Feed Your Heaaaad, Feed Your Heaaaaaaaaaaaad

I believe that people would be alive today if there were a death penalty.
-Nancy Reagan

Wise words indeed.

Well yesterday was a queer, sultry summer day, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York. Wait, not quite. It was a winter day, and they hanged Saddam Hussein, and I knew exactly what I was doing in Las Vegas. Sylvia, you failed me once again!

Saddam has been dead for a day now, and I'm not sure how I should feel. Evil tryant gone, woopee!, right? But then again, the death of any human shouldn't be celebrated, as it is always a sad occasion. We're all the same in death: lifeless corpses.

Now I support the death penalty, and I believe that his trial was, for the most part, fair and justice was served to an evil man (it was unusually speedy, though). But still, someone's dead, and that's sad. Video of the execution is already online, and I have no real intention on seeing it anytime soon, I had enough after the Nick Berg execution (Wikipedia gave me a nice surprise by showing me a picture of Saddam lying there with his neck broken, that sure made me feel good). First James Brown, then Gerald Ford, now Saddam Hussein. It must be a good week to die! I wonder what that says about 2007. Maybe those three are the lucky ones.

International reaction to the execution has been mixed, to say the least. At the optimistic end is the leaders of the U.S. and Iraq, that practically proclaim that God's in his heaven and all is right in the world. In Iraq itself there are mixed feelings. The Shi'a are party-hardying, the Sunni are mourning and blowing things up. Outside Iraq, opinion is even more mixed. It seems that all of Europe is backing the European Union's belief (along with the Vatican and human rights groups) that capital punishment is wrong, though a good number of countries have went so far as to say that they respect the judical processes of Iraq. Brazil, Cambodia, India, Malaysia, and Sri Lanka were blatantly against the whole execution. Palestine's Hamas party went even further to declare the exectution "a political assassination" (http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18985), and Gaddafi's Libya declared a three-day mourning period for the fallen Sunni hero.

But who's the biggest supporter of the execution, after the U.S.? Iran! Oh the irony, the irony feels so good. Here is a statement from Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Hamid Reza Asefi:

"With regard to Saddam's execution, it amounts to a victory of the Iraqi people as they were the winners of his fall [...] Saddam's regime was overthrown because the Iraqi people did not support him. It is crystal clear that the United States should not misinterpret his fall and take the credit to itself" (http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-12/30/content_5550896.htm).

What a wacky world we live in, huh?

J.C.

P.S. And James Carville gets to live. How do you like that?

P.P.S. Happy New Year everyone. :]

"Be not afraid of greatness; some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."

Well, I wasn't born great. Nor was greatness thrust upon me...yet. So, that must mean I might achieve greatness someday.

Introducing to you: One of the most inspiring (or one of the most uninspiring) person in the world!

I am Addison. The title to this entry is a Shakespearian quote from "Twelfth Night." I sometimes analyze on writings like that. I see things differently than people see in sight and perspective. I am color-blind, but that has no significance on how I live my life, thus explaining how I see differently from people. I do play the piano, having somewhat of an 'incline to musical talent.' Sort of. I enjoy music, from classical to rock. Not rap. I do like to read and write poetry, short stories, essays, etc., but lately things have gotten too busy, so I haven't written anything in a while. Maybe sometime I'll post one and see what you think! I am a non-conformist. Rather, I would go out of my way for people. Leading to one of my downfalls as somewhat of a messianic complex, leading to other faults. I act, at Backstage Studios. I can go on, and on...But you'll find out later. That's about it for me.

I think I might like this blog.

Salutations.

I guess since I'm going to be contributing as well, along the side of the mysterious and witty Joshua Cohen and hopefully others, I should introduce myself. My name is Yanira, don't remember what it stands for. I usually look on the brighter sides of things, what can be better, but I don't make up truths and pretend the world is alright. I don't have a set opinion, but I do believe in fairness. I fill my time with competition dance, musical theatre, running a club for teens on Darfur and other world issues (focusing on Darfur right now though), and normal friend things. I'm sixteen and the rest you can assume.

Ah Keith, you always know exactly what to say...

Keith Olbermann, sometimes you make me want to marry you.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15821138/

Says it all. It ALL.

A related bit of wisdom can be found in the words of 8 year-old Patricia Z., in a letter to then-President Ronald Reagan:

Dear President,

I am 8.
Please don't have any more war because I want to be 10 someday.

Love,
Patricia Z.
Age 8
Wallingford

(Bill Adler, Kids Letters to President Reagan)

Cute and scary. I wonder what Patricia Z. is thinking now.

J.C.

(P.S. Just look at the evidence:












PLUS











EQUALS

)

Painting the town...whatever.

"Let each man exercise the art he knows."
-Aristophanes, Wasps

Two posts in one day, I must have a lot to say. I rhyme all the time; I'm a poet and I don't even know it!!!1111 HEE-YUCK. :B

On to other matters. Las Vegas has a big problem with graffiti; it's everywhere. Walls, mailboxes, people's mothers, everywhere. Now, I don't have a problem with grafitti if it has an artistic intent; I am all for it if you want to turn an abandoned building into a beautiful thing (private property, probably should ask permission first). Turning ugly things beautiful is a good first step in making the world a better place (maybe we should send all the graffiti artists to Washington!).

