I'm going camping the evening of the 26th of January on my folks place in Barboursville. You can't beat having 55 acres of beautiful land in central Virginia at your disposal. My family's land has a source spring feeding a nice, but small, pond. It has forests, hills, fields, two creeks, and even a swampy little area.
There is an abundance of wild life that lives on the property or visits it. Deer are commonplace as are squirrels, rabbits, foxes, and a wide variety of other mammals (there's even a beaver dam just behind our northern property line). Black bears and bobcats have been spotted a handful of times on this land and mountain lions have been seen in the vicinity not too far from our farm.
Geese, on their migratory route, routinely grace our pond. Hawks have had nests in our trees at times and can still be seen on a regular basis hunting on the farm. They probably have a nest hidden somewhere in our forest.
Many people when asked to envision paradise think of some tropical beach somewhere, mixed drink complete with umbrella in hand. Unfortunately they also picture a luxury resort hotel staffed by third world workers as a part of that "paradise." In actuality most tropical locales are festering hell holes of malaria, insects, and a million and one varieties of poisonous or toxic spiders, snakes, etc. Most of these people would never dare visit this place without their precious air conditioned room and hotel staff to wait on their every whim.
I envision my parents' farm when someone asks me to picture paradise. I imagine central Virginia with its pastoral rolling hills, forests, mountains, and fields. The red clay of the soil says "home" to me, and I kind of pity those who have to fantasize about far-flung places to envision a peaceful and rejuvenating environment.
What more could you want than what is all around you? Almost any environment can provide for humans and most provide for our needs quite well. I watch some of the survival-themed shows like Survivor Man or Man vs Wild. Contrary to what you may think, these guys actually seem to have some of their easiest episodes when they choose the desert as the environment to challenge themselves. Some deserts are truly desolate, but most will provide you with water and plenty of food if you know where to look.
Now look at an environment like central Virginia and the abundance of life and sources of food is astonishing. I sometimes imagine what it must have been like to be a settler here back in the early days of colonialism. Sure there were dangers, but how amazing this land must have seemed to people coming out of crowded Europe. What opportunity!
I almost long for this decrepit, shallow society of ours to fail. I dream of the opportunity it would afford me to completely redefine my life. Sometimes I hate the grind I am in... I go to work, I come home, have too much to do and too little time to do it. I barely get to see my kids many nights. I go to sleep too late because I am constantly catching up with "things" and then I wake up tired the next day to face the same series of events all over again. Flip another page on the ole calendar.
"Shorter of breath and one day closer to death," to quote Pink Floyd.
Wow - quite a sidetrack I got on there. Sorry 'bout that.
Homebrews, homies, and the camping trip. My first batch of homebrew will be ready for this trip, so we'll be enjoying some fine IPA as well as whatever my brother is bringing from his homebrewing enterprise. A buddy of mine will be coming along, too. He was featured in some photos from past entries (here and here). The eyes are redacted to protect anonymity, of course.
We'll hang out, bag a rabbit for dinner (my bro is the top chef in town), and then drink many, many fine and fresh beers. An excellent evening, in all likelihood. I love camping in the winter. I sleep so soundly, wrapped up in my sleeping bag with the sound of the wind all about.
I can't wait, really.
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label environment. Show all posts
13 January 2009
08 January 2009
Trouble South of the Border
Mexico has popped up rather prominently on the Joint Operating Environment 2008 report. This is a report published by the United States Joint Forces Command, the military command in charge of almost all conventional forces in the continental U.S.
This report warns of the possible rapid collapse of our neighbors to the south. Currently, towns on the border between the U.S. and Mexico are riddled with violence. Battles between drug cartels and between these cartels and government forces have left these towns in a defacto "failed" cities with little actual authority being exercised from Mexico City. "Failed" being the more palatable word for "anarchy."
Daily security for Mexican citizens is a nightmare in these failed towns. Kidnapping, political corruption, and common crime are nearly unchecked. Given Mexico's 2000 mile border with America and the proximity of the epicenter of this crisis to that border, it is not inconceivable that a refugee crisis could emerge in the near future sending thousands and thousands of Mexican nationals to America seeking safety.
Add this strain to an already historically weak U.S. economy and you have the potential for a crisis to which the government may not be able to effectively respond. If Mexico as a whole fails, this will almost certainly require U.S. intervention. What form this intervention could or would take is uncertain.
What is certain is that any U.S. intervention that involved ground troops, even if only utilized as peacekeepers, would spark grassroots resistance. This resistance may even take on a criminal aspect as the drug cartels would probably prefer a weak Mexican government to any sort of peacekeeping operation with its checkpoints and US/UN soldiers milling about. The prospect of such a hostile environment towards drug running may cause various cartels and criminal gangs to unite.
This is all gross speculation on my part, of course. I don't, however, think that what I have speculated about is beyond the realm of possibility. These days entering failed states (or entering a functioning state and toppling it) is messy, messy business. Iraq and Afghanistan are all the examples you need. Afghanistan had failed before we entered and Iraq afterwards. In both cases our soldiers there are mired down in a political, religious, and sectarian bog from which there is no clear-cut path to victory.
America must learn its lesson from Iraq. We failed to learn the lesson of the defeat we inflicted on the Soviets in Afghanistan during their invasion. The lesson is this: A low intensity, low-cost war waged by guerrilla fighters can bog down the world's best militaries, causing massive financial strain on the invading nation's economy.
This is how the Soviets were laid low and may yet be a very central contributing factor to how America is laid low. This relates to Mexico in that if we manage to extract ourselves from Iraq and Afghanistan without destroying ourselves in the process, it would be pouring gas on the fire to then go and repeat the same mistake in Mexico.
Annexation of Mexico wouldn't work for a variety of reasons. One of the primary reasons would be that if Mexico were made into a state or a series of states within our union, then there would be no restriction on travel for millions of poor and dispossessed Mexicans to travel north looking for opportunity. The infrastructure disparities between the two nations alone would be daunting.
West Germany had a much easier proposition in absorbing East Germany. While German Unification certainly was not easy, they at least had the advantage of a common language and culture from which to start.
No, a failed Mexico is a giant shit sandwich that America would be virtually alone in having to eat.
This report warns of the possible rapid collapse of our neighbors to the south. Currently, towns on the border between the U.S. and Mexico are riddled with violence. Battles between drug cartels and between these cartels and government forces have left these towns in a defacto "failed" cities with little actual authority being exercised from Mexico City. "Failed" being the more palatable word for "anarchy."
