The Violence Worker!

Goin' Home!

It's been a long two months.  I've had a good time and got a lot of work done.  Also, I had a little time to explre and re-explore the area.  I met new friends and got re-acquainted with some from my last visit.  It's now time to say goodbye to all of them.

Later today, I'll point the car west and head for Toronto.  Then early AM tomorrow, I get on that silver bird that will take me back to Tacoma.

I'll try and post a few pictures tonight if I get a chance.

If not, see you in smellyville! (I'm talkin' about the Tacoma Aroma for those of you who have never been privileged to spend any time there!)

VW

Ready To Go Home

Thursday, I fly back to Tacoma after spending another two months in the Belleville/Trenton area of Ontario. It's been a good trip and as the case last summer, I met a lot of great people and got a chance to renew some friendships from my last trip. I don't know if I'll be back.  If Ottawa decides to keep us for another year, I'm sure I'll be back for another two month stint.  Who knows?

In any case, I thought I'd upload a couple of short videos to give you a small idea of what the local area looks like. This first one is taken from on top of Mount Pelion in Trenton. It's actually a big hill. Here is a picture of the sign explaining it's existence.

Essentially, it says that the hill was caused by a receding glacier.  It's a type of hill called a "drumlin".

This is the first video.  Sorry for the rumbling sound.  It was a little windy today.

What I described as a hospital was actually an apartment building. The hospital is the old brown building below it.

The next video was taken from the middle of the Belleville Bay Bridge pictured below. I walked from where I parked my car (where I was standing when I took this picture) up to the middle of the bridge. Again, it was a little windy so you get the rumble of the wind.

Here is the video:

And here is a shot of the Moira River as it runs through Downtown Belleville.

The level is down from last week. They were afraid it would flood out the northern part of the city. Last summer when I was here, you could have walked across this river from where I am standing.

It's been a good trip, we got a lot of work done and I'm ready to come home.

VW

The "Bum Bot"

Mama Stephanie saw this and emailed me the story.  It seems an Atlanta tavern keeper is tired of the homeless victims of capitalist oppression bums who hang out near a child care center and his tavern. 

ATLANTA — Cars passing O'Terrill's pub screech to a halt at the sight of a 300-pound, waist-high robot marked "SECURITY" rolling through downtown long after dark.

The regulars hardly glance outside. They've seen bar owner Rufus Terrill's invention on patrol before — its bright red lights and even brighter spotlight blazing, infrared video camera filming and water cannon at the ready in the spinning turret on top.

"You're trespassing. That's private property," Terrill scolds an older man through the robot's loudspeaker. The man is sitting at the edge of the driveway to a child care center down the street. "Go on."

The man's hands go up and he shuffles into the shadows. Almost immediately, a group of men behind him scatters too. The Bum Bot's reputation, it seems, has preceded it.

And here is Bumbot in action:

This, of course, pisses off the local homeless advocates poverty pimps.  These people don't give a damn about this guy trying to make a living and keep his tavern a place where decent people can come for an evening of Celtic fun,  a bite to eat and enjoy an adult libation. No!  These are homeless advocates!  They fight for the right of  homeless victims of capitalist oppression bums to defecate on your lawn.  They help homeless victims of capitalist oppression bums to maintain their chosen lifestyle. They are against hardworking Americans Capitalist pig bourgeoisie who want to protect their property values and their children.

You go Rufus!  Us hardworking Americans Capitalist pig bourgeoisie salute you!  Squirt a few homeless victims of capitalist oppression bums for us!

VW

John McCain Tells The Truth

Politicians will tell you that they will fix your life.  They will tell you that they will create jobs and end poverty. It's not true.   John McCain told the residents of Inez Kentucky the real truth about Government.

"Government has a role to play in helping people who through no fault of their own are having a hard time," McCain said. "But government can't create good and lasting jobs outside of government. It can't pay lost wages. It can't dig coal from the earth. It can't buy you a house."

In other words, government does not create wealth.  All government can do is get out of the way and let people do what they do best.  Income redistribution does not work and has never, ever worked anywhere it's been tried. 

Even mandating wages such as minimum wage is nothing more than a scheme to make you think you are making money.  The minimum wage was never designed to be a family living wage and raising it to some arbitrary figure and telling someone they can now afford to live better is a lie.  If raising the minimum wage works so well, why stop at 7 or 8 or even 10 dollars an hour?  Let's make everyone rich and raise the minimum wage to 100 dollars an hour!  You know why.  Because instead of a cheeseburger costing 7 bucks, it will now cost 70 dollars. 