However, most graffiti around here doesn't have such a well-intentioned purpose. It is usually a scribble of a gang name or a fucking obscenity, and it has no purpose at all. What good does it do to spray a barely-legible name unto a dumpster? Does it show that you own that dumpster? Or that your territory extends to that dumpster? Maybe we should invade the dumpster and spread democracy to it.

Mayor Goodman (or as the Las Vegas Superbum calls him, "King Oscar") has had some interesting solutions to this problem. Take a look at this:

July 23, 2006

Las Vegas mayor suggests medieval stocks for graffiti vandals

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAS VEGAS (AP) - Mayor Oscar Goodman is suggesting a strange, new punishment for graffiti vandals: bind them in a medieval-style stocks and give the public a chance to paint their faces.

"This would be a great deterrent," Goodman said, adding the city attorney's office was researching whether the proposal was constitutional. "I want to see if it falls under cruel or unusual punishment. If not, great. Let's put it into effect."

For months, Goodman has complained about so-called graffiti taggers and even proposed that removing their thumbs in public would serve as a deterrent. Until recently, he wouldn't back down from his proposal.

"We were not going to cut thumbs off," he said. "That was to begin discussions on the issue."...

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/nevada/2006/jul/23/072310708.html

Oh, excellent idea, your Majesty. Brings an entirely new meaning to the phrase "going medieval" on someone. Though I must admit, I'd enjoy painting someone's face legally and completely against their will, but that is way too extreme and will solve nothing. They'll get caught, get a make-over, wash it off, and go right back to defacing public property. I think maybe the King had a little too much to drink when he came up with that idea:

On March 3, 2005, Goodman was speaking before a group of fourth-graders at Jo Mackey Elementary School. When asked what he would bring if marooned on a desert island, the mayor replied 'a bottle of gin'. Further, when asked about his hobbies, the mayor named drinking as a favorite. Later, asked to comment, Goodman was unapologetic. "I'm the George Washington of mayors. I can't tell a lie. If they didn't want the answer the kid shouldn't have asked the question."...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Goodman#4th_grade_gin

He's a loveable goof, ain't he? Loveable, but none too bright. I've even heard it suggest that tagging be made a felony in order to deter offenders! I'll admit, I heard this on the news months ago, so I have no citation and no further information so feel free to discredit and/or prove me wrong, but making it a felony charge wouldn't help either. It'll just throw these people in jail, both the scum and the actual artists, and make them registered felons. They won't be able to get a job once they get out of prison because of that felony charge, and will have an almost impossible time redeeming themselves, being forced further into the life of crime.

"But Joshie, if we can't cut off people's thumbs or destroy their lives, what can we do?" you may ask. Why not take a look at the city of Philadelphia? Why not take the people caught tagging, send them to less-than-pretty parts of town, give them paint, and let them loose? Let them express themselves, have them paint murals and clean up the ucky-ness? The Philadelphia Anti-Graffiti Network does just that, and from its founding in 1984 "over 2,500 murals have been created across the city and over 40,000 walls cleaned of graffiti" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_Anti-Graffiti_Network). Why not? Do something with these people, make the city more beautiful! Look at Chicano Park in San Diego, for example. Right in the middle of a ugly barrio, a stone's throw from the loading docks on San Diego Bay. But what do they have there? Murals! All over! And sculptures! And sporting grounds! If only the rest of the city were like that!

But I guess some people would rather play little games and come up with stupid ideas instead of trying to solve the problem. Oh well.

J.C.

(P.S. Really, James Carville, please grow a new face. It's like Truman Capote got his head caught in a blender.)

Democracy

"I'm sentimental, if you know what I mean
I love the country but I can't stand the scene.
And I'm neither left or right
I'm just staying home tonight,
getting lost in that hopeless little screen.
But I'm stubborn as those garbage bags
that Time cannot decay,
I'm junk but I'm still holding up
this little wild bouquet:
Democracy is coming to the U.S.A."
-Leonard Cohen, "Democracy," The Future

I believe that is an accurate description of me. I like to consider myself as a centrist, but some things are just too fucking stupid to look at and not notice something inherently wrong with it. It seems that everything is going wrong in this country: the war, foreign relations, health care policies, social security, out-sourcing, illegal immigration, so on and so forth. Perhaps the Dems will fix things come January. Or maybe they'll screw it up, and the GOP will have a big "told ya so" moment. That would be humorous. What if Mr. Bushy Bush actually knows what he's talking about?

What a scary thought.

We'll see in January.

Plus, my birthday is in January.

Donate something to charity for my birthday.

Or say a howdy do.

I'd like that.

For the rest of the Leonard Cohen song, go here: http://leonardcohenfiles.com/album10.html#79

J.C.

(P.S. James Carville is a dick. Grow a new face, please.)