I have had the opportunity to drive around the Midwest recently and find an America that despite ethnic and social distinctions through regional variation seems to be on a fast track to seamless cultural homogenation through the following list of retailers...

Wal-Mart
Home Depot
Lowes
Ruby Tuesday
Outback Steakhouse
McDonald's
Target
Ross


We must fight cultural homogenation by not spending money at these establishments...

I am sitting here watching snow fall in Kabul from back in 2002 on my monitor. A bunch of Afghan children are in the dirt streets tossing snowballs at the camera crew. Men in wool shawls bundled up against the cold carry brightly colored umbrellas as they make their way up the street. Women in burkas stroll while fat flakes of snow settle onto their bright blue garments. Cigarettes are smoked as bearded men huddle around makeshift fires. Usually the video is of an alarming nature but there are moments where day to day life is actually captured. It is in those moments where I find peace.

Ahh, better living through technology.

Yesterday, I got a new mobile phone, an LG vx6000.
It has a built in camera that is really nifty and being someone who enjoys such things, I also was clued into a neat service that allows you to post your mobile phone pictures directly to a website.

So without further hesitation I present my mobile phone log: Random images from an otherwise meaningless life.
I have added this site to my links list. Enjoy.

I am really frustrated with work, nothing is ever functioning right on this project and I feel that it is negatively affecting my workflow.

What the hell am I supposed to do? No one listens to me or considers my input valid. I am so tired of being here. Sometimes I feel I would be happier if I washed dishes for a living, at least I know how to unblock a clogged greasetrap and move on.

On another note,

Based on my personal observations, Michigan and Wisconsin are two profoundly different states. One watches the sunrise over the lake and the other watches the sunset. Wisconsin must have more persons of nothern european descent than Michigan as there are far more bakeries, smoked fish, bars & taverns, and cheese west of the lake.

Ok ya'll I'm back from an odd and slightly sad ordeal in the midwest and I promise to elaborate on it as soon as my mood allows me the pleasure of so doing.

In the meantime, I will continue to dream of a brighter tomorrow and push you, my brave readers to look into the world of vaseline glass. This yellowish collectible glass contains uranium oxide and glows bright green under UV light.

Spooky.

Everybody go to jail!


Feds haul passenger off cruise ship in cuffs for marshmallow incident

June 20, 2004

BY CATHERINE WILSON Associated Press

MIAMI -- A teacher's aide who forgot to put away her marshmallows and hot chocolate at Yellowstone National Park last year was taken from her cruise ship cabin in handcuffs and hauled before a judge Friday, wrongfully accused of failing to pay the fine.

Hope Clarke, 32, crying and in leg shackles, told the judge she was rousted at 6:30 a.m. by federal agents after the ship returned to Miami from Mexico. She insisted that she had been required to pay the $50 fine before she could leave Yellowstone, which has strict rules about food storage to prevent wildlife from eating human food.

Customs agents meet all cruise ships arriving from foreign ports and run random checks of passenger lists, and a warrant claiming Clarke had not paid the fine was found in the federal database.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Outerbridge conceded there were some ''discrepancies,'' but suggested to the judge that Clarke appear in court again to clear up the warrant.

U.S. Magistrate Judge John O'Sullivan, who had a copy of a citation indicating the fine was paid, apologized to Clarke, who spent nearly nine hours in detention, and demanded that the U.S. attorney's office find out what went wrong.

Zach Mann, spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, called the arrest ''an unfortunate set of circumstances.'' He added, ''We were acting on what we believed was accurate information.''


Here is the problem, the law enforcement community believes it is never wrong, when they "believe" that they are acting on accurate information, people's lives are brought to ruin. Ok, and in regard to this unfortunate incident, When did America turn into a police state?
If this woman did have an outstanding fine for $50.00 did it not take more effort in terms of $$ on the part of law enforcement to capture and detain her for nine hours? What happen to the age old practice of sending a notice through the mail?

It appears beheading Americans are all the rage these days with those "religious zealots" in the middle east.

Wow, maybe this is something I can finally get I the ground floor on, I am totally willing to jump aboard the beheading bandwagon but like any good American, I do have to set some conditions.

The first thing we need is a film crew to shoot the act from at least three different angles and actually use film as opposed to a cheap 8mm camcorder.

The second thing would be the need for a razor sharp scimitar to do the deed, what's the deal with the small knives? Talk about a poor choice of tool for the job...

No posting on websites, I need this to be shown over and over on Fox news until people are so sick of watching it, they stop watching television all together.

As ridiculous as this all seems, we really should take the time to thank our government for making the world a safer place for all Americans who live and work abroad.

I had an interesting idea the other day, why do I need to be living in poverty here in Atlanta when I can live in poverty in pretty much any other city in the world?

What is it that I find so appealing about being poor in this city? Is it the fact that I am a minority here?
Is it that I enjoy having to drive to get anywhere and everywhere?

A coworker of mine asked me the other day as to why I have not transferred to another department and that sparked in my feeble mind a running count of reasons/excuses as to why my corporate career here at CNN has stagnated. I have many theories but the main force keeping me where I sit is that no one from HR or other departments contact me when I send out a resume. Its like sending your data into a black hole.

Another reason could be the fear of being laid off. This irrational fear has been with me since the last time it happened. I know I should be afraid, the last time I was laid off, I was nearly rendered homeless and I do not want to end up roaming around this city aimlessly looking through trash bins for my next meal. I am quite sure, that I could not tolerate being homeless. I would probably just try to leave the country if that were to happen, there is work to be had out there, somewhere anyways.

Atlanta is a really strange place for me to live, despite having been spent the bulk of my life within the confines of the metro area, I have few true friends and my attempts at friendship with new people over the past several years have just turned out sour. I never feel like I fit in and this is not just in my head, I am certain of that. Despite my efforts to extend the olive branch of friendship, I often discover in the end that I am just not welcome. It amazes me that some people I know who in the past few years made Atlanta their home and then find themselves moving up into some great occupations or sideline jobs and of course, meeting all of the "right" people and thus being invited to all the "right" parties and gatherings.

I have not reached the point when I discard the hopes and dreams of my life and sink into the depression of a failed middle-aged life. I know in my heart that Atlanta is just not the place for me. The problem is, where is the right place for me to realize my ambitions?