Lunatic Fringe

Thinking a lot about Bradley Manning these past few days. While this nation's government encourages, facilitates, and rewards people for "blowing the whistle" on corporations and their fellow citizens, when it comes to the illegalities, immoralities, and improprieties of our government institutions, doing the very same thing can cost you your life, or everything else, failing that. War is hell, and national security is a dirty business, but to throw away humanity, morality, ethics, and human decency for the sake of obscure goals leaves us as a people resembling the very archetypes and monsters our enemies accused us of being in the first place. One government's traitor is another man's hero, and while very often the reality of the situation is obfuscated by the rhetoric, morals, and laws on either side, it should be obvious to any decent person that we cannot let the canaries in the coal mines go unheard, else-wise it won't be much longer until we're

There are times when I am alone in thought that it occurs to me- outside of memories- death is nearer and sooner realized than any return to the joys or things I used to be, and I despair. But there is also a voice, not long after, and not unlike a heartbeat, which is insistent that, despite the loss of years, the opportunity to do and be exactly what I want is ever before me, and is only so far away as the next moment. And in this fashion, with hope and curiosity, I am entreated to continue forward. And so I go, towards the greater balance of everything yet to be. So must we all.

Senator, This is the same flawed thinking which allowed for the Patriot Act, with it's robust capabilities to infringe upon civil rights, and it's pittance of terror related convictions. The bald faced truth is that for the foreseeable future no state or government will every sufficiently be able to defend against cyber attacks of any degree of sophistication, as evidenced by the repeated and incessant attacks perpetuated by groups both private and state-sponsored, by us, against us, etc. Citing danger as an excuse for infringing upon the rights and liberties of innocent and law-abiding citizens is never excusable, though it is done with an ever-increasing and frightening regularity. This is not as you say striking a balance, this is the eroding away via legislation of the basic rights of privacy otherwise afforded by the US Constitution. With all due respect, until those elected in to power realize it is not theirs to wield, but rather to shepherd, on behalf of those who

Birthdays make me squeamish. Holidays do too. And for that matter so do closing cabinets, opening envelopes, the changing of the seasons, and the passing of most cyclical events. I’ve been struggling with this birthday lately, perhaps because it didn’t give me the sort of anxious feelings that were any different than the ones I’ve always felt this time of year. We as humans like round numbers, we attach value to them, laud them, commemorate them, and build our lives around them. I’ve always struggled with them, forcing me to count has always forced me to count the things I miss, my beloved grandmother, and the darling Cocker Spaniels I’ll never see again. These round numbers to me are quite heavy, but of course this is no one’s fault, just a matter of fact, much like mile markers along the road we are all traveling, they are no more or less special to me than they are for anyone else, they just are. But still these thoughts persist, and I think I think the best I can surmise about th

Dear denizens of Yankee Universe (I hope I get the address right), We, as Red Sox fans, recognize that the team is playing awful, horrible, putrid, baseball, and are in the midst of an epic collapse. And if the team fails to make the playoffs, it will be because of the loud sucking sound coming from Fenway park, not from the vacuum that is between your ears (you, the dumb Yankee fans). The goal of the regular season is to make the playoffs, and in fact, by winning the AL East, and taking the last three from Tampa, your beloved New York Yankees have done the Red Sox a huge favor, as we have actually increased our Wild Card lead, despite losing 3 of 4 to the vaunted Fighting Showalters. So to reiterate, we are quiet because our team sucks, not because we're dismayed about the Yankees being so friggin' awesome- we're actually ecstatic that they've won these last three. Thanks, morons, and congratulations on being literate. :) Also, 'ecstatic' means you're feeli