Loose Gang Affiliations

Both the Bloods and the Crips agree: Don't mess with "The Fucking Killas".

Hard core bangers from deep in the 'burb.

I pledge

My pledge to you, dear reader, is to always mock flags. I get their symbolic function, but I laugh at it. Also, despair. Flags are tribe colors to designate sides, both to unite and divide. When you "pledge allegiance" you are of course proclaiming fealty to the political power that uses the flag as its tribe symbol. I pledge allegiance to all life, to the Universe as a whole, so what does a flag matter to me? Or, for that matter, what does the Flag Code matter to any Patriot? Violation, above. Violation, below.

So many Flag Code violations in today's American Empire.

lol america.

An even newer world

Consider it, Wingnuts. Hillary gets elected in 2016, and wins re-election in 2020. That would represent 16 years in a row of Democratic rule, and if we can't crush the Repukes in that timeframe, than shame on us. Till then, some Hill shots:

Obama shot, actually. Sorry, Hills. Just want all them PUMA's to remember that Barack is our President.

Hillary and Barry, re-making world diplomacy. Notice how calmer the world seems lately, compared to 2000-2008?

Connecticut, O Connecticut

For shame, Connecticut. For shame. Are you not of New England? Do you not understand our allegiance?

W is for victory! An amazing 21st century turnaround for the Boston Red Sox. 86 years of frustration wiped clean by 12 years of Championships. The Curse has become the douchebag fan that everyone hates.

Sully! Murph! We rule!

All your flags are false

 

1937 Berlin, before the War. Hitler won a lot of people over by the booming economy, essentially ending the Great Depression in Germany. He did this of course by focusing most of the industrial sector towards building his war machine. War - it's good for business!

Imagine, if you will, if in the span of a few years, those stupid "Don't Tread on Me" flags started appearing on most streets, businesses, government offices, everywhere. Kinda weird/scary, right?

 At least I hope it would be. But then, if these flags were going up everywhere, maybe most everyone approved. Real America!

Here's a revelation I had as a teen, and it blew my then teenage mind. Your mileage may vary. But hey, say you're American. I am. Now, everytime you see an American flag during the course of your day, replace it with a NAZI flag. Or a Soviet flag. Or a UK flag. Canada. Heck why not Mexico? Replace it with another country and see what you think.

For me, it revealed the hitherto unrecognized fact that there are flags everywhere, and flags are essentially group propaganda. Mythology given form in a waving piece of colored cloth. The colors on this cloth determine what team (country/empire/kingdom) you root for. What is normally background noise because you are so used to them jumps out when it's a different team - like hey! America is way better than the NAZI's dude!

So yeah, look at the German NAZI's going about their average days in Berlin. So many atrocities, so much violence, and yet here they are appearing rather ordinary and normal.

Makes you wonder, I hope.

Republican Jesus III

Republican Jesus hates poor people, because they are poor. Why are they poor, Jesus asks? Because they suck. So why would Republican Jesus care about homeless people, or handicapped people, or old folks with no relatives, and so on? Oh yeah, because they're EVIL.

Our side rules!

Fetish as Totem

So many people have died because of this man. And yet he is still worshiped!

Because of the Fetish - on many levels. That's all the Authoritarians run on: Fetish worship. Meaning is irrelevant. Details are irrelevant. Facts are irrelevant. All that matters is the tribal message - and that is, for now, Guns are Good. So worship guns, and death.

Die for your country - what an honor!

Other Monsters (Retro)

All our monsters and villains are "Others". All our enemies or threats are "Others". All fear of crime comes from fear of the "Others".  In the end we can only trust ourselves, but what if I told you that aye, verily, within your own mind lurk "Others".  What if I also told you that everything looks way cool in retro sci-fi pulp covers?

So yeah, "Others". What perhaps is more interesting is what we define as "Not Other". Who is in our Tribe and thus one of us, not one of them? Who walks in the Light and not in the Dark?

