Avengers Team for the Movie in 2012

Guilty Pleasure? Ron Paul

It is really strange. I don't agree with many of Ron Paul's political and economic ideologies, but I can't help liking the guy as "a person". I agree mainly with his anti-war and anti-interference stances, because we stick our noses many times into situations that we shouldn't be, and in the end make them worse, and hurt our economy doing so. Also some of his social stances I agree with. However, I don't agree with handing corporations a free ride to do anything they want to out of some misguided idea of freedom. Money talks. So in the end, as it is now actually mega corporations and banks "own" our congressmen and Senate, and at time the President. So what about the little people? They just continue to be crushed under foot. Kinda as they are now.
The Tea Party to me is "bat shit crazy". Pure Libertarianism isn't realistic any more than Communism is. I still believe that a hybrid system of econo-politics is being the answer. Ron Paul is a wonderful speaker, and if he could curb someone the crazy then he would be a viable candidate for President in 2012. Take some free market ideas mix them with social responsibility, and take a truly moderate stance. Balance is what this country needs desperately, and thus far we don't have a candidate that displays balance. We have far right fringe versus Barack Obama's "conservative concessionism". Neither are workable. Paul has a nice tone in his voice, but as long as he is willing to hand this country over the the top 1%, and the fringe he is an untouchable for me in 2012.

Ghost Hunters

I have been watching the SyFy Channel's show Ghost Hunters for some time now. Enjoying the show here and there. Now for my honest reaction standing at a distance. I have never seen a ghost, UFO, or bigfoot. Therefore, I can prove nothing. In that, shows like Ghost Hunters or there like, could "easily" be staged. So it comes down to the same thing that allows me to watch Godzilla movies (though I "absolutely" don't believe in such beasts ever) ... it is called suspending disbelief for the sake of entertainment. So, a hanger flys across the room ... likely someone threw it, and a ghost wasn't to blame. What is causing noises? Houses settle, little critters in the walls, and worse ... faked noises. It comes down to do I believe in ghosts? Kinda, but I can prove nothing. They all then fall victim to being merely entertainment until I have my first encounter if I ever do. Ghost Hunters is entertainment, and as I am not present it is very unprovable. I do enjoy the show as I do Animal Planets The Haunted. Ghost Adventures is pathetic ... I just can't suspend my disbelief that much. What was that!!!!??? Did you hear that!!!!??? Cut to creepy music and graphic ... Commercial break.

The Way it is ...

We blame the federal government for everything ... the truth is they are

 just a tool that is purchased by the people who have the money. We don't have any control of congress or the senate ... or even the president. It is all a ugly money game that we occasionally and unwittingly take part in every now and then.

Authoring

I have been giving some thought about writing a book. A satirical political dystopian fictional work that I had been thinking about for the last three years or so. I absolutely have a title, but having the inner workings is a different question. I mean, I have the root idea just nothing in between. lol! I have purchased some writing software to help "organize myself" as a writer, and hope for the best. The base thing is this I am not wholesome, or an all American church going patriot. I am a realist. I am William Burroughs-esk. The kind of guy fascists assholes put on trial cause they can't get a hard on any other way. Dig? Enemy of those who burn the books, and slash paintings. I will write what I want to write, and anyone who doesn't like it can go, and you can quote me on this one "fuck themselves" up a tree.

Pretty Means Little if Your Evil

I have seen someone lately that I have to say is very pretty. Model pretty even. No really she is. Unfortunately, her contemptible behavior towards others, and lack of any remorse about it makes her the biggest troll in the forest, and not really anything more than that. This person needs desperately to deal with their sociopathic mental illness before it is too late. Note: Death is too late, and so is spending the rest or most of your life in prison. This person has opportunities I would even say to be a model, but they are going to have to stop the shit, or it just ain't going to fly. Drugs, drinking, stealing, and drama will have to stop or it will catch up to your very quickly. I never thought this person was stupid they most definitely aren't. They were just in an environment growing up that "taught" her very unexceptiable behavior. One last thing. If I am saying this as liberal as I am that says something really bad about this person, because I don't hold things like tattoos and percings against anyone, because behind all of that is the flesh and blood that actually means something for good or bad. Stop trying to shit with people, and fix it.

The Construction Days

Back in my very late teens to mid twenties I worked for my uncles at their construction company. I learned one major lesson during this time. How, if allowed men in power will seriously mistreat other men if there are no safe guards against it. To be honest most of this was verbal abuse, terrorizing, and crude jokes that would only be funny to the jokester. The physical was more unsafe working conditions that were allowed to happen. Yeah, I came off as "lazy" to my uncles only because they "fucking" pissed me off so of course they weren't going to get 100% out of me. At first I did my best, but was blamed for something I absolutely didn't do, and found myself being punished for it by means of sporadic abusive and humiliating techniques my uncles would use to demean an employee that were similar to boot camp training. So I stopped giving a shit, and just gave them what they wanted to see I suppose.
I never knew just how bad I was treated until I worked in another field under different people. I am grateful for one thing my uncles gave me my liberalism, and my disgust for Republicans. Give these bastards power, and abuse is all you are going to see. Period. They allowed me the first glimpse at just what kind of world these so called "conservative white males" wanted us to live in. A world where they can shit on everyone, and there's not a damn thing they can do about it.

Been sitting here watching my stock market desktop app go up and down minute by minute. It's crazy.