Daily security for Mexican citizens is a nightmare in these failed towns. Kidnapping, political corruption, and common crime are nearly unchecked. Given Mexico's 2000 mile border with America and the proximity of the epicenter of this crisis to that border, it is not inconceivable that a refugee crisis could emerge in the near future sending thousands and thousands of Mexican nationals to America seeking safety.
Add this strain to an already historically weak U.S. economy and you have the potential for a crisis to which the government may not be able to effectively respond. If Mexico as a whole fails, this will almost certainly require U.S. intervention. What form this intervention could or would take is uncertain.
What is certain is that any U.S. intervention that involved ground troops, even if only utilized as peacekeepers, would spark grassroots resistance. This resistance may even take on a criminal aspect as the drug cartels would probably prefer a weak Mexican government to any sort of peacekeeping operation with its checkpoints and US/UN soldiers milling about. The prospect of such a hostile environment towards drug running may cause various cartels and criminal gangs to unite.
This is all gross speculation on my part, of course. I don't, however, think that what I have speculated about is beyond the realm of possibility. These days entering failed states (or entering a functioning state and toppling it) is messy, messy business. Iraq and Afghanistan are all the examples you need. Afghanistan had failed before we entered and Iraq afterwards. In both cases our soldiers there are mired down in a political, religious, and sectarian bog from which there is no clear-cut path to victory.
America must learn its lesson from Iraq. We failed to learn the lesson of the defeat we inflicted on the Soviets in Afghanistan during their invasion. The lesson is this: A low intensity, low-cost war waged by guerrilla fighters can bog down the world's best militaries, causing massive financial strain on the invading nation's economy.
This is how the Soviets were laid low and may yet be a very central contributing factor to how America is laid low. This relates to Mexico in that if we manage to extract ourselves from Iraq and Afghanistan without destroying ourselves in the process, it would be pouring gas on the fire to then go and repeat the same mistake in Mexico.
Annexation of Mexico wouldn't work for a variety of reasons. One of the primary reasons would be that if Mexico were made into a state or a series of states within our union, then there would be no restriction on travel for millions of poor and dispossessed Mexicans to travel north looking for opportunity. The infrastructure disparities between the two nations alone would be daunting.
West Germany had a much easier proposition in absorbing East Germany. While German Unification certainly was not easy, they at least had the advantage of a common language and culture from which to start.
No, a failed Mexico is a giant shit sandwich that America would be virtually alone in having to eat.
24 October 2008
Religulous
I went to see Religulous tonight, the new film by Bill Maher. We have this great old theatre here in town which has but a single screen. It's the only commercial venue in town where this sort of film is par for the course.
Do not let the reviews you may have read fool you about this flick. It is very much anti-religion. I say that as a matter of fact and without judgement for or against the movie - or religion, for that matter.
The basic gist of the movie is that anyone who approaches religious belief with certitude is a fool. Religion is foolish and dangerous. Dangerous because the apocalyptic fantasies that are at the core of so many religions are now possible due to man's recent grasp of apocalyptic technologies.
Technologies such as nuclear weapons which, along with pollution, are listed as some of the ways man's technologies could facilitate the apocalyptic fantasies contained within various scriptures. I would add biological and chemical weapons to that list of apocalypse-enablers.
Bill Maher says at one point, "The only thing worse than prophecy is a self-fulfilling prophecy."
To close the film, he sums it all up with, "Grow up or die." Meaning religious faith is immature and its foolish tenants can lead to our destruction given man's grasp of modern technology.
I am agnostic, myself. I don't claim to be wise enough to know what the answer is. I agree with the assertion that religious institutions are prone to corruption and have been so for centuries and millenia. Centuries and millenia of corruption have most likely lead to a perversion of the teachings of Christ, Muhammed, Moses, whoever.
15 October 2008
Recession Finally Admitted by the Fed
Finally there are rumblings from Washington that seem to admit to a recession. I think the American people have been tuned into the reality of an economic downturn for quite some time.
As of now, the Dow is down another 502 points. The other day it was up by around 900, but I knew that was mere volatility. This downturn won't stop until the actual fundamentals of the world economy are repaired.
The U.S. especially needs to put its economic house in order. We need to start making things again. That is what is fundamentally at the core of our floundering economy - we don't make anything any more. We make money off of money. We flip houses. We use credit.
There are many things that have gone awry, don't get me wrong. However, increasing manufacturing jobs in America would have the effect of decreasing unemployment, putting more money in the pocket of Americans. Two thirds of our economy is based upon consumer spending.
I think retail stores are going to take a major hit this Christmas. Americans are losing their jobs, their homes, and their confidence. Watch the stock market in late December and early January. Look for a big drop when the retail numbers prove to be abysmal.
I think the turnaround here will take a good long time. I think Americans have been shocked into waking up from a credit card coma. Spending will slow. Savings will increase. Less cheap crap will be bought in stores. Bad news for China, really.
If Americans are smart and we have good leadership we can come through this better and stronger. If the focus is on technology and research into alternative energy we have a chance. If America leads the way with a whole new fleet of battery driven and alternatively fueled cars we can again be the auto manufacturer of the world. If we invest in infrastructure like schools, roads, a new solar and wind electrical grid, and college we can again become competitive.
If our leaders have the political will to raise taxes we might be okay. If we are honest with ourselves then we see that raising taxes is unavoidable if we are to address our national debt and other needs simultaneously. If Americans can change their ways and refrain from spending what they don't have then each of us may yet find economic salvation.
If we hold our leaders accountable on the issues that matter to all of us we can save ourselves from ourselves. Issues like education, roads, jobs, a stagnating economy, and the environment are all interrelated and can all be solved on a single line of attack.
The simplest answer is usually the best answer. I usually denounce Occum's Razor as a means for oversimplification of complicated issues and ideas. In this case, however it is right on.
Problems like crumbling roads, vaporizing jobs and a worsening environment can all be solved by investing in green technology and providing government subsidies for green infrastructure projects. This would lay the foundation for jobs and a revitalized economy. It would allow us to export this technology and put America back on the economic map as a producer and exporter rather than an importer and borrower.
More Americans with good jobs boosts consumer confidence and provides the fuel for two thirds of our economy (consumer spending). More good jobs means a larger tax base. Government subsidies for technology research means many many small businesses getting startup money from either the government or venture capitalists.