Mexican Wrestling Vader might appear to be a bad guy, but he's just waiting for his reverse heel turn. The Flip-Rudo.

To Serve and Protect

I must confess to being conflicted regarding the end game of the Boston Marathon bombing. First, let me make clear I harbor no confusion regarding the bombers themselves - evil deeds done for whatever reason are evil, and must be stopped/prevented. There's no gray area here. However, what has given me some pause is the police response.

First! I think the BPD and all involved agencies did a fantastic job in a difficult situation, and the same can be said for the local elected officials. That said, I've long bemoaned the militarization of the police, and you could see this militarization to clear affect during this past week:

This militarization comes from two "Wars": The so called "Drug War" and "The War on Terror". Each of which is in essence a tool for the powerful to control the powerless. The Drug War is especially pernicious, and was the genesis for the militarization of police forces across America. The WoT greatly added to this trend. And now we have both big and little cities with what are essentially armies, as police forces. In this particular example, it was beneficial, given the bombs.

And again, I've got no issue with the police actions of the past week. But this highlights the inherent contradiction.

Indeed, the police protect us from crazed individuals like these bombers, from psychopaths, from wacked out killers, from rapists, etc. It's necessary for a functioning society. On the other hand, the police also enforce the will of The Powers That Be. And so OWS protests will get smashed. Political protestors will get penned in and arrested. Random innocent folks will get their doors smashed in because the police think there's a drug dealer living there.

In a formula: "To Serve" - the Authorities. "To Protect" - the people. I'm for the latter, against the former. I'm anti-authoritarian, in all forms. Thus, my conflict.

And to end on a downer, as I'm wont, I ALWAYS find flag waving to be disconcerting. It's too tribal, and the only Tribe I belong to is "Matter in this Universe". Represent! However, it's hard to get upset with images like this:

Asian college students with an American flag posing with joyous (non-militarized) cops. Incredible. However, let us not mistake this:

As little more than college students finding a good reason to go party on the streets. It's justified in this case, no doubt, but oh-so closely related to the parties that happen after sports championships.

All that said, here's one image that fuses everything I was just trying to lay out:

A militarized police officer delivering milk to a family with kids trapped in their house during lockdown. Amazing.

I'll confess further, all this has left me confused.

Fun times in and around the DMZ

For whatever reason, L'il Kim has decided to stir the geopolitical plot and declare war on everyone. Check out the attack map above. Sorry, Austin!

No one believes NK can reach the US with any missile, but maybe L'il Kim thinks otherwise. Hard to say what anyone thinks or believes in North Korea - it truly is cut off from the rest of human civilization. Check out the night time satellite:

It's been a humanitarian disaster for decades, due to the extreme leadership of the Kim family, in the name of the perfect Communist society, of course. With the recently deceased Kim, the temper tantrums were usually designed to extract some concession from the international community - food aid, trade pacts, imports of luxury goods for the Party leaders. But with the young Kim, who knows. He's gotten very belligerent very quickly. Most likely this will follow the same pattern as before, but maybe not. Till then, let's review some fun times at the DMZ and beyond.

Fun fact! The Korean War (1950-1953) never ended - the war is still on. Thus, the DMZ, one of the most intense places in the world. We're looking from the South Korean side into North Korea along one of the few open spots on the DMZ. The blue (UN Blue, yo) buildings are used for rare meetings between the two sides.

Standard policy whenever opening the door to North Korea - holding hands. Awww. Apparently way back in the day a S.Korean guy opened the door and was dragged over to the N.Korean side until ransomed back. Fun!

So you're an intrepid hipster and want to go on vacation in North Korea. Here's some travel tips.

Might as well stick to Pyongyang. There ain't much else going on. Check out the cool HOTEL OF DOOM (most likely fake):

Now, ladies, there's only Party approved hairstyles allowed. Please conform to the following chart:

That's right! North Korea is not just about nuclear threats and famines. There's a sexy new style sweeping the Hermit Kingdom:

Join the Revolution!

