nothing will help. But if we all stand here in a catatonic daze and shrug our shoulders, it is CERTAIN nothing will change. WAKE THE HELL UP NOW PEOPLE!!!! Grieve, and then organize, and ACT TO CHANGE this insanity. You know you can. You know you can.

Maybe Time to Change Our Ways?

Let me be VERY clear: I am REALLY glad the rigged car did not blow up in Times Square. My daughter lives in the NYC area, and I LOVE NYC. It is full of the most amazing people from all over the world--artists and activists of all stripes, people with light in their eyes and something going on upstairs.

HOWEVER...let's also be clear. It would take a complete idiot not to comprehend anger at the US from places such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan, etc. etc. Hell, even many Canadians and Europeans hate the US!

Let's face it. All these millions of angry people are NOT just "mentally ill", or "jealous about the American system", or simply part of the "Old Europe", or uneducated or uncooperative or just plain difficult.

It doesn't take much imagination to comprehend, for example, that villagers in the hills of Pakistan/Afghanistan might be just a TAD pissed off about the many civilian deaths caused by US drones. The most conservative estimates show that TEN TIMES the number of civilians (women, children, old men, wedding parties, people eating breakfast) as actual intended "targets" (and most of the time these targets are turned in by neighboring villagers, who may simply be using the US to gain more tribal power) are killed in drone attacks.

It also doesn't take much intelligence to comprehend how citizens of Baghdad and Iraq might be a little annoyed at the US, after this country bombed the crap out of that city/country, killing and maiming many innocent civilians in the quest for oil and domination in the Middle East. Estimates give up to ONE MILLION civilians killed by the US.

Let's be honest, folks. The US just doesn't have a great record in the way it allegedly "spreads democracy" throughout the world. At this point, with globalization and all, it really is difficult to know who is pulling what strings, isn't it.

But let's ask the "bomb-huggers" (I LOVE this phrase, not sure who coined it), of EVERY nationality, to STOP IT NOW!!!

CO2, which is primarily a by-product of burning oil and coal, is destroying our atmosphere, and as a consequence, a planet.

Wars kill people, and so do invasions and drone searches for "insurgents"--and let's not forget that the US was FOUNDED by "insurgents".

Money that could be spent on health care and education and care for the poor and weak among us, and environmental protection and a million other fabulously HEALING projects is WASTED on bombs and invasions and search for more oil, when we should NOT be burning it AT ALL.

Come on BOYS!!! Enough is enough. Please, tomorrow morning, wake up and REALIZE there is another path. Try to imagine what it might be like if we all start cherishing life, and let go of hierarchies and power struggles and bullying and seek ways to connect and love and laugh together.

Honestly, it would be just amazing. And it is the only way we will survive as a species.

Rich Lawyers, Corporate Welfare, Chile and Other Huge Annoyances

A few exasperated observations:

So, consumer spending is up in the U.S., but exactly WHO is doing the spending? Last I heard, it is the wealthy top 10% of the population, enjoying a spending spree of cheaper luxury items, as this country continues its march to full 3rd World Status.

Chile "looters": Once again, hungry people who are being denied relief (this time, in Chile) are being called "looters" when they desperately search for a way to feed their families. Get it straight, corporate media! It's NOT looting when you are starving, and NO relief is getting to you, despite millions of dollars of contributions. It's called survival. "Looting" is what the rich CEOs and Wall Street thieves do when they rip off the taxpayers to make sure they get their regular million dollar bonuses.

Unemployment extensions: So, Senator Bunning was entirely to blame for holding up an extension of unemployment benefits? I don't think so. Don't get me wrong. Of course, he is another privileged prick who doesn't give a damn about the working class heroes who are now suffering. HOWEVER, a unanimous vote of agreement is NOT necessary to get legislation passed in Congress. Just takes a little planning--the kind achieved whenever the rich lawyers who run our country want to get another welfare hand-out to some rich corporate or banker dude, one of their buddies. And this kind of planning involves something like ten days previous knowledge. Well, senators have known for several MONTHS now that benefits would run out at the end of February if they didn't act. So what kind of game are they really playing?