And to cement the continued growth of this new economy you invest in education. A smart workforce is an efficient and innovative workforce. You also ensure this new boom is sustainable with massive infrastructure investment in both existing and new techologies (as they come online). Improve roads and build a new sustainable electrical grid. This will create jobs in and of itself as well - this will feed back into the positive cycle by putting more money in the pockets of Americans and growing the middle class.
That is a lot of "ifs." Believe me, I am aware of that fact. Every pay period I am putting a little bit towards survival gear and supplies. I am trying to hope for the best, but I am planning for the worst without a doubt.
EDIT: At close of trading today the Dow was down 733 pts.
As of now, the Dow is down another 502 points. The other day it was up by around 900, but I knew that was mere volatility. This downturn won't stop until the actual fundamentals of the world economy are repaired.
The U.S. especially needs to put its economic house in order. We need to start making things again. That is what is fundamentally at the core of our floundering economy - we don't make anything any more. We make money off of money. We flip houses. We use credit.
There are many things that have gone awry, don't get me wrong. However, increasing manufacturing jobs in America would have the effect of decreasing unemployment, putting more money in the pocket of Americans. Two thirds of our economy is based upon consumer spending.
I think retail stores are going to take a major hit this Christmas. Americans are losing their jobs, their homes, and their confidence. Watch the stock market in late December and early January. Look for a big drop when the retail numbers prove to be abysmal.
I think the turnaround here will take a good long time. I think Americans have been shocked into waking up from a credit card coma. Spending will slow. Savings will increase. Less cheap crap will be bought in stores. Bad news for China, really.
If Americans are smart and we have good leadership we can come through this better and stronger. If the focus is on technology and research into alternative energy we have a chance. If America leads the way with a whole new fleet of battery driven and alternatively fueled cars we can again be the auto manufacturer of the world. If we invest in infrastructure like schools, roads, a new solar and wind electrical grid, and college we can again become competitive.
If our leaders have the political will to raise taxes we might be okay. If we are honest with ourselves then we see that raising taxes is unavoidable if we are to address our national debt and other needs simultaneously. If Americans can change their ways and refrain from spending what they don't have then each of us may yet find economic salvation.
If we hold our leaders accountable on the issues that matter to all of us we can save ourselves from ourselves. Issues like education, roads, jobs, a stagnating economy, and the environment are all interrelated and can all be solved on a single line of attack.
The simplest answer is usually the best answer. I usually denounce Occum's Razor as a means for oversimplification of complicated issues and ideas. In this case, however it is right on.
Problems like crumbling roads, vaporizing jobs and a worsening environment can all be solved by investing in green technology and providing government subsidies for green infrastructure projects. This would lay the foundation for jobs and a revitalized economy. It would allow us to export this technology and put America back on the economic map as a producer and exporter rather than an importer and borrower.
More Americans with good jobs boosts consumer confidence and provides the fuel for two thirds of our economy (consumer spending). More good jobs means a larger tax base. Government subsidies for technology research means many many small businesses getting startup money from either the government or venture capitalists.
And to cement the continued growth of this new economy you invest in education. A smart workforce is an efficient and innovative workforce. You also ensure this new boom is sustainable with massive infrastructure investment in both existing and new techologies (as they come online). Improve roads and build a new sustainable electrical grid. This will create jobs in and of itself as well - this will feed back into the positive cycle by putting more money in the pockets of Americans and growing the middle class.
That is a lot of "ifs." Believe me, I am aware of that fact. Every pay period I am putting a little bit towards survival gear and supplies. I am trying to hope for the best, but I am planning for the worst without a doubt.
EDIT: At close of trading today the Dow was down 733 pts.
28 August 2008
Patriots, None and All
Don't talk to me about patriotism. None of you. This coming from a man who is not the patriot he could be.
First of all, the word is tainted in the modern context. Patriotism is not a bumper sticker or a ribbon. It is not the hollow words "support the troops." It is not blind allegiance to the flag.
You may believe that you support the troops, but what have you really done but say the words? Did you buy a t-shirt or did you put a magnetic ribbon on your SUV?
That same gas-guzzling behemoth that ships your petro-dollars to Saudi Wahhabi princes who then use that money to fund terrorists? Good job, Patriot.
Do you pay attention to politics? Do you vote? Do you volunteer your time or money? What civic virtues do you believe in? Do you actually know which candidates hold those same values? Do you even know what a "civic virtue" is?
Or do you vote a single issue and listen to slanderous mischaracterizations and vote on who you "feel" would be the best candidate?
Are you so ignorant that you wouldn't even know how to answer many of the questions above?
Enough questions. Too many Americans are satisfied to be ignorant. From rednecks and gang-banging thugs to soccer moms to businessmen in suits; ignorant one and all. Fat, dumb, and happy.
Modern pop culture is an incredible force for stupidity and ignorance. The Paparazzi and the obsession of the moment makes us stupid via distraction. Brad and Angelina adopted another baby? Who fucking cares!? MTV has been turning our teens into idiots for over two decades now.
Millions expend their energy tracking the lives of the famous when they should spend that energy in a way which might actually benefit themselves or their community. Watch C-Span if you must be a voyeur of the famous. You might just learn something.
Patriotism is love of the American Dream, not the flag or a President. Patriotism is a burning fire whose fuel is blood and sweat. With that blood and sweat we purchase freedom and opportunity. It is in serving country and community that we sweat and bleed. Service is the coin of patriotism.
And so we're clear on this - unquestioning patriotism actually goes by another name altogether. It's called fascism and it's completely un-American.
If I have to hear one more able-bodied man under the age of 50 tell me about how he supports the troops and we should invade Iran I will just loose it. Go volunteer if that's the way you feel. They'll take you these days, believe me. Shut the fuck up and put your own ass on the line if you think we should start a war that would spread across the Middle East, because you can't have my kids.
I swear to God, if this war is going on by the time my son turns 18 I will murder anyone who tries to take him off to fight in that tragedy. I mean that - I will stab you in the eye if you try to take my babies to go fight in a petro-war started by a retarded addict from Crawford.
But these same chickenhawks won't volunteer themselves because they are cowards. They are scared all the time because they're ignorant and they believe the local newsman when he says that there's "something in your house waiting to kill your children!!!" So of course they believe the President and other high officials when they intimate that Iraq will detonate a nuclear bomb in America.