Unlife

Unlife

Greeted by words
pondering dirt
rebellion our only parent
devils and hell
deep fingers in ever course hair
broken dolls for the children
taking trendy ways to die
they drift upon the wind
happy citizen
sell it all for your happy fix
undo a world of breaths
undo with climbing fingers
rogue thrill rides
meeting lambs at coffee shops
local sounds of electronic dogs
portable sizzling heartbeats
come about my angel
come about old friend
freeze and drowned
year after year after year
without notice
dirty little fog
soils these hands
the powerful
the steady flowers
the ever astounding
the unholy meter
our only metro
chuckling about cold soups
slabs of turkey meat
ignoring vast dreams of hunger
spreading outright
such a story of unlife
this our only reason
close the door
holiday drifting mistress
turn sadness to a final breath
redone at best.

by

Mark Byars 8-24-2011

This Modern World (click to view full size)

The Tea Party

I have to say I do believe in "fiscal responsibility". Perhaps it is my own debacle that makes me feel that way. The Tea Party movement is however under the category of "going way too far". It is a fringe movement that has been lit and mostly funded by the wealthiest 1%. Yes, the very thing Democrats have ragged on about for ages. The question you need to ask yourself is do you want government control, religious (theocracy) control, or corporate fascist control? You aren't going to get this total capitalist freedom you are talking about it "will not happen". If you are angry at the bank bailouts then going with the Tea Party movement is like going "I'll show you ... then pouring gas on yourself, and lighting yourself on fire". My concern in the end is "logic" I see it being undermined at an alarming rate. The mega tycoons, mega corporations, and mega banks are basically "raping our nation", and you are handing our country to these bastards. The economy appear to be just for the uber rich, and everyone else can pretty much just burn.

Very Mortal, but Aren't We All

The last 24 hours I have been feeling like crap. I think it is just the whole reality of trying to get it all together to pay off my debt, and the ugly face it presents. Even though I almost have a major bear off my back I still have other minor "bears" lurking about to deal with. I want these things mostly straightened out before I get married in April 2012. I feel slightly overwhelmed for some reason.

Talk about bad timing

"Insert Name Here" has just answered a question about you

I really hate getting these in my email. It is a play on the "hope" that you will click on the link in the email thus taking you to some damn app on Face Book that will jerk you around probably infect your computer with a virus or steal credit card information if it asks for any. It perhaps even hijacks your Face Book account. I have a grand fucking idea ... if you do answer a question about me ... send me an email directly from you "the answerer" telling me what the hell you said instead of all the tricks and hocus-pocus. Human beings are curious, and these cyber criminals know it. So if you get an email that says that one of your Face Book friends has answered a question about you ... don't click on it ... it's a trap.

A Old Quote: A good product sells itself.
My follow up: Obviously Republicans have a really bad product that they have to sell it like "snake oil".

Blog Traffic Blog Adverts

There are people out there that can literally live "well" on their blog proceeds. Basically the more traffic you get through your site the more chance that ads on that site will be looked at by a precent of them. Merely clicking on an ad is probably only a small percent as much as actually spending a bit of time on the ad. Giving it a look over at the least. I'm basically hoping for enough traffic eventually to keep myself "out of debt trouble". Where I come in is content. Need better content. What do I write, say, or do that is significant enough to merrit decent traffic on my blog? Technically "friends" automatically should give a damn enough to visit, and go on some ads daily or at least as time allows. Others? What content do I run with art, comic books, games, politics? My life is to damn boring to be worthy. So, I need to make a visitors time worth their while. Otherwise I do them a disservice and myself. I would love this to become a small second income, but with so many blogs. I may learn to interview perhaps. humm.

Note to self: Thinking about putting together a book of poetry in the next year.

Tech Classic

Being in the lower paid end of the IT industry for the last 16 years I have seen technology much come and go. When I first came to the business were I am at now we were on dumby terminals greenish screened CRTs linked through what would be considered by today's standards a very simple network that every time a thunderstorm came around we would be down for around 3 days, and that is if no more thunderstorms showed up. At that time we had "one" actual computer. Just one. No viruses or hacking back then as a major threat. Internet, if any, was dial up via a very loud land line modem. It's kind of funny in the "old days" technology was simple, but everything took forever to process and so much down time. Today, things are complicated, but things take an eighth of the time if that even, and down time is almost non-existent.

Spite Take ... An Earthquake!

It appears a 5.9 earthquake hit near Washington DC in the last hour. I hope everyone is ok ... minus Congress of course the deserve an serious elemental ass kicking.

Get Out of Debt

I have advise to all out there. Get out of debt as quickly as you can by some legit means. I have been in CC debt of some sort for decades now. All we do is feed an industry that is so evil, so absolutely without heart or soul I could only call it a monster of pure malice and greed. I pray that someday the leaders of this country will put a stop to this kind of lending it's just damn wrong. It's predatory to say the least.
Unfortunately, the banking industry has our leaders in their pocket. So help isn't on the way for anyone. All the resent lending laws have done is make higher APRs the norm thus hurting the average person, and making their debt go out of control. I'm sick to the damn stomach.

Citibank to Mark ... oh yeah, Well eat this!

Apparently my naive brain thought by paying off the balance it was done ... no, it's not. They informed me of "interest" accrued up until that point would have to be paid. The email they sent was not nice about it. BTW, my email closing it wasn't me telling them to fuck off either. I simply asked to close it now that I have paid the balance. I hate the credit card industry. They are so fucking evil.

From Crooksandliars.com

Mark to Citibank

After a couple of weeks sweating bullets I finally got my loan to come through, and now my highest CC is now closed, and payed off. After Citibanks total lack of desire to help me with a lower APR essentially telling me to "eat cake" in an email via saying your APR can come down if you pay your balance in full at the end of each month. Yeah right. Now, in five years I will have that bear off my back along with a variety of others soon to follow ... one way or another.
But in regards to Citibank please go fuck yourselves. Thank you.

Game of Thrones

I recommend the HBO series, but you better have a strong stomach for sex and extremely gory violence.
I didn't give the series Game of Thrones much thought originally. I had never even heard of the "books".
I had a what the hell moment, and decided to watch the first season of it. I could describe it as highly risk taking, and a great fantasy storyline with lots of twists and turns. Game of Thrones is set in an medieval fantasy world full of noble families, betrayal, incest, barbaric hordes, spurting blood, kings, and "perhaps" eventually dragons.

I am planning to read the book series for sure now.