I was talking to the owner of a restaurant here in Belleville, Ontario the other day.  It's called Liguine's and if you are ever in this part of the world, you owe it to yourself to stop by and grab some of the finest Italian grub within a hundred miles.  Even though the decor and service are elegant, the prices are quite reasonable.  I digress.  The owner was telling me that they raised the minimum wage here in the province by about 80 cents an hour.  This will cost him about 35,000 dollars more a year.  You see, not only does he have to raise the wages of his dishwashers, he has to raise the wages of everyone.  He has two choices.  Either raise prices or let some people go.  What he will probably do, he says, is raise prices and let one, maybe two go, depending upon business.  That minimum wage raise will be doing whoever he has to let go some real good, won't it?

The other thing is you can't tax people into prosperity.  Again, it's never, ever happened.

Government has a role.  There needs to be laws and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that business isn't ripping people off or selling unsafe products, but for the most part, it should stay out of the way and let people run their own lives and business.

VW

McCain's Pension

Ralph Vartabedian, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Weasel, did a hit piece on McCain and his pension.

McCain spent five years as the guest of the wonderful and humane North Vietnamese in what has become known as the Hanoi Hilton.  It should be obvious to you right wing Nazi bastards that they called it Hanoi Hilton because of the many amenities and comforts they provided their guests. 

Admittedly, the guests of the Hanoi Hilton had little time to get home sick.  Daily beatings, followed by bouts of sleep deprivation and interrogation ensured all of their guests did not have time to think about life here in imperialist Amerika!

From The LAT:

Sen. John McCain has long said he is in robust health and is strong enough to hike the Grand Canyon, but he also is receiving what his staff Monday termed a "disability pension" from the Navy.

When McCain released his tax return for 2007 on Friday, he separately disclosed that he received a pension of $58,358 that was not listed as income on his return.

On Monday, McCain's staff identified the retirement benefit as a "disability pension" and said that McCain "was retired as disabled because of his limited body movements due to injuries as a POW."

The hardest thing our boy Ralph has probably ever had to endure in his journalistic career is to have to buy his own booze.  This guy isn't worthy enough to wipe John McCain's ass.

Unlike the coward John Kerry who ran from Vietnam as soon as he got three scratches (And folks, if any of those scratches drew more than a drop or two of blood, call me flabbergasted) and ran as fast as he could out of Vietnam after just four months, John McCain is a real live American hero.

Screw you Vartabedian.  You are a hack!

VW

Carter Is Not An Honest Broker

One of my rules on this blog is that Presidents of the United States are to be treated with respect.   I don't call President Clinton names even though I thought he was worthy of impeachment.  I respect the dignity of the office, even if the holder sometimes doesn't.

The same goes for President Carter.  I voted for Mr' Carter back in 1976, but it was his absolute ineptitude and bungling of the economy that made me a Republican in 1980. I've not voted for a Democrat Presidential candidate since.

Former Presidents are, by tradition, considered elder statesmen.  They are a resource for the sitting President to call upon to lead delegations and even causes. 

They are not supposed to go off and negotiate treaties and deals with terrorists.

There is such a thing called the Logan Act that makes it a felony to negotiate with foreign governments.  Since I'm not a lawyer, I don't know if what Mr. Carter is doing is a violation of the Logan Act or not.  If it isn't, it should be.

Jimmy Carter is 84 years old and still chasing his legacy.  He is well aware that his was a failed Presidency.  He now wants to be known as the one who brought peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.  He will not be successful because Israel does not see him as an honest broker and with good reason.  He's made a lot of anti-Israel statements in the past few years.

Mr. Carter's passport should be rescinded and the Justice Department should investigate whether he Broke the law.  Mr. Carter might be a former president, but he is not above the law. 

VW

Au Naturale

Define natural as in ingredients or components.

Essentially, everything in our world is the product of natural ingredients.  Technology allows us to manipulate and process these natural ingredients into products that are essential to modern life.  Glass is the product of superheated sand.  Iron is the basis for steel.  Plastics and innumerable other products have their start in petroleum.

Some people don't know this.  To them, petroleum must be some horrific unnatural chemical that pollutes the earth.

Scot Case of TerraChoice, an environmental marketing company based in Ottawa, Ontario came up with this gem:

"We found some 'natural' products that were petroleum based," Case said. "I guess they consider petroleum a natural product. ... Personally, I think the term natural has been so watered down it may never have any meaning again."

Petroleum is natural.  I don't know if I buy 100% the idea of oceans of oil coming from some dead dinosaurs, but we know that it isn't man made and it comes out of the earth.  Petroleum may not be something you ingest, but I'm here to tell you, oil is not man-made.