These same officials who got six deferments themselves during Vietnam now want to commit our soldiers to wars everywhere. Fucking hypocrites. Fucking cowards. That's what enrages me about these couch-potato commandos: they assume since I don't like Bush and I think Iraq was a mistake that I must be some hippy-dippy left wing pacifist.
And in case you were wondering - yes, I have served a stint in the military myself. I was lucky enough to serve in a time of relative peace and under a President who didn't casually squander the lives of the military. I have spent time behind a trigger in the name of America. Have you?
I am no pacifist, ladies and gentlemen. I own 4 guns and I have served my country. I hate the Grateful Dead and love punk, metal, and rock. There's not a damned thing pacifist or hippy about me. Those who truly know me think I'm a bit on the militant side, as a matter of fact.
I volunteer my time and money to the causes I believe in. I serve on my neighborhood's HOA Board, I volunteer for candidates I believe in, and I put my proverbial money where my mouth is.
I recycle, am energy-conscious, I walk or bike to work, and I instill these actions as values in my children. Because what's more patriotic than taking care of the environment we all share? What is more an intrinsic part of our national heritage than the actual physical nation we leave our children?
And I think I should be doing more.
First of all, the word is tainted in the modern context. Patriotism is not a bumper sticker or a ribbon. It is not the hollow words "support the troops." It is not blind allegiance to the flag.
You may believe that you support the troops, but what have you really done but say the words? Did you buy a t-shirt or did you put a magnetic ribbon on your SUV?
That same gas-guzzling behemoth that ships your petro-dollars to Saudi Wahhabi princes who then use that money to fund terrorists? Good job, Patriot.
Do you pay attention to politics? Do you vote? Do you volunteer your time or money? What civic virtues do you believe in? Do you actually know which candidates hold those same values? Do you even know what a "civic virtue" is?
Or do you vote a single issue and listen to slanderous mischaracterizations and vote on who you "feel" would be the best candidate?
Are you so ignorant that you wouldn't even know how to answer many of the questions above?
Enough questions. Too many Americans are satisfied to be ignorant. From rednecks and gang-banging thugs to soccer moms to businessmen in suits; ignorant one and all. Fat, dumb, and happy.
Modern pop culture is an incredible force for stupidity and ignorance. The Paparazzi and the obsession of the moment makes us stupid via distraction. Brad and Angelina adopted another baby? Who fucking cares!? MTV has been turning our teens into idiots for over two decades now.
Millions expend their energy tracking the lives of the famous when they should spend that energy in a way which might actually benefit themselves or their community. Watch C-Span if you must be a voyeur of the famous. You might just learn something.
Patriotism is love of the American Dream, not the flag or a President. Patriotism is a burning fire whose fuel is blood and sweat. With that blood and sweat we purchase freedom and opportunity. It is in serving country and community that we sweat and bleed. Service is the coin of patriotism.
And so we're clear on this - unquestioning patriotism actually goes by another name altogether. It's called fascism and it's completely un-American.
If I have to hear one more able-bodied man under the age of 50 tell me about how he supports the troops and we should invade Iran I will just loose it. Go volunteer if that's the way you feel. They'll take you these days, believe me. Shut the fuck up and put your own ass on the line if you think we should start a war that would spread across the Middle East, because you can't have my kids.
I swear to God, if this war is going on by the time my son turns 18 I will murder anyone who tries to take him off to fight in that tragedy. I mean that - I will stab you in the eye if you try to take my babies to go fight in a petro-war started by a retarded addict from Crawford.
But these same chickenhawks won't volunteer themselves because they are cowards. They are scared all the time because they're ignorant and they believe the local newsman when he says that there's "something in your house waiting to kill your children!!!" So of course they believe the President and other high officials when they intimate that Iraq will detonate a nuclear bomb in America.
These same officials who got six deferments themselves during Vietnam now want to commit our soldiers to wars everywhere. Fucking hypocrites. Fucking cowards. That's what enrages me about these couch-potato commandos: they assume since I don't like Bush and I think Iraq was a mistake that I must be some hippy-dippy left wing pacifist.
And in case you were wondering - yes, I have served a stint in the military myself. I was lucky enough to serve in a time of relative peace and under a President who didn't casually squander the lives of the military. I have spent time behind a trigger in the name of America. Have you?
I am no pacifist, ladies and gentlemen. I own 4 guns and I have served my country. I hate the Grateful Dead and love punk, metal, and rock. There's not a damned thing pacifist or hippy about me. Those who truly know me think I'm a bit on the militant side, as a matter of fact.
I volunteer my time and money to the causes I believe in. I serve on my neighborhood's HOA Board, I volunteer for candidates I believe in, and I put my proverbial money where my mouth is.
I recycle, am energy-conscious, I walk or bike to work, and I instill these actions as values in my children. Because what's more patriotic than taking care of the environment we all share? What is more an intrinsic part of our national heritage than the actual physical nation we leave our children?
And I think I should be doing more.
23 June 2008
The Might and the Majesty
My wife and two of my kids went to D.C. this weekend. We took Amtrack up and walked everywhere we wanted to go. During our stay we went to the Natural History Museum (dinosaurs!), the Washington Monument, and the Carousel on the Mall. Doesn't sound like much to do for an entire weekend?
Ha! You try doing all that with a 14 month old and a 4 year old on foot!
I haven't been to D.C. in a while, but what never ceases to amaze me is the majesty of the place. The train station, Union Station, is gigantic. It's as big as many major airports. The main lobby is beatiful tile floor with large statues all around. The exterior of the building is also quite impressive, with massive stone columns and granite everywhere.
Much of D.C. is built this way. All sorts of federal office buildings all over the city were built with a fortune of granite. And these buildings are nothing special - they're just office buildings. The curbs in DC are granite, for Pete's sake! Then toss the Capitol building in the mix along with all of the monuments and memorials and you have a city built to impress.
Of course this is all by design. For its day I'm sure Rome was much, much more impressive than D.C. There are plenty of other majestic sites in other cities all over the world today. Back in the heyday of Rome this was not the case. Rome was the largest city in the world and had public buildings and spaces unrivaled. The Circus Maximus and the Colliseum would be impressive structures even if they were built today.
It's no coincidence that there are columns a-plenty in D.C. and stone all over everything. Nothing screams permanence like expensive, heavy stone. The Egyptians knew it, the Greeks knew it, the Romans knew it. D.C. is intentionally built to evoke images of glory and empire and permanence.