The map of the kingdom

Typecasting Human Complexity

In yahoo.com's search engine I typed "the liberal inside", and the first article that came up was one from a conservative blog doing what seems to be the same kind of thing most Talk Radio pundits do ... take things out of context, and reassemble them to make sense only to themselves. The sad thing is that I am of the understanding that not all conservatives think this way no more than liberals can be tagged down by a mere couple of shallow concepts. What it comes down to is that humans are complicated, and many tend to not understand how politicians work at all, and I mean conservative, liberal, or whatever. Attempting to typecast however seems to be common, because it is what "sells". You know, kind of like the Nazis description of what they thought Jewish people were that made them into essentially devils or animals to be slaughtered during WW2. Dehumanization, of a sort. Makes it easier to condone violence towards that "other side". I typecast many conservatives under the header of "bully", but at the same time that isn't always the case. It comes down to who yells the loudest, and pushes the hardest on the people that are the most helpless. I define "some" as bullies but not all. Just like some liberals can be ...well complete assholes. Wow, can they be assholes especially if you trod on their delicate sense of "peacenikism", or snarky "neo-intellectualism" then you will see nashing sharp teeth appear "sometimes" cruel as any thing they think the other side possible of. I need it understood I do not dehumanize the conservative view, but I do point my fingers as some people that  display a dangerous level of malice towards a political systems they obviously have no understanding of past what some pundit has burnt into their heads with propaganda (talk radio, Foxnews, ect). To be honest if anything it is the PR of both sides that can be to blame, and it in the end is about profiteering from that reckless amount of anger that can unfortunately actually get people killed.

A Quick Mainstream Comics Primer

There are two major comic companies in the US. Marvel Comics and DC Comics. Marvel heroes are Spider-man, Iron man, Captain America, The Hulk, Thor, Dr.Strange, The Punisher, The Silver Surfer, Ghost Rider, The Fantastic Four, and the Avengers ... umongst a whole lot more. Those are the mains.
DC Comics is made up of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, The Flash, Green Lantern, The Martian Manhunter, Teen Titans, and Justice League. DC and Marvel are "separate" comic hero universes as well as being produced by two different companies. I posted this because my coworker didn't really have a clue of the difference, and we were talking about comic book values and the market.

New Captain America Pics from the set of The Avengers

New Images of Bane from Dark Knight Rises

More pictures of Bane from Dark Knight Rises (2012). I'm still not really impressed with this version of Bane ... I'm sure the storyline will make up for the different look.

Good people come in many packages

Sometimes I write so much hostile stuff I need to do a piece that is positive, and with the understanding that although I may disagree with your politics it is "the person" that matters most to me not some religious or political stance that person has. One thing I do know, as individuals I know a lot of really good people, and they are even "far right", or Libertarian or ... it doesn't matter. I base friendships on other things than mere politics. When I say "good people" I don't mean going to church every Sunday good people. I mean those I get a empathic sense of good from, and that can be anyone ... athiest, goth, business man, and country boy ... whoever.

YOU WANT THE TRUTH! ... YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!

Whats this truth you speak of?

I ask myself why do people vote for people that persistently lie to them? The only answer comes in the form of deniability. People so used to ignoring one voice over another that is "more pleasant, or what they want to hear." Just because it is something you don't want to hear doesn't make it untrue ... especially when it is true, and provably so. Therefore any problem that might "disrupt" their pleasant little world "never happened". Even if it happened right in front of their faces. The United States GOP is a living exaggeration factory, but ... it doesn't matter. Especially if you have people that can turn truth on and off at will not at any point going past "frivolous" responses and hypocrisy that the GOP (Republicans/Tea Party/Right Wing) shell out to adorning, cheering, and shouting lynch mob crowds.

I mention the GOP over the Democrats, because the Democrats are much less likely (out of the ordinary) to tell such lies that can be easily disproved by just "fucking taking a moment" and using your brain. Then again one of the tricks of the far right is anyone that doesn't agree with them or cheer them on is obviously in cahoots, such as this liberal media that they ramble on about when they don't want to answer serious questions.

The Republican Party and their counterparts (Tea Party, the right wing,ect) are in my opinion people that lie just to see how you react to it, and then get their jollies when you fall for it. Their lying is habitual, and the lies become "wilder" and more illogical and crazy as times goes on.

Back in The Diet Saddle Again

I have to say the whole low glycemic diet is effect, but only when you do it. I went two weeks cheating, and feel like crap. So, I am adding an angle to all of this. Eating more raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. They will make up the majority of my diet. I had a hand full of nuts, an orange, and some grapes for breakfast this morning, and I can already feel some of the extra energy showing back up. However, eating this small amounts probably mean I will have to do 8 meals a day, or "graze" as the day goes on.

Image from The Avengers 2012

The Problem with Libertarianism

Life helps them who help themselves x50 (sarcasm). Libertarianism doesn't really work. My problem(s) with it is that it has a large degree of heartlessness to it (that's the easy part), but most of all it is merely "non-sustaining". Our country presently has an infrastructure that isn't going to pay for itself, and the assumption is "I guess" that the rich will maintain highways (good luck on that one) to maintain their profits. Otherwise seeing we have "no taxes" where the hell does the money come to pay for roads? Do we just go back to dirt roads? Education becomes private or home schooled? So, everyone is going to be making enough money to pay for this kind of stuff?  Really? It also assumes that everyone will be ambitious enough to own their own business, and that wage slaves will no longer exist because of this?
I don't know, all of this sounds really naive. It also sounds like something the very rich would push to make the poor think they have any chance of "the big life". Also naive. There will always be a working class, because who will do all of this labor?Therefore as wage earners they form the repressed class that "will be" low paid, and likely in poverty. 
So, I essentially see Libertarianism as a voice of "greedy people that are so unwilling to help anyone in the literal sense that they come up with hair brain schemes that probably cost more than if they were just to help others out." That doesn't mean all Libertarians are that way they absolutely aren't, but I'm talking about the premise of it all. It just doesn't work. All it would do is hand wealth to the richest, make the poor even poorer, and bring us back to the days of the lawless old west most likely except with lots of preventable illnesses. Thanks to Libertarian deregulation I wouldn't trust your drinking water anymore, or your food from stores, or the safety of your car, or that snake oil someone just sold you for you fucking lumbago. I am being a bit unfair because any "purist" system of politics "won't work".  We all saw what happened with "Communism" ... yeah, that went over well.
In the end there has to be balance, and I see our country so totally "rightwinged" out that balance is just not able to take the phone right now. On top of all this, you have Christian religion trying to turn our nation into a fascist theocracy. So do we go with Conservative Libertarian Theocracy? Many of the GOP candidates in 2012 could be summed up as such. Seems to be a very unfortunate tonic that will kill a lot of people, and take a deity sized shit on our actual freedoms. The very rich ... they watch ... and they wait. I feel Libertarianism is a kind of delusional political system propagandized by those very rich who could care less if our country ends up in the shit can. I just can't figure why people don't see that. Is it the greed ... the reckless desire for power? I'm not sure.

