Dreams are a funny thing. Somewhere between fantasy and memory, they are as 'real' as you want them to be when you experience them. Yet, so ephemeral are they that they fade from the mind in but a short time after you awaken. I'm told that we all dream, every time we go to sleep. If that's the case, then we don't remember everything we dream. Sometimes, I remember nothing of my nocturnal psychodramas in the morning. Void, blackness, emptiness. That scares me, for reasons I can't put my finger on.
Lately, though, I've been having vivid and, quite frankly, confusing dreams, night after night. And when I wake up, I can recall them with near perfect clarity. So, for no other reason than that they confuse and/or interest me, I thought I would post them here for reflection.
The follow is true; the names and dates may have been changed to protect the innocent.
* 16-12-08 - This one baffles me. Apparently, I found a bunch of rodents frozen in blocs of ice outside. All shapes and sizes - mice, rats, hamsters, jerboas, guinea pigs, porcupines. I started thawing them out in a big tub and trying to rescue them. I also was trying to find one that would be friends with my pet rat Sandy.
* 18-12-08 - I was in JJC, except it was mostly abandoned. Also, it was sort of film noir, with dutch angles and in black-and-white. I met an older maShona woman in the hall. She told me that they were serving traditional Zimbabwean food in the cafeteria because it was a holiday, so I went there. There was also strange music coming from the speakers.
* 20-12-08 - There was some sort of post-Apocalyptic world and I was in a grocery store buying stuff. There was also a magician in a black mask, and then a pregnant bellydancer in a red costume came and did a cabaret-style dance. She had a tattoo of a farohar (Persian winged disk) on her butt, and of a tiger on her back. Interesting use of symbolism, I think.
* 21-12-08 - Characters from Heroes were in my dream, and Dr. Suresh wanted to 'discover my powers.' Also, I went to a hospital and there was some guy in a padded cell who was speaking in an unknown language. When I went to see him, I had visions of some sort of isolated glen in Greece at night. Either inspired by watching too much Heroes and/or reading paranormal message boards.
So, take of those what you will. Some of them use rather obvious symbolism. Dreams are, I suspect, a doorway into the collective subconscious of mankind, and while one might think me foolish for posting things that might reveal my hopes, fears, ambitions and weaknesses in such a public setting, at the same time, I feel compelled to offer them for reflection, if nothing else. A man who is honest with himself has nothing to fear. I shall ponder over these some more, I suspect...
Monday, December 22, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Fresh New Beats on al-Jazeera's 'Playlist'
Wow! So I was surfing the web, looking at various bands that I like and seeing what new music I could find when, by nothing more than sheer chance, I stumbled across some videos from Doha-based media outlet al-Jazeera's Playlist. Apparently, it's a music show that goes around the world finding fresh new sounds from different artists - they've got some great selections from the US, the Middle East, Britain, Europe, Africa and beyond. And alot of artists that I really like have been featured too! Dengue Fever, Balkan Beat Box, Rachid Taha, Gogol Bordello, Hanine y Son Cubano, Toumani Diabate, M.I.A., Akli D, Tony Hanna and the Yugoslav Brass Band, Justin Adams, Tinariwen, Soap Kills, the Chehade Brothers....
Man, I am in LOVE! And no, thats not a reference to anchorbabe Ghida Fakhry. I absolutely love it when I find stuff like this, because it gives me a whole bunch of new artists to explore and see what I might like or want to experiment with. Plus, it makes me feel so cutting edge... knowing about all the cool new music before all of my friends and associates, you know. