Frustrated, Inc.

I hate to think about the bail-out bill anymore, except to wonder how long it's going to take to see obvious examples of how large this particular government blunder is. Thank goodness for the internet because I'm sure those examples aren't going to be shown on television (not even Fox News, lol). At this point, I've lost all faith in television as a source of information. It's merely an entertainment monitor. I think it's more than obvious that our televised political debates aren't staged for informative purposes. Candidates aren't held to the question, their statements aren't fact checked (unless you search online), and at which point a candidate is on TV, he or she isn't saying anything revoltionary anyways. Elections are held for change. With the size of our government, the only way change is plausible is via revolution. Not merely modification, but by a post-definitively swift and forceful taking of change. Things that if a candidate wants to suggest he or she is running for, they might not vote for such a bill as the recent bail-out mockery... Selloutz!

I watched a couple of documentaries over the weekend. The first was Zeitgeist: Addendum, provided free online on Google Video (or see my previous entry). I had not heard of the previous Peter Joseph movie sans Addendum until looking for more information on it's sequel after watching. What I gather is Zeitgeist, Sr. covers is The Fed and Religion. Addendum covers these things in a different ratio, extensively covering our monetary system, debt, and The Fed's control and corruption of world markets and nations throughout history. It's fantastically detailed and presented. After that, it teaches on a growing scale from money to corporations to government to religion to humanity and the Earth (from bottom to top in the grand scheme, but the opposite of the corporate counterpart). While the tone of the movie is powerfully ominous, the movie builds hope in that with the information provided, change can be claimed and perhaps, civilization moved into its next great age. Further information about this Utopian society can be found here: The Venus Project. As I said in my last post, I recommend watching this.

The second Doctor of the past weekend was Religulous. As a self-identified agnostic, this movie played to crowd (preached to the choir invisibile?). I'm all for watching Bill Maher ask people how they can believe some of this junk (or whatever your religion is). It's also great to work at a movie theater showing this film as I can see a lot of people attending it. There's hope! Bill Maher suggests that sixteen percent (16%) of Americans are non-religious. He then points out that this number is greater than (outnumbers) our Jewish population (the one with all the money and the funny jokes). If this is the case, then why in the world does it feel like such a minority? There were two highlights of the film for me. The first was an older fella who works in astronomy and as a reverend. It was nice to see an traditional seeming representative of religion show appeal to reason and rationality. The second highlight would be Maher's rant at the end of the film and how it started small and built to a call to action against religious forces bringing upon us a self-fulfilled Armageddon. It's just pretty kewl beanz that this guy is on television (that there's one of 'em on our side). I would absolutely suggest anybody see this movie and if you're a subscriber to God, Inc. to ask yourself the questions Mr. Maher asks. Fact-check yourself. Submit querie.

I leave you with a bit o' Carl Sagan:
(as seen in Zeitgest: Addendum)
"An extraterrestrial visitor examining the differences among human societies would find those differences trivial compared to the similarities.
Our lives, our past and our future are tied to the sun, the moon and the stars... We humans have seen the atoms which constitute all of nature and the forces that sculpted this work... and we, who embody the local eyes and ears and thoughts and feelings of the cosmos, have begun to wonder about our origins... star stuff contemplating the stars, organized collections of ten billion billion billion atoms, contemplating the evolution of nature, tracing that long path by which it arrived at consciousness here on the planet earth... Our loyalties are to the species and to the planet. Our obligation to survive and flourish is owed not just to ourselves but also to that cosmos ancient and vast from which we spring.
We are one species.
We are star stuff harvesting star light."

Carl Sagan 1934 - 1996

Zeitgeist: Addendum

I recommend checking this out if you've got a couple of hours to spare. It's interesting and certainly thought-provoking, even if extreme in its idealism.

Where there's a Will, there's a dude probably named William.

ANOTHER WTF REPORT REJECTED! This one from the number three girl on the top five. This gives me a grand total of two rejects, one accept, and two remain pending... #1 & #4. I don't give a damn what number four thinks really... I couldn't live with myself proceeding forward with a number four. I do wish that number one would get off her ass and get back on her ass in front of a computer looking at her WTF Report Requests!!! How am I supposed to know if you're not dumb? Am I just supposed to message you based on my attraction to you from a profile picture? Do you wish me so shallow!?! Ugh. Maybe she already found love in the outside world... awwwww. That'd be adorable; but to quote Ben Affleck, "When Lord!?! When's gonna be mah time!?!" I'd go all Jesusy if it meant an increase in lady time... Jesusy... This pasta is good, but I just wish it was a bit more Jesusy.

I applied for a pretty Jesusy job yesterday. It was suggested to me by a pal that I should submit a resume to a very large Catholic church in West Des Moines, as they were looking for a full time audio engineer. "Well shoot," I said. "I've done been running audio boards for six years! But darn! I ain't got no Jesus in me!" My inner voice was raised in the Appalachians. I included with my resume, a cover letter that specifically noted that while tolerant of others' beliefs, I identify myself as an Agnostic. No Jesus gossip here, folks. I'm not so bold as to say it isn't possible (too many dumb arguments come from this statement)... I am so bold as to say that I find it very highly unlikely. I attended Church every Sunday morning while growing up. I have my own Bible with my name etched into the cover (It was a prize for remembering the Ten Commandments quicker than others in my class). I was into the story, but even through most of that time, that is all I looked at it as. This great story that supports the building of some very decent moral values (Disclaimer: only some, some of that shit is super outdated amirite?). It's an early childhood education tool that way too many bigkids are still more into than logic and rationale [a skill that science suggests may only be contained in a small percentage Y chromosomes (see: science)].
As I grew older, I realized that for some reason society made it necessary for me to arbitrarily identify my specific take on the subject at hand. After reading Bertrand Russell's Why I Am Not A Christian, I decided that whole fear of God thing really wasn't for me and having learned the opposite of Jesus is anarchy, I was an anarchist for a month or so. After learning that anarchy actually doesn't really have to deal with religion, I was an Athiest for a couple years. Then, I read some arguments people were having online in these magical forums. This is where I first read the word Agnostic. I looked it up and saw that it provided for total liberation from the discussion because you can apathetically be on both sides of the fence (without chafing). Since that time, I've seen no reason to change my stance on the subject. I figure that if I'm bleeding out, I'll probably say a prayer and if that doens't work and a vengeful mother fucker of a God doesn't want to hang out with me, I'll go to hell or wherever on principal alone.