I saw this book in BAM today. Personally, it creeps me out. What it says about our country isn't about freedom, but actually "slavery". Slavery to theocracy. It would appear that a pretty good amount of Americans ever since 9-11 have become more than willing to sell our country's mortal freedom to God (well not to God, but minions who speak in God's name that are usually con-men or women). Theocracy? Theocracy? You morons know that means you won't be free. It is enslavement to a dogma that can be as absolutist as Islam is, and that is what you want our country to be? Taken control of by those who will be even more tight and manipulative than even our Federal government is now? That's fucking patriotic? Enslave your neighbor to God! Sounds pretty fascist to me, jackbooted fascist. Theocracy is just as much a lack of freedom as Communism is. So are you really that stupid? Keep God in your church and in your heart if that is what you believe, but don't be shoving it up people's ass and stay out of our damn government. A belief in God doesn't make one patriotic, it makes them a "Christian", and in some cases a person that probably should be spending time in a padded cell.

"SHAME ON YOU ... " SIGNS

Every now and then in Knoxville I will see people sitting under an umbrella with a large white vinyl sign that typically shames this company or that company. Here is the truth. Stop it. The sheer greed of the companies you are protesting makes your presence pointless. They ... don't ... care. Peaceful protest will never get your point across if you think it will you are in ulta-magic fairyland. The corporations make billions of dollars yearly on the blood of the back of the middle class, and to them we are nothing. All that money puts a stopper on giving a damn.

Ok Ok its Official WINDOWS 7 SUCKS!

It's official Windows 7 and it's IE9 suck. Why? Because how you have to jump through fiery hoops to get anything done, and have to be a master of understanding Administration policy. I felt the same about Vista  too much outward security that hampered the users ability to get anything done that they want. You are still in pop up box hell with W7. Do you allow this allow that. It's one big battle after another. Then my other gripe is what I call "indexing". You can't just go into a file without W7 having to go through the whole file locking up your ability to do anything. I am currently looking for a fix for some of these issues, but I am not holding my breath. IE9 is a fucking travesty, because it might just stop working in midstream ... a lot. It is quirky. Personally the last stable good Windows systems were XP and IE7 ... so if you can stay on them do so.

That "Questionable" Photography

Bettie Page via Irving Klaw Photography

While I am kind of squirrely this morning over something entirely different. I have been trying to start up doing some photography again. A bit of advise. Don't ask women that aren't models. It is a waste of time. A big waste of time. Unless someone proves me wrong ... which up until now has "never" been the case.
If you don't get "no" upfront you will only get strung around until your breathless. I think to do this kind of photography is not as much a model being kinky (I'm sure it helps), but has a special kind of constitution about them. A strength and degree of fearlessness coupled with a desire to shake the fist womanhood and sexuality into the air, and that is no matter what the subjectivity is leather, vinyl, sweater girl, domination, bondage, or whatever.
I consider myself feminist. Why? Because I believe in sexual equality. However at the same time I believe in human sexuality, and a realistic view of that nature, and of the creativity of the human mind when it comes to sexuality. That is unless the person is a "complete and utter bore". So who shouldn't be considering this kind of modeling goes as followed preachers wives, preachers, public servants, politicians, and politician's wives. Anyone that basically has to put on a constant face in the public eye. Those who are supposed to be a "beacon" of human wholesomeness ... whatever the hell that is supposed to mean.

No Critique Then it Must Stink

From experience I have learned that not all movies that were panned by the critics turn out as bad as they rant on about unless of course it gets straight Ds or Fs even. However one way that I know a movies is going to stink, and even the people producing the film must know it is that "no" critics views show up on Yahoo Movies on the film. No in fairness that equation is typical of only blockbuster films that should be getting reviewed that first weekend but don't. This would appear to be the case for the movie "Conan the Barbarian", which I knew was probably going to flop. It's first strike is that it was a remake, and the production quality and acting is most likely "A Sci-Fi Original Movie" quality which might I add means straight to DVD or on television Saturday evening along with the plethora of other horrible films put out by that channel on the eve.

The Creepy Universe of Jesus Camp

Paranoid Style via Crooks and Liars

Paranoid Style: The Black Helicopter Republicans

By Matt Osborne

The operative word here is "believe," for as soon as the question is about conviction of faith the human mind will be immune to facts. The brain actively resists information that does not fit the story of the operating belief system, and stores contrary information in a way that does not change the system.

That we have evolved this peculiar trait is why so much of the right wing media dissected here at C&L is about a belief system, or rather the constant and deliberate invocation of that system. The audience craves confirmation of what they already believe. Plato described the mental system of paranoid politics as a cave with shadows projected on the walls. The current terminology for this phenomenon is "epistemic closure," but like the name Plato, that is a phrase guaranteed to make eyelids heavy.

I call this phenomenon "the paranoid universe." First described by Richard Hofstadter in The Paranoid Style in American Politics, it is a cyclical construct:

THEY are out to get us.
THEY are responsible for all the problems.

THEY are all in it together.

Thus do Muslims and liberals and feminists and socialists and Kenyans and Chinese and umpteen other suspects become Emmanuel Goldstein -- a monolithic enemy to be feared. The enemy makes them angry. They hate the enemy. Such minds don't care for details; they only know they are scared, and must blame it on someone that is outside the belief system -- alien. Fear the alien; suffer him not to live, and fight his future.