But those images are all illusions, for nothing is permanent. The structures still stand in many cases, but the civilizations and vibrant life that once filled them are long gone. Egypt was swept away as an independent power by the Greeks, the Greeks by the Romans, and the Romans by a series of barbarian tribes. The Byzantine East survived for a millenium longer, but even they fell to Ottoman Turks eventually.
At least these ancient civilizations fell to invaders. We will probably fall to our own stupidity and corruption without the benefit of foreign aggression. History buffs, please spare me the lecture. I know that each of these civilizations were weakened by internal strife and corruption which set the stage for their conquest from without. I was merely pointing out that we won't even need that push from an external force in order for us to fall over.
Rome and Egypt and Greece never had to deal with a shifting climate and a population addicted to a cheap energy source which made life obscenely easy. They never had to deal with fundamentally dwindling resources with no frontiers left to colonize and exploit. There's no release valve for the pressures we are under today.
Where can you send excess population to go live now? The North Pole? When we run out of food or water where can we go to get more? Ummm... Mars? When the oil runs out and petroleum-based fertilizers aren't available to super-charge our soil any more, how do we feed our 7 billion person population?
Am I crazy? I hope so.
Atlanta doesn't think so. They're in a tough way down there. Maybe a foreshadowing of things to come? Take a look at Lake Allatoona, one of the major water sources down there.
What I'm saying is that no army can stop a drought. No bomber can make crops grow. Our military can't save us like it saved the Egyptians and the Romans and the Greeks for so long. Figthing this enemy takes a lot more smarts and cooperation than anything the ancients faced.
I'm just wondering if we're up to it.
Ha! You try doing all that with a 14 month old and a 4 year old on foot!
I haven't been to D.C. in a while, but what never ceases to amaze me is the majesty of the place. The train station, Union Station, is gigantic. It's as big as many major airports. The main lobby is beatiful tile floor with large statues all around. The exterior of the building is also quite impressive, with massive stone columns and granite everywhere.
Much of D.C. is built this way. All sorts of federal office buildings all over the city were built with a fortune of granite. And these buildings are nothing special - they're just office buildings. The curbs in DC are granite, for Pete's sake! Then toss the Capitol building in the mix along with all of the monuments and memorials and you have a city built to impress.
Of course this is all by design. For its day I'm sure Rome was much, much more impressive than D.C. There are plenty of other majestic sites in other cities all over the world today. Back in the heyday of Rome this was not the case. Rome was the largest city in the world and had public buildings and spaces unrivaled. The Circus Maximus and the Colliseum would be impressive structures even if they were built today.
It's no coincidence that there are columns a-plenty in D.C. and stone all over everything. Nothing screams permanence like expensive, heavy stone. The Egyptians knew it, the Greeks knew it, the Romans knew it. D.C. is intentionally built to evoke images of glory and empire and permanence.
But those images are all illusions, for nothing is permanent. The structures still stand in many cases, but the civilizations and vibrant life that once filled them are long gone. Egypt was swept away as an independent power by the Greeks, the Greeks by the Romans, and the Romans by a series of barbarian tribes. The Byzantine East survived for a millenium longer, but even they fell to Ottoman Turks eventually.
At least these ancient civilizations fell to invaders. We will probably fall to our own stupidity and corruption without the benefit of foreign aggression. History buffs, please spare me the lecture. I know that each of these civilizations were weakened by internal strife and corruption which set the stage for their conquest from without. I was merely pointing out that we won't even need that push from an external force in order for us to fall over.
Rome and Egypt and Greece never had to deal with a shifting climate and a population addicted to a cheap energy source which made life obscenely easy. They never had to deal with fundamentally dwindling resources with no frontiers left to colonize and exploit. There's no release valve for the pressures we are under today.
Where can you send excess population to go live now? The North Pole? When we run out of food or water where can we go to get more? Ummm... Mars? When the oil runs out and petroleum-based fertilizers aren't available to super-charge our soil any more, how do we feed our 7 billion person population?
Am I crazy? I hope so.
Atlanta doesn't think so. They're in a tough way down there. Maybe a foreshadowing of things to come? Take a look at Lake Allatoona, one of the major water sources down there.
What I'm saying is that no army can stop a drought. No bomber can make crops grow. Our military can't save us like it saved the Egyptians and the Romans and the Greeks for so long. Figthing this enemy takes a lot more smarts and cooperation than anything the ancients faced.
I'm just wondering if we're up to it.
16 June 2008
All Good Things...
I'm generally not a fan of bumper stickers. I kind of hate them, as a matter of fact. They're meant to be condensed "wisdom" applied to the backside of an automobile (just above and to the right of our polluting tailpipes).
I did see one the other day that actually struck me. Very few ideas worth considering are boiled down to a single, short statement.
Some classic nuggets of such short and sweet wisdom would be:
I did see one the other day that actually struck me. Very few ideas worth considering are boiled down to a single, short statement.
Some classic nuggets of such short and sweet wisdom would be:
- Life is too short for [insert stupid b.s. here]
... - It's a small world.
- Treat others as you want to be treated.
- All things must come to an end.
... and maybe a few others, but that's basically it. This bumper sticker adds another nugget to this elite list:
- These are the good old days...
Think about that for a second. Sometime in the not-too-distant future they'll look back at us like Roman nobility, with a culture all gluttonous and over-sexed. They'll analyze our hip-hop videos with half-naked women, our Girls Gone Wild, our porn, our idiotic leadership, our divided culture, our illnesses (diabetes, gout, heart disease, obesity, autism, cancer of everything), our militant nation-states, our moronic political process, and the blind way we stumbled through life and they'll wonder:
"How the hell did they make it as long as they did?"
I was reflecting on these notions last night as we had Father's Day dinner at my house. I had prepared these awesome Cuban style pork tacos and for desert my wife made a great strawberry peach shortcake with homemade whipped cream and homemade shortcake. I looked over at my four year old daughter, who had some silly sunglasses on, a feather boa, and some Disney princess dress. I watched as my eldest finished up his chores and immediately picked up his Nintendo DS to play some Pokemon game.
I thought to myself, as I sipped my expensive local microbrew, "Not too long ago, only royalty and the very wealthy lived like this."
And then it occurred to me that not even nobility would have had the benefit of air conditioning like I do. Not even nobility could travel miles in mere minutes on a whim in a personal motor coach like I can. No matter how rich you were you couldn't communicate with a friend or family member on the other side of the planet instantaneously. I can.