[Update: Just heard the extension passed. I believe it is only for 30 days, and includes highway funding, DISH satellite clause, etc. Bunning and others blame the expense of any unemployment extension bill on the unemployed. But take a look at what's included in this bill. It's amazing, if only a typical piece of legislation, I'd say.
http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/politics/dcblog/2010/03/senate_takes_up_unemployment_b.html]

Lying Leaders: It would be NICE, if for ONCE, these rich lawyers would let us know what they are really doing. For example, when Bush and Cheney wanted to bomb Baghdad to smithereens in 2003, they might simply have said, "You know what, we just want the oil, and a nice big military base in Iraq. We don't give a damn about Saddam Hussein. And we're going to do it whether any of the American public agrees with this or not."

At least then the public would have a better idea of where the average Joe and Josephine stand. Which is nowhere. What we think really doesn't matter much. And if Congress doesn't amend the constitution pretty damn fast, to head off an even greater corporate infusion of money into elections (thanks to our "unbiased" Supreme Court), we will matter even less. If that's possible.

Exxon Mobil Gets Iraq Contract, Sam Says Americans Are Innocent

“I’m for anything it takes to keep innocent Americans safe,” said Sam, talking to me an hour ago.

“But most Americans are NOT innocent, Sam. Do you know how many truly innocent civilians have been killed in Iraq due to the American invasion and occupation? A million or more. For real.”

Sam was in the military himself, many years ago, so he doesn’t pay me any mind. He was also a guitarist in a heavy metal band, until he got shot in his left hand while arguing with a cocaine dealer.

Exxon Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell just inked an agreement with the Iraq oil ministry to develop one of the largest oil fields in Iraq. I mention this to Sam. His face goes blank.

“So the people who screamed at my ‘NO BLOOD FOR OIL’ signs were WRONG and my sign was RIGHT!!!! Follow the money, Sam. The whole POINT of that invasion was the oil. It was never about Saddam Hussein, other than the fact that he wasn’t willing to fork over his oil as quickly as Exxon and other World Corporate Leaders wanted.”

I don’t really know why I am talking to Sam about this. He’s a great mandolin player. Amazing, since the middle two knuckles of his left hand are held together by a metal pin. But, like so many Americans I’ve met, even most of the “liberals” seem to have been horribly brainwashed.

I told Sam I thought Osama Bin Laden was “selected” to be the invisible bad guy because his name is easy to pronounce. Sam insisted Bin Laden IS a truly bad guy and said, “Well if they put it in the paper, there’s got to be some truth to it.” Whaaatttt????? I seem to recall something about proof of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction being published in the NY Times a few years back.

But here’s the thing. How stupid can human beings be? WHEN are we the people going to get together and INSIST that we don’t WANT to burn oil or coal any more? When are we, en masse, going to voluntarily leave our cars at home, and use public transit, walk, ride bikes, in order to REALLY put less CO2 into the atmosphere? When are we going to insist on government representatives who truly understand that we are on a path of extinction, and that the whole model of GREED and unrestrained development must go the way of the Dodo?

The people in charge of the wholescale destruction of our planet, our home, our nest (and US), are criminals and should be charged and imprisoned as such. The rest of us have a huge mess to clean up. Fast.

My Therapist Hates Me

So out of desperation, I actually PAY someone to listen to me, and she is SUPPOSED to at least pretend to like me and to want to help. But yesterday when I went in for my weekly session, I swear she sneered at me! Well yes, I was being very snarky with her, disagreeing energetically with her stance on psychotropic drugs. She said, "Well, the research says therapy combined with prescription drugs works best." I asked (and yes, I was angry), "And WHO conducted this so-called research? The DRUG companies?" She said she didn't know. I said, "Follow the money, that will tell you everything you need to know." And then she sneered.

I pointed out that the U.S. flooded Iraq with Prozac almost immediately after invading that country. I said to her, "If that doesn't tell you a WHOLE LOT about the purpose of this drug, I don't know what will."

On another tangent (or was it?), I told her I am bloody sick and tired of being afraid of men (as in psychotic males, who are far too numerous in this crazy world), and that I am going to arm myself. She flinched. I went on to (timidly? maybe I am wimping out) own up that I hate guns, so I would probably just buy some legal keychain pepper spray.

But my grandmother bought a gun when she was in her late 70's, and she used it, and I don't blame her. Someone broke into her house in Indianapolis, and robbed her. So she bought a gun. When, as she expected, the guy returned for another take a couple months later, she was ready. She shot him. He survived, but you can bet he never came back to her house again.

That sounds so tough, and so American, in a way that I hate. But I also HATE being afraid of psychopaths!