The Dead Elvis

A Note on Advertizing

I have probably brought this up before. By merely clicking on these ads, and spending a moment on them gives me revenue. I have had a "surprising" lack of luck talking anyone into doing this for some reason. Do they think they are going to  be hacked or phished, or virused? Technically this shouldn't be the case, and although I can not guarantee the sites legitimacy from my travels on them they seem to be.
So if you can spend time on my blog spend a moment clicking on my ads. You don't have to sign up, or provide any info, ... just check them out for a second or two. Note, ads are determined by my content in my blogs so the ads themselves could be as much right as they are left. I have little control over what gets posted.

Christian Spending "Our" Money to Prove a Point

First, two things I am not anti-Christian I am anti-collectivist reationary idiot more to the point God and Jesus don't ruin Christianity humans do.
Second, I am a big advocate for separation of church and state on "all" levels. The plans to build a Noah's Ark Park in Kentucky at $40 million in taxpayer expense is nauseating to say the least. What is it all about? Just one more zealot southern Christian wasting money on idols to show the whole world that he is more or less a lunatic, and not even of the genius variety. In reality these folks that create Biblical theme parks are in my opinion either con-men or crazy. As a con it is sickening "opportunism" pandering unprovable mish mash to the south's huddled under educated masses.

The Walk Off

Rick Perry Article from The Progressive Magazine

Rick Perry’s Thuggish Bluster

By Matthew Rothschild, August 17, 2011

One day after Rick Perry made his big announcement for president, he showed his true thuggish colors by going after Ben Bernanke, the head of the Fed.
He said it would be “almost treasonous” for Bernanke to print more money between now and the election, even though printing more money is about the only thing that’ll get the economy going at this point.
And Perry added a kind of menace we haven’t seen even in our nastiest presidential campaigns: "If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don't know what y'all would do to him in Iowa but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.”
What is that but the celebration of vigilante violence, bordering on a death threat?
Treating someone “pretty ugly down in Texas” conjured up, at least in my mind, the image of James Byrd, the black man in Tyler, Texas, who was tied to a pick up truck and dragged to his death by racists back in 1998.
At best, Perry’s remark betrayed his adolescent macho playground bluster.
And didn’t we have enough of that with eight years of “Bring ’em on” Bush”?
Perry might be even worse, as he’s talked of the need to prepare for armed conflict with Russia, China, and India.
“We are now confronted with the rise of new economic and military powerhouses in China and India, as well as a Russia that is increasingly aggressive and troublesome to its neighbors and former satellite nations that are struggling to maintain their relatively newfound independence,” he wrote in his campaign book, Fed Up, as Robert Dreyfuss has noted. “There is no reason to believe that armed conflict with any major power is imminent, but the world is rapidly changing, and the United States must be prepared for the ramifications of shifting balances of power.”
Starting World War III wouldn’t exactly make Washington “inconsequential” in people’s lives, as he vowed to do the day he declared for the Presidency.
And anyway, he just wants to make Washington “inconsequential” so it can’t regulate business.
Thuggishness, recklessness, and market fundamentalism combined with real rightwing fundamentalism: That’s Rick Perry, for you.

What the Tea Party Gets You

Christine O'Donnell Walks Out During 'Piers Morgan Tonight' Interview

One thing that seems to be a constant about tea party supported candidates for public office ... they can shell it out, but like any other sociopath or bully they can't take it. The moment the line of questioning gets a little difficult they tend to run away siting "rudeness". Last month Congressman Ryan pulled the same stunt on a female Al Jazeera reporter as he was leaving a sesson. Her question was far from rude. The tea party is apparently jacked full of opportunistic and perhaps sociopathic snake oil salesmen and women that talk tough and sweet, but can't get down to serious business of making the deals that the real world requires to get things down, and our country moving. You don't cut of a leg to remove a wart on the foot. The tea party chops off the torso as well as the leg. Yeah, that's how nuts these people are. Totally unreasonable.

Project Superman ... WTF?

As you may or may not have heard DC comics is restarting 52 different series including Batman, Superman, The Flash, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern. The fore runners to the new series are in issues called Flashpoint. Now, I have been only following the Project Superman Flashpoint. Wow, so that is it huh? The comics art "sucks", and the storyline is very difficult to follow, past the simple premise. The baby from Kryton ends up crashing in the middle of Metropolis instead of Smallville, and is raised in a secret military installation. Heavy bloody violence. Again, the art was absolutely horrible.
Painfully so. Chimps crapping on illustration board, and playing with the crap like finger paints probably could have created better illustrations. Well, I have purchased about a forth of the new books coming out Superman included. I hope, I hope that DC makes the best of this, but I fear the smell of quick opportunism of publicity driven 1st issues. We could be looking at DC Comics end of days.

Tobacco Industry vs. The Federal Government ... haven't we been there already?

The tobacco industry in the USA is suing the federal government for new "graphic" labels for cigarette packs. Cigarettes have been proven to do what the pictures imply. However because money is so free flowing in politics more than ever it would be more likely that a judge will be "paid off", and the labels will be stopped even though cigarettes have been proven to damage and blacken the lungs as shown by such images. On the flip side, I have seen an "actual" commercial that was so graphic over smoking and the damage in the body that it was very hard to watch. Very gory. I guess I am just surprised people still smoke. Then again people use "meth" with all it's obviously dangerous chemicals that typically reduce ones life down to 5-10 years with regular usage of meth. It becomes a game of Russian roulette in the end.

Is Help on The Way?

I put a donation button on this page. I guess I should expect "nothing" for the vast majority of people that come on my blog are probably themselves people that "hate" what I have to say ... so donations? I guess the hell with that. Fortunately, I have a possible out for my premarital debt situation. Tomorrow will tell though. I am working on a lone to do what has to be done. All in theory of course. I will still have debt, but it will be lessened, and my student loan is my last nasty debt to deal with. So ... if you want to donate to me there is a link, and if you just want to help in general click on some ads.