Then I realized that people have never lived this well. Never. I mean there are many, many problems with modern industrial society but comfort is not one of them. I have of course had this thought before, but the idea that - these are the good old days - really sunk in. It may never be this easy again. We may never again lay in the lap of such luxury.
I don't know if that's a bad thing. There are so many times when I just can't stand the idea of working for lesser men, of toiling towards goals that are so abstract. I spend all day away from those I love to go work in some terrible building under flourescent lights for a paycheck that is usually spoken for the instant it arrives.
Why? I'm really not sure why. Because that's what people do? I guess that's as good a reason as I can muster. Maybe because I'm addicted to this soft life that I simultaneously hate in many ways. I like my blog and my internet and my MMORPG and my easy access to food and clean water.
I like functions like security and fire fighting being left to the professionals. I like my HOA which comes by and cuts the grass and fixes my roof and siding.
And I hate it. I hate it all. I hate this stupid waste of time I'm engaged in right now. The internet is 80% stupidity, 10% porn, 9% storefronts, and 1% useful information. Really you could throw the porn in with the storefront category. They're just selling sex.
My gaming is a waste of time. It's an idle way to piss away the precious few moments I have to be on this Earth.
I hate the stupid, meddling emails I get from the HOA. I'm actually on the board. I thought I'd be the voice of reason for these jackasses.
Nope. These petty tyrants can't be beaten by words - that's where they rule. Make them actually do something themselves and that's where they fail. But with the complicated machinations of law and society and management companies to back them up it's guaranteed they'll never lift a finger.
Meh.
11 June 2008
Preparing for the Squeeze
It's all going to hell and probably faster than even I would like to consider. I'm the kind of guy with his eyes open, too. I just don't see anything encouraging.
The fundamentals are all screwed. We're mismanaging the land, our water, global warming, our national defense, our infrastructure, our education, and our economic base.
Every place I've ever worked has featured multiple (not just one, but multiple) managers with college degrees that were barely literate. These guys made much more money than I did and they wrote unintelligible emails. Emails that my ten year old daughter would have been embarrassed to send.
I'm not talking about a misspelling here and there. Hell, we all do that (although with spell checking I can't imagine why). I mean that these guys wrote emails that featured strings of alphanumeric characters which bore no resemblance to complete thoughts, let alone sentences. These are managers! Managers! They are supposedly our leaders and examples.
I don't need to get into the environmental stuff. At this point if you aren't on board with this notion you're an imbecile or you're on Chevron's payroll.
Everyone remembers the bridge that collapsed out of the blue in Minnesota and the tunnel collapse in Boston. Now there are cranes collapsing in New York. I read this Popular Mechanics article that made my toes curl. Popular Mechanics tries to look at this crisis in the best light possible, citing technology as our possible savior. I have to say that it takes will and people and dollars to apply technology. Where is the will and where are the dollars that will bring the people who will apply the technology?
I don't see them.
A staggering statistic from that article:
"One-quarter of the 599,893 bridges in the United States have structural problems or outdated designs."
That's 149,973 bridges in need of replacement or repairs. I could tick off three in my hometown alone that make me nervous. And that's just the ones I've noticed casually passing them by.
On national defense - every source from within the military will tell you our military is at its lowest state of readiness since before WW II (back when we basically had no military). Regardless of where you stand on why we got into Iraq or if we should have or if the public was lied to in the lead up there is one fact that stands undeniable:
Our military and our nation are being bled dry in Iraq. We are losing the lives of our valiant men and women in uniform and for what? For freedom and democracy in Iraq? Don't make me laugh. An altruistic invasion to spread democracy at bayonet-point? Really?
People keep comparing Iraq to Vietnam and I tell them they're wrong. While there are some similarities to America's involvement in Vietnam, our struggle in Iraq is much more like the Soviet Union's struggle in Afghanistan which started in 1979.
The Soviets invaded Afghanistan for murky reasons and ended up running 40 divisions through that meat grinder. This is what defeated the Soviets, not Reagan or Bush the Elder. The Soviets were economically and thus militarily ruined in Afghanistan due to a low grade insurgency like the one we're experiencing in Iraq and the one the French experienced in Algeria in the late 50's and early 60's.
We're bleeding out in Iraq. Our budget has massive defecits and here's the kicker, kids:
We aren't even counting the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into the regular budget. They've been entirely funded by emergency supplemental spending which isn't factored into the budget and therefore wouldn't show up in any deficit numbers.
In short, as bad as you think the nation's budgetary crisis is - it is in fact much, much worse.
That is why, no matter what you think about our nation's War on Terror, we must withdrawl from Iraq. We simply cannot afford to continue. Despite what you think about our nation's treasury it is not a limitless treasure trove. If it were only empty there might be some hope.
Sadly our treasury is full to the rafters. It is not full with money or gold or reserves of any kind. No, our treasury is full of debt. Our treasury is, as of this moment, so bankrupt that only the continued denial of this obvious reality on the part of our creditors allows us to keep up our illusions of power and wealth. We are less than poor. We are absolutely destitute.
With no manufacturing base left we stand little hope of reversing this trend. During the Great Depression we were still a mighty manufacturing nation - our factories just stood silent, all full of potential jobs. Now these factories in many cases have literally been packaged up and shipped overseas. They simply aren't present any more.
We can't all work in high end service jobs like information technology. Somebody, somewhere has to actually make something in order for our economy to function. This isn't happening.
The thing that really scares me is this - it may be coming faster than I can prepare for it. I may not be able to complete my preparations for these hard times to come before they arrive.
The fundamentals are all screwed. We're mismanaging the land, our water, global warming, our national defense, our infrastructure, our education, and our economic base.
Every place I've ever worked has featured multiple (not just one, but multiple) managers with college degrees that were barely literate. These guys made much more money than I did and they wrote unintelligible emails. Emails that my ten year old daughter would have been embarrassed to send.
I'm not talking about a misspelling here and there. Hell, we all do that (although with spell checking I can't imagine why). I mean that these guys wrote emails that featured strings of alphanumeric characters which bore no resemblance to complete thoughts, let alone sentences. These are managers! Managers! They are supposedly our leaders and examples.
I don't need to get into the environmental stuff. At this point if you aren't on board with this notion you're an imbecile or you're on Chevron's payroll.