Sanctioned fodder

Fair and balanced.

North Korea is ready to fight, apparently.

Totally wild!

I Pledge

For true, I am a citizen of the Planet Blue, Earth, and all life upon it. From the lowliest worm to highest falcon soaring in mountain crevasses, and all the heights and lives in between, we are all brother and sister in life. So rare in this cosmos of stars scattered light years apart, rejoice! We are alive - a privilege rarer than the rarest rarity that you could imagine. To be alive amidst this infinity! What an awesome opportunity! And here we are, Earthlings, alive on this planet. If we could all step together,  t'would be a paradise overnight. Till then - FSM help us.

I've longed believe the ONLY thing that will bring humanity together is an alien invasion. An external enemy would be just the trick to get humanity to stick together through thick and thin. Despite the loss of life. Otherwise, it will always be small gangs of douche bags ruining it for everyone else. No matter the disaster - nuclear war, asteroid, earthquake, tsunami, etc - douche bags will rule the ruins. Unless you fight back. Will you fight back against the douche bags of the future? Say it with me:

I Pledge allegiance...

Posses Inside

Sadly, it is no isolated incident. Killing children either by crazed loner with guns or nations with armies, or gangs with lust, or tribes with madness in their minds, kids have been victims for as long as there have been kids, which is forever. We're getting better, overall, we really are! It's just hard to accept that fact in times like this - when kindergarten children are shot repeatedly in the face with an assault rifle for no possible reason at all. Unlike the reason above, right? These are the children of Lidice. Read and weep.

But then rejoice, for we are alive, and our kids are about, and life is good despite all the shit. Never forget your absolute blessing in being here in the first place! Hug those nearby in celebration of all your success, which again, is existing. Life is the gift without equal and we all revel in the giving. Love, and let the hate fall by the wayside.

2 Assads and a Queen

So there's some stuff going on in Syria. Did you know? Do you care? Most Americans don't, I figure, unless it's for temporary political purposes. The Empire only cares for the Empire, at this point. Always a turning point, for the worst, in the history of Empires.

Those are the Assad boys at bottom. Bassel, the eldest and as such the heir apparent, is long dead, in a "car crash" some time ago. So Bashar's been in large and in charge since Dad died in the year.... 2000. Things went well for a while, even surviving the Empire's invasion of neighboring Iraq. But it's going down the shitter now, and I think the Assad's reign over Syria is near an end. I don't think what replaces it will be better at all, but that's the Middle East for you!

Also too, that of course is Freddie Mercury at top. Born Farrokh Bulsara, Freddie was perhaps the greatest rock n' roll showmen of all time, leader of one of the best rock bands of all time, Queen. Also gay - in fact, I'd say he looks to be the archetypal gay man, true or not. So now I have to ask what, if any, of the "gay look" descended from Freddie Mercury, and thus from his basic Arabness. Though he was in fact a Parsi and had nothing to do with Arabs or Islam. But these are trifling details! He looks Arab enough, compared to the Bassads, right? I have no idea where this photo comes from by the by. Trying to understand it. It's the sunglasses, mustache, and short dark hair. Pretty damn gay, Bashar!

Also as well - I recently read the best interview about Queen I've ever encountered, in Astronomy magazine, of all places. It was about Brian May - who's incredible. He got his PhD in Astrophysics and he completed it after Queen ended. He also built his own guitar (Red Special) with his Dad when he was 15 and has played it ever since. Awesome bloke. His PhD was about zodiacal dust, which sounds like an album name, but is also an awesome subject. Check it all out.

So there you have it. Whatever "it" is. Let me finish by saying I read Astronomy magazine regularly - I'm a subscriber! - but never Rolling Stone, even though somehow I've been getting issues sent to me for 3 years now, even though I never signed up for it nor have been billed or paid a bill. I look at the covers and go, "meh". I'm old enough now I no longer care what the young people think is interesting. So get off ah my cloud!