Tea Party ... Economic Terrorists

Last week President Obama was confronted by a couple of angry "Tea Party" members who accused the president of calling the Tea Party terrorists because they held the congress hostage over the budget and the national debt. Well, the president should call them on this. Technically, the Tea Party are indeed economic terrorists bent on making the majority of Americans be punished in the pocket book and wallet out of some twisted ideology that is really only being followed by a small, but "mouthy" minority that likely are either crazy or bought. One of the people who was talking to the president said that the majority of terrorists in America were liberal activists. First, I seriously doubt she could back up any legit numbers. Secondly, there is a big difference between burning SUVs, stealing chickens, and saving the fucking whales, and ... say, blowing up an abortion clinic, or shooting the doctor, or as far as that is concerned going out to "kill" as many liberals as possible before the police can put them down. The far right forgets one big thing ... they "are" killers, potential killers, or deniers. So, your ideology threatened the political careers of normally centrist Republicans, and therefore they voted to take this country down, and ruin the lives of millions of Americans over fringe Tea Party views.
So again, Mr.President stop being the apologist ... these idiots are terrorists, economic terrorists.

My upside and downside

I have a lot of knowledge about art, history, and political science, world theology, but I have to say I am not the best person when it comes to managing money. It is something I definitely need to work on. So, most likely I will be attending counselling on doing budgets. I am sick of doing well, and then having to turn my money over to multi-national banks that don't give a shit about me.

Doctor Who 6.2

ITS OFFICIAL ... CITIBANK IS PURE EVIL.

I just recently asked for help from CITI Bank over a high APR. First I called, and was essentually lied too given some phoney date of review of that APR to get me off the phone. Then I emailed them, and got what I call ... the evilist email I have ever seen. My initial email is at the bottom. CITI's email amounted to "let him eat cake".

Message

From:	######@citicorp.com
Subject:	Re: Need lower interest rate asap
Date:	August 11, 2011 3:20 EST
We received your request to lower the APR on your account. Unfortunately, at this time we are unable to offer you a lower interest rate. You are a valued account holder and we thank you for the opportunity to review your account information. Though we are unable to lower your APR at this time, we would like to share some tips with you. Outside of an interest rate reduction these can help minimize the interest charged to your account each month. ? You are always welcome to make payments over the minimum due to help reduce the amount of interest billed each month. There is no penalty for paying the outstanding balance being assessed interest charges in full. ? By making your payment earlier in the billing cycle, it can help reduce the average daily balance and help decrease the amount of interest charged each month. ? Your statement also shows how much to pay in order to pay off your current balance in 3 years. ? By consistently paying your account balance in full each month, by the due date, interest charges can be avoided altogether. If you have further questions or concerns, please contact us. We thank you for your business and the opportunity to serve you. To better assist you, we need to speak with you directly. Please contact us at 1-**********. We are available Monday through Thursday (6:30 a.m. - 11 p.m ET), Friday (6:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. ET), and Saturday (8 a.m. - 5 p.m. ET). Outside the U.S., call collect at **********. Thank you for using our website.

From:	markbyars
Subject:	Need lower interest rate asap
Date:	August 11, 2011 3:09 EST
23.99% is a great passageway to "bankruptcy". I need this lowered significantly so that I can keep control of this account otherwise I will be forced to find alternatives to dealing with this quickly becoming unmanagable debt. Thanks, Mark

Art for Sell?

I really don't want to go into the business of being a creator of art for the sake of making money that really pisses me off. Maybe the art I make will be a legit "expression". I really don't want to go down this damn road. I want to make art as it comes, and not like some freaking production line, but honestly things aren't looking pretty. I mean I don't mind selling my art, but I want to be proud of what I create, and sell it for a price that I know the buyer will take care of that art, and it won't end up bloody rotting in someones attic. I really want to create unique powerful abstract works, not a couple of hundred a year, but a couple of dozen at the most. Keep myself in the mode of creativity. Honestly, I am actually more mad at myself than any bank or creditor. At the same time I feel a victim of predators ... leaving me in a situation that sells my soul.

HEY CITIBANK GO FUCK YOURSELF

Well, I attempted to get my horrible APR down from 23.99% and was essentially told that it would be reviewed 8-21-2011 for a reduction (or raising to be honest). They could do nothing. I have been with these bastards for 19 damn years practically enslaved to them, and I guess they want to see me go under.
And you guys wonder why I need donations? I do.

Woke up at 4:30am this morning due to forgetting to take my benadryll last night. Mowed my girlfriends lawn, and drove back in a TDOT mess on the interstate that added an extra 20 minutes to the drive, and that was only because I exited on 640, and got back on 40 after a 8+ mile detour. Thank you TDOT your timing is an art form. On top of all this my oil light kept coming on and off as I drove up to my apartment last night. I found this morning that I almost ran out of oil in the car. Went to Wallyworld got oil, and gave me enough until I can fully change it. Damn ... I am so tired.

Yesterday was weird. Most of it I can not even repeat. I have a close friend whose job, and very life is endanger. My advise was find a new job elsewhere, sue this shit out of them, and get the police in on the other problem. Then, I had to go to the "doctor", a specialist, I has told one of the two answers I thought I would be. Thankfully, it wasn't you have some kind of cancer. I was an odd experience never the less. Not exactly unfruitful by any means. Today, my manager is off so I have to open shop so to speak.

About to have something medically checked out tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Facebook: The Double Edged Sword

Facebook has been a mixed blessing for me. I have been able to bypass my normal shyness simply by not having to engage in the face to face social graces. On the flip side, I perhaps create unrealistic expectations on the side of the other people that I am some kind of social creature which actually I am not. Also, people that "thought" they knew me may find that belief "shattered" by the ferocity of my opinions. My views on Christianity actually in truth are no different that any of other aggressive assimilating religious movement. Now, that is directed at "the human element" ... not God, Jesus, or whatever deity faith is in mention. When I refer to Republicans, conservatives, GOP, Tea Party in most part I am talking of the politicians themselves not individuals outside of that arena. The exception to these being individuals who "insult" my intelligence spewing propaganda to me not based on fact or truth, but populist right wing dogma. If someone does this ... expect the "gloves" to come off.

It was a pretty good weekend. Did some cleaning Friday night. Mostly cloudy outside everyday, but it didn't rain a lot, and wasn't as hot as it could have been. Mainly stayed in and cooked, watched the movie Australia, which actually wasn't that bad. We then went swimming at the pool in my apartment group. Free and relaxing. Then, back to back Torchwood episodes. Now back to the grind.