Everyone remembers the bridge that collapsed out of the blue in Minnesota and the tunnel collapse in Boston. Now there are cranes collapsing in New York. I read this Popular Mechanics article that made my toes curl. Popular Mechanics tries to look at this crisis in the best light possible, citing technology as our possible savior. I have to say that it takes will and people and dollars to apply technology. Where is the will and where are the dollars that will bring the people who will apply the technology?
I don't see them.
A staggering statistic from that article:
"One-quarter of the 599,893 bridges in the United States have structural problems or outdated designs."
That's 149,973 bridges in need of replacement or repairs. I could tick off three in my hometown alone that make me nervous. And that's just the ones I've noticed casually passing them by.
On national defense - every source from within the military will tell you our military is at its lowest state of readiness since before WW II (back when we basically had no military). Regardless of where you stand on why we got into Iraq or if we should have or if the public was lied to in the lead up there is one fact that stands undeniable:
Our military and our nation are being bled dry in Iraq. We are losing the lives of our valiant men and women in uniform and for what? For freedom and democracy in Iraq? Don't make me laugh. An altruistic invasion to spread democracy at bayonet-point? Really?
People keep comparing Iraq to Vietnam and I tell them they're wrong. While there are some similarities to America's involvement in Vietnam, our struggle in Iraq is much more like the Soviet Union's struggle in Afghanistan which started in 1979.
The Soviets invaded Afghanistan for murky reasons and ended up running 40 divisions through that meat grinder. This is what defeated the Soviets, not Reagan or Bush the Elder. The Soviets were economically and thus militarily ruined in Afghanistan due to a low grade insurgency like the one we're experiencing in Iraq and the one the French experienced in Algeria in the late 50's and early 60's.
We're bleeding out in Iraq. Our budget has massive defecits and here's the kicker, kids:
We aren't even counting the cost of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into the regular budget. They've been entirely funded by emergency supplemental spending which isn't factored into the budget and therefore wouldn't show up in any deficit numbers.
In short, as bad as you think the nation's budgetary crisis is - it is in fact much, much worse.
That is why, no matter what you think about our nation's War on Terror, we must withdrawl from Iraq. We simply cannot afford to continue. Despite what you think about our nation's treasury it is not a limitless treasure trove. If it were only empty there might be some hope.
Sadly our treasury is full to the rafters. It is not full with money or gold or reserves of any kind. No, our treasury is full of debt. Our treasury is, as of this moment, so bankrupt that only the continued denial of this obvious reality on the part of our creditors allows us to keep up our illusions of power and wealth. We are less than poor. We are absolutely destitute.
With no manufacturing base left we stand little hope of reversing this trend. During the Great Depression we were still a mighty manufacturing nation - our factories just stood silent, all full of potential jobs. Now these factories in many cases have literally been packaged up and shipped overseas. They simply aren't present any more.
We can't all work in high end service jobs like information technology. Somebody, somewhere has to actually make something in order for our economy to function. This isn't happening.
The thing that really scares me is this - it may be coming faster than I can prepare for it. I may not be able to complete my preparations for these hard times to come before they arrive.
09 June 2008
Hike-n-Shoot on the Bearfence Scramble
My brother and a good buddy of mine from work and I went out and did some hiking this weekend. We hiked the Beafence Scramble along the Appalachian Trail along with a short bit of another portion of the trail. It was about 6 miles total and with the heat yesterday that was plenty (105 degrees with the heat index).
I'm by far the fat-ass of the group, so when we got to the portion of the hile that gives the trail the "scramble" portion of its name, I was taking it slow. I didn't think anyone would appreciate having to carry me down the mountain if I broke an ankle. The "scramble" bit in the name "Bearfence Scramble" is due to the fact that you have to scramble over some rocky portions on the trail.
On the top of the mountain there was a rocky outcropping with a stunning vista. Maybe those of you who are used to the Rockies or Swiss Alps may think that a view from the top of a mountain in Virginia can't be all that great. I respectfully disagree ("Strawman, strawman!"). I'll post some photos if my bro comes through and sends me some of the pics he took. I, as usual, forgot my digital camera.
After the hiking bit of the day was done, we drove back to Barboursville. Damn, was it muggy and hot. Just nasty. After getting out of the car and gathering my guns and ammo, we walked maybe thirty yards to the gully in which we'd be shooting. I was sweating like a pig, and not from any sort of exertion, either.
We shot Cletus, of course. We also shot Harry for the first time. I may end up trading Harry in for a model without a snubbed nose in the near future. Harry was very inaccurate. We shot 25 rounds of .38 and about 10-12 rounds of the .357 mag hollow points. The .357 was by far the loudest of all the rounds we shot that day (.38, .357, 12 gauge target, 12 gauge buck, 12 gauge slug).
And I forgot my earplugs. Great.
We must have shot 50 of the 12 gauge target shot, about 15 buckshot, and 15 slugs. I suspected that the buckshot and slugs would kick more than the target shot and oh, boy did they!
I'm by far the fat-ass of the group, so when we got to the portion of the hile that gives the trail the "scramble" portion of its name, I was taking it slow. I didn't think anyone would appreciate having to carry me down the mountain if I broke an ankle. The "scramble" bit in the name "Bearfence Scramble" is due to the fact that you have to scramble over some rocky portions on the trail.
On the top of the mountain there was a rocky outcropping with a stunning vista. Maybe those of you who are used to the Rockies or Swiss Alps may think that a view from the top of a mountain in Virginia can't be all that great. I respectfully disagree ("Strawman, strawman!"). I'll post some photos if my bro comes through and sends me some of the pics he took. I, as usual, forgot my digital camera.
After the hiking bit of the day was done, we drove back to Barboursville. Damn, was it muggy and hot. Just nasty. After getting out of the car and gathering my guns and ammo, we walked maybe thirty yards to the gully in which we'd be shooting. I was sweating like a pig, and not from any sort of exertion, either.
We shot Cletus, of course. We also shot Harry for the first time. I may end up trading Harry in for a model without a snubbed nose in the near future. Harry was very inaccurate. We shot 25 rounds of .38 and about 10-12 rounds of the .357 mag hollow points. The .357 was by far the loudest of all the rounds we shot that day (.38, .357, 12 gauge target, 12 gauge buck, 12 gauge slug).
And I forgot my earplugs. Great.
We must have shot 50 of the 12 gauge target shot, about 15 buckshot, and 15 slugs. I suspected that the buckshot and slugs would kick more than the target shot and oh, boy did they!