No one should be against conservation efforts and today's technologies makes recycling economically feasible.  It also significantly lessens the amount of pollutants we discharge back into the environment.

Green is the new pagan earth worshipping religion. It doesn't have to make sense, you just have to believe.

VW

Crimes Against Democracy

Admittedly, this is only one Kos Kiddie Kommenter, but it's a disturbing viewpoint that needs to have light placed upon it.

Put me in charge and I will have these conglomerates broken up with their management and lackeys (Gibson, Stephanopoulos) in prison for a long time.

Crimes against democracy will be defined, codified and punishments carried out forthwith.

by Dave925 on Wed Apr 16, 2008 at 07:49:21 PM PDT
(either scroll down or do a quick [ctrl f] and search for "crimes")

Presumably, Dave925 has set himself up as judge and executioner.  He (along with all the other Kos Kiddie Kommies) didn't like how the Obamessiah was questioned during the last debate with Hillary.

Who thinks this way?

This wannabe commie dictator would "break up these conglomerates".  How?  Does he have a clue as to how that would work or would he just nationalize them and be done with it? 

Then this genius would send all of the management and their so-called lackeys to prison for very long terms.  This is the kind of intelligent reasoning that drives money making public industries into money losing nationalized industries.  It is also called Stalinism.

To this Mensa reject, crimes against democracy would become actual crimes.  It appears that he would include asking uncomfortable questions to candidates one of those crimes.  The problem with kind of thinking is that there would be no candidates or certainly no opposition candidates because if it's against the law for a reporter to ask the wrong question, it would certainly be against the law for another candidate to ask hard questions as well. 

That's why nations with crimes against democracy are not, in any way shape or form, democracies.

It is this kind of thinking that excuses Castro and Chavez when they arrest and imprison the press.

This might only be the thoughts of one, but no one called him on them

And later on, our buddy Dave925 says this:

I support Waterboarding for those who wear flag pins. Might as well be armbands with you know what on them. (He, of course, means swastikas)

I suggest that the only criminal against democracy here is our friend Dave925.  It's the exact nature of our democracy that allows guys like these their ideas.  His ilk think just the opposite.

VW

Art Shvarts

Today there were a couple of stories about self-styled "artists" and what they are trying to pass off as art. 

The first is Susan Crane who laid down some American flags on the floor to see who would step on them.

Susan Crane, a student at the University of Maine, Farmington, placed hundreds of flags on the floor of the school's student center Tuesday for an art class assignment. She set down the flags in a maze-like pattern to document whether students and staff would step on them.

That isn't art.  Not only is it not art, it's been done by many wannabe artists already.  I say wannabe because as far as I know, all of these would be Picassos only claim to fame was their one time controversial stunt.  Desecrating a US flag is not art, it never has been art and it will never be art. 

Another young woman announced that she had created art from blood smeared miscarriages.  She said she got sperm from donors, impregnated herself, then took some abortion drug to have the miscarriage.  She then coated a plastic sheet with the blood mixed with Vaseline. She claimed to have done this several times over the past years. It caused a bit of an uproar and our little miss  recanted and said I was just looking for a reaction.  It's just menstrual blood mixed with Vaseline. 

A Yale student’s bizarre art project in which she claimed to have repeatedly impregnated and induced abortions in herself is a work of "creative fiction," the university said in a statement this afternoon.

The Yale Daily News reported this morning that Aliza Shvarts’s senior project, set to go on display next week, included video of her bleeding in her bathtub, as well as plastic sheeting layered with a mixture of Vaseline and the post-abortion blood.

Again, this is not art.  It's disgusting and it's meaningless.  Shvarts is no artist and will soon be relegated back to anonymity.

If either of these two young women had any real talent, they wouldn't need to resort to the outlandish and disgusting.  This offal foisted on to the world by these two immature little nut jobs is not art and will be long forgotten before these girls leave their schools.

The definition of art these days is so broad that just about anything can be called art.  How about this:  I hereby claim that the arrangement of letters displayed on your screen by this post is art.  I fashioned the arrangement of the letters to expose the heteronormative patriarchy.

See how easy that was.  This is art, people!!!

Hell, it's more art than what these two morons are trying to pass off on us.

VW

I Was Just Thinkin'...

Obama says that middle America clings to guns and religion and blames immigrants when things don't go right.

What's that say about Obama, Jeremiah Wright and their church blaming Jews and Italians?

Hmmmmmm.......

VW