I have put myself back out as a private PC tech a couple of days ago to make some extra money seeing that I can't hope for it to just fall out of the damn sky ... people are just too freaky about their money, apparently. These are bad financial times for "almost" everyone. My problem is that expectations at work are that we in the IT department will work for "peanuts", and that just isn't right. $10 and  $20 per malware removal is idiotic. Best Buys "Geek Squad" makes $199 + for such work. $299 if they have to actually make a house call. I have a feeling though that unless I put my services outside my work place I am not going to be making any money at all.

PayPal Donations

In about 8 months I will be getting married to the love of my life. However, due to college, and a variety of other financial issues my debt is "out of control". I don't want to file for bankruptcy because with help I know I can manage this mess. So I am asking for help, and I am dead serious. I need to try to have $10K under control soon as possible. So I am formally asking for donations. I am not asking for financial advise I have a place now to do that which is free thankfully. I just need a boost up to were I can get back in control. So any amount you can spare will be appreciated greatly. Use the donation button below to send donations to my PayPal account. Make sure if it is possible to tell me who you are, or an email address. Thanks, Mark Byars
ps. I will be reposting this two times a week until the need is met, and all ugly comments will be deleted immediately so don't bother.

Hate me? Do you? Political Rant

I always wonder what my high school class mates, and a couple of other folks from various places must think of me. In person I am so quiet, but online I am essentially a "tiger". Understand, I haven't always been this way. I was indeed liberal since the very early 1990s, but until the right-wing attack upon my church that left two innocent people dead, and several seriously injured during a children's service I hadn't been exactly set on fire. So, someone walks into what is supposed to be a sacred place a safe place here in American, and murders innocents for their political and social beliefs I am afraid you just don't "get it". A man who I had know for years stood in the way of others had his guts blasted all over men, women, and children in an attempt to protect them from the right wing sleazeball. So you still hate me for how loud I can get over politics and social issues? Either by my own side by the strength of my anger which conflicts with their ever so delicate sensibles (peaceniks), or by the other side for daring to try to make them feel even a fucking inch of responsibility for allowing murderous fringe thinking to continue.
I am against Republicans and right wing politics because it is "wrong". Historically it is wrong. Ethically it is wrong. If you are a Christian, and believe in Jesus it is wrong. It is a political movement that is "a fucking waste of time and effort". It is paranoid. It is bigotry. It is racist. It is warmongering. It is greed on the highest level. The only reason it deals so well in the South is that white people are fucking morons, and rejoice in all those evils as somehow wholesome rebellion. If there is a Hell they will be going there post haste. As for the more "quiet" Republicans you just as bad because you sit back vote, and watch all this insanity happen, and except it with pride. Hateful, ignorant, pride.
And as far as the country's condition economically I blame each and every Republican for fucking letting this shit happen including every Tea Party nutjob, and ever psycho talk right winger.

PS. On the days after that killing the Knoxville News Sentinel's online site Knoxnews.com ran week or so of really good articles on the shooting at TVUUC. Unfortunely, it allows "comments" below the articles. "We had it coming" because we defended glbt rights that was the first couple of days. After that it was "we had it coming" and "enough already" ... ugly statement that KNS was pandering to us evil liberals that obvious deserved to die because we defended human rights not just of gltb people, but also racially. So, you wonder why I am so fucking angry? To some, I am a dog that need to be put down, exterimated, just because I believe in history, human rights, and science. So I, and "my kind" should be killed. Like the Nazis did the Jews. Right? Like the expansionists and US Army did the Native Americans to "clear land" for the "civilized". Yeah, civilized my fucking ass.

Amen, Senator ... amen.

New Media Places to Look

al Jazeera has been around for a while, but I just hadden thought about them as an alternative to the very day smug media of say CNN for instance. The good is that they allow us access to Middle Eastern opinion and media that we would normally not be able to see. It is a point of view that sees things differently that the USA, and that is sometimes a good thing to think outside of the box. I have been very impressed with some of their reporting. Especially when it comes to dealing with say our debt crisis.
Another impressive media outlet is The Atlantic, which is a really old magazine that I really hadn't thought about either. It also has interesting points of view. "Liberalish" one might say. However, I think unless a media formally claims one way or like Fox News or MSNBC takes visable punches at "sides" that it is difficult to really label.

New! Anne Hathaway as Catwoman from The Dark Knight Rises 2012

Definition of Mountebanks (Tea Party, Republican politicians, GOP, RNC)

Mountebank:

• A hawker of quack medicines who attracts customers with stories, jokes, or tricks.
• A flamboyant charlatan. A charismatic swindler.

Howard Zinn's Peoples History of American Empire

The Republican Party: Like Yelling Victory from the Deck of a Sinking Ship

... even though no one is around you, and honestly no one really gives a shit. Shouting to shout ... yelling to yell ... like some child ... well some irrational child..

So ... after all that BS ... this is what they did for our country.

See that black line ... that is what will be shaved off the national debt by the governments debt policy that the GOP fought so insanely over the last year putting our economy at risk ... no wait ... wait ... whats that our Stock Market just too a plunge even after all this? Yeah, well no fucking surprise.

THE FACE OF EVIL

Ever heard of the term "fright wig"? It's kind of a smart-ass way of saying wearing a metaphorical mask for the sake of keeping a specific group up in arms, scared, and mostly if not always irrational. The Republican party seems really good at wearing these masks, and therefore getting the desired results from "the peanut gallery".
Those folks who are probably white, paranoid, and have a very twisted view of reality in general. More of these people than I would honestly like to see in this country. So who to blame? The Republican party for their hair-um scare em tactics, or the unbelievably huge amount of denialist morons (mostly in the south and the Midwestern states). Too proud not to be stupid right? So who are the true evil? Fear mongering GOP politicians or the multitude of propaganda reassured wackos who breath the air of bigotry, anti-government hatred, and oh yeah, irrationality? I know, I know I just said the same things twice, but be assured it was necessary.
I will never understand why so many won't let go of the GOP they are just fucking bad. They get "nothing" done ever, and just cause a lot of shit in their wake. They are selling the USA a skunk everytime they are asked for an idea.