06 June 2008
Bike Riding & the Killer Ape
I'm back to riding my bike to work. I had stopped riding my bike in favor of walking for a couple of reasons.
My daughter used to ride in with me. We'd ride together to her school and drop her off, chain up her bike, and then I'd be on my merry way to work. On a couple of occasions we had jackasses who weren't paying attention nearly run us off the road. They'd come around a blind corner too fast and have to swerve to avoid us even though we were hugging the curb as we rode. It was making me nervous to ride in with her knowing that we shared the road with a gang of retards.
The second reason was a guy who literally swerved his car at me to threaten me. There's a stoplight on my route at which I make a left turn. I was second in line and there was a third person (in a car) behind me. The light turned green and I started to go. If anything, I was tailgating the car in front of me a little bit.
Starting from a dead stop and immediately turning I can keep up with the cars through the turn (unless they're driving like they were in a race). Since there's no such thing as a left turn bike lane, I ride in the same lane as the cars until we're through the turn and then I merge over to the right where the bike lane resumes. Perfectly legal and it slows no one down.
So this guy behind me (fat-ass with glasses and a beard in a maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla) got mad at me for whatever reason. He gunned the engine in his car, pulled alongside me on my left (in the oncoming lane), looked over at me, honked his horn and then swerved his car at me. He gunned it past me and the car in front of me, swerved back into the right lane and raced ahead of us.
At first I was stunned. When I got over the initial shock (maybe 2 seconds) the Murderous Primate kicked in. I wanted this fat motherfucker's blood. I wanted to break my fists on his face. In short, I would kill this tiny-pricked bastard if I got a hold of him. I don't think I've ever been that bent on hurting someone in my life.
I remember thinking to myself as I pedalled like a maniac, "Let the stoplight catch this asshole. Please, God, let me kill this motherfucker."
The stoplight turned red. The fat-ass in the maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla stopped his car and my heart leaped for murderous joy. The mental photograph of him glaring at me while he stiff-armed his horn bubbled up. Both the passenger and driver side windows were open.
His window was open. Huge mistake, fat-ass.
I side-saddled my bike as I rapidly approached his driver-side window. I was going to just ditch the bike and let it go where it might. I was going to reach in this guy's window with my left hand, hook my index and middle fingers up his nose, clamp down with my thumb, and pull his head out of his window. I would then proceed to drill his skull repeatedly with my clenched fist. I wanted to bruise his brain and make it swell up in his fat head.
He looked up in his rear view mirror as I was about 30' behind his maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla. His eyes opened up like saucers, the brake lights went out, and the rear end of his car dipped a bit as he punched his gas pedal and ran the red light. His tires gave a short chirp.
"Fucking twat!" I screamed after him. "You better find a new way to work, motherfucker! I'll fucking kill you!"
I screamed so loudly at him that I hurt my throat in that one outcry. By the time I got to work, my voice was raspy and I was shaking from the adrenaline that was wearing off. I hate that sick feeling in my stomach after I get jacked on adrenaline.
But, man, do I love the soaring power I feel in my limbs and chest when I'm that mad. It's like a drug. Clarity settles into my mind and a singular focus consumes all (in a Darth Vader voice, of course):
Destroy that which has angered thee, Murderous Primate! Kill all that would defy thine glorious vengeance!
My daughter used to ride in with me. We'd ride together to her school and drop her off, chain up her bike, and then I'd be on my merry way to work. On a couple of occasions we had jackasses who weren't paying attention nearly run us off the road. They'd come around a blind corner too fast and have to swerve to avoid us even though we were hugging the curb as we rode. It was making me nervous to ride in with her knowing that we shared the road with a gang of retards.
The second reason was a guy who literally swerved his car at me to threaten me. There's a stoplight on my route at which I make a left turn. I was second in line and there was a third person (in a car) behind me. The light turned green and I started to go. If anything, I was tailgating the car in front of me a little bit.
Starting from a dead stop and immediately turning I can keep up with the cars through the turn (unless they're driving like they were in a race). Since there's no such thing as a left turn bike lane, I ride in the same lane as the cars until we're through the turn and then I merge over to the right where the bike lane resumes. Perfectly legal and it slows no one down.
So this guy behind me (fat-ass with glasses and a beard in a maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla) got mad at me for whatever reason. He gunned the engine in his car, pulled alongside me on my left (in the oncoming lane), looked over at me, honked his horn and then swerved his car at me. He gunned it past me and the car in front of me, swerved back into the right lane and raced ahead of us.
At first I was stunned. When I got over the initial shock (maybe 2 seconds) the Murderous Primate kicked in. I wanted this fat motherfucker's blood. I wanted to break my fists on his face. In short, I would kill this tiny-pricked bastard if I got a hold of him. I don't think I've ever been that bent on hurting someone in my life.
I remember thinking to myself as I pedalled like a maniac, "Let the stoplight catch this asshole. Please, God, let me kill this motherfucker."
The stoplight turned red. The fat-ass in the maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla stopped his car and my heart leaped for murderous joy. The mental photograph of him glaring at me while he stiff-armed his horn bubbled up. Both the passenger and driver side windows were open.
His window was open. Huge mistake, fat-ass.
I side-saddled my bike as I rapidly approached his driver-side window. I was going to just ditch the bike and let it go where it might. I was going to reach in this guy's window with my left hand, hook my index and middle fingers up his nose, clamp down with my thumb, and pull his head out of his window. I would then proceed to drill his skull repeatedly with my clenched fist. I wanted to bruise his brain and make it swell up in his fat head.
He looked up in his rear view mirror as I was about 30' behind his maroon early 90's Toyota Corolla. His eyes opened up like saucers, the brake lights went out, and the rear end of his car dipped a bit as he punched his gas pedal and ran the red light. His tires gave a short chirp.
"Fucking twat!" I screamed after him. "You better find a new way to work, motherfucker! I'll fucking kill you!"
I screamed so loudly at him that I hurt my throat in that one outcry. By the time I got to work, my voice was raspy and I was shaking from the adrenaline that was wearing off. I hate that sick feeling in my stomach after I get jacked on adrenaline.
But, man, do I love the soaring power I feel in my limbs and chest when I'm that mad. It's like a drug. Clarity settles into my mind and a singular focus consumes all (in a Darth Vader voice, of course):
Destroy that which has angered thee, Murderous Primate! Kill all that would defy thine glorious vengeance!
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