Another week almost over. Been busy due too "server issues" actually more so than dealing with the end and first of the month. It has been oppressively hot this week. Either truly hot 97 feels like 100 something, or 87 with a 90% humidity making it feel like 100 something with really think air. I look forward to the fall. Been working on my back room this afternoon, and my apartment looks like a complete wreck. Maybe doing a shoot in a couple of week ... maybe ... maybe not.

First Picture from THE MAN OF STEEL

The Temple - A Poem

The Temple
Suspicious wanders
spears of purism
thrash about so very bruised
life’s tearful shadow
deep and bare
curled lips take toxins
spectral illumination
slapping and stomping
over various tainted childhoods
now stoic and fire
ghosts in spinning light
ghosts in dark corners
drinking bloods
burning tall tells of pain
rope, cats, hate, and blowjobs
a thousand masks
Xanadu upon the pyre
tornado folk dances
spiteful fucking screams
human flame
immortal cascade of friends
heartless with heart
the sounds of stolen
soaked to the skin
decades of faces
known and unknown
black plastics, vinyls, leathers
flesh, beating hearts
lost time
a Temple for us.

~ Mark Byars 2011

Poem: Summer's Ash

hand of the city streets
a contact high
full of suns below
greenish gay skies
full of drifting death scents
power unto teasing children
rodents dodge us
low speaker
cool brave steamy
tease with fingers
flying mortal flags
flowers and puddles
toxic breaks in the loud asphalt
swimming in rare animals
fast as the gods allow
vibrate stolen
breath it in
play games with the Jones
making deep circles
making entrenchments
damning mother
the light comes
the winds and murder.

~Mark Byars August 2011

DOCTOR WHO SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON

rightwing ads?

I want it noted that I don't agree with all the ads that show up on my site. Some are counter to my liberal political beliefs. Thanks.

Debt Reduction

In about 8 months I will be getting married to the love of my life. However, due to college, and a variety of other financial issues my debt is "out of control". I don't want to file for bankruptcy because with help I know I can manage this mess. So I am asking for help, and I am dead serious. I need to try to have $10K under control soon as possible. So I am formally asking for donations. I am not asking for financial advise I have a place now to do that which is free thankfully. I just need a boost up to were I can get back in control. So any amount you can spare will be appreciated greatly. Use the donation button below to send donations to my PayPal account. Make sure if it is possible to tell me who you are, or an email address. Thanks, Mark Byars
ps. I will be reposting this two times a week until the need is met.

A Wake Up Call

The thing that all middle class and poor Americans should know and give thought too is that it isn't that I want the rich to pay more, as much as I would like them to pay "something". These people through their mega corporations rarely pay anything on the contrary they get government subsidies so they in the end can take American jobs overseas ... and by voting Republican you are handing this country over essentially to the robber barons of old. Yes, probably why “these” people are so eager to alter our history books with revisionism is to paint a different picture of the late 1800s-early 1900s, the McCarthy era, and a variety of other historical facts that do not paint a very pretty picture of them. For who knows how long they have used “religion” as a tool to control the masses effectively through a variety of fringe issues that in the end really do not mean a lot other than to paranoid control freaks that are either sociopaths or the “denialist” victims of sociopaths. The middle class fantasy of striking it rich someday so I have to vote for Republicans because eventually the tax people will be at my door with that horrid 50% tax rate I heard being spewed by Talk Radio all the time. Why our middle class and poor get so ravaged? Because they want to live in the white 1950s dream that to them seems like perfection though it was far from it. Personally I say all this because somewhere down the road a lot of good people I know that vote Republican are going to have an embarrassing amount of pie on their faces. A kind of shit pie one might say. Too all you pacifist Democrats that are so shocked that I say what I say … you aren’t any better than the people you decry under your breaths. You are handing our country over to corporate fascism by the delusion of thinking that somehow reason will grab hold, and that everything will just be damn peachy. It won’t … history shows that when the masses are repressed really bad things happen.
When I say repressed I don’t mean this Tea Party insanity that is just a reflection of human greed, bigotry, and malice I mean the jobless, the huddled masses, the over worked and severely under paid, an environment destroyed by deregulation and corporate abuses, under educated, and with laws so insane that you will think Orwell’s 1984 is upon us.
In the end I call any middle class or poor "insane" that votes for such thinking.
Finally, the Democrat party has no spine, or seems to not have one. Democrats in office bicker amongst themselves handing the government over to the Republican party by sheer default. I think we need some "new" parties that truly have our backs, and not our backsides. It might even be a wise idea to look into those parties that you have long feared so greatly such as the Socialist Party and the Green Party. Perhaps, actually finding out from "them" what they actually stand for, and not what Talk Radio propagandizes feeding you a steady diet of bullshit.

Did I ever say I hate Internet Explorer? I do.

Keith Olbermann The Man! On the Debt

About covers it.

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I don't know who is looking at my ads on my blog, but you have my sincere thanks.

Mark Byars

On Selfishness and Ayn Rand

Ayn Rand describe selfishness in the Virtue of Selfishness as being viewed by many as some brute troading over corpses to achieve some kind of evil self profiting ends. When I saw that description I thought, no that isn't what I think of when I think of the term selfish at all. I think of a bully or perhaps a child being petty over an possession. Selfishness as a "childish act" that for the most part needs to be out grown or eventually develop into "sociopathic" behavior. To those ends yes such behavior could be considered crude and even evil, but at the same time pathetic and petty. Another thought would be "hoarders" keeping everything to themselves, and unwilling to share. Bottom line I am describing the acts of a very very childish individual that doesn't necessarily have to be some brutish being on the contrary they could be a calculating sociopathic genius angry at the world for some reason or another. My envisionment of selfishness is also under the same header as greed though greed is a more adult term in my opinion. Both reflect a kind of hatefulness and hostility towards giving or sharing. Objectivism is merely an attempt to reframe bad societal behavior as good or somehow wholesome not as much out of guilt, but out of attempting to influence and control.

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Actually had some asshole on twitter the other day tell me if I would click on his ads he would click on mine. Yeah right. If you look like you are a legit blog perhaps I will.

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES!

New pictures have arrisen of Batman vs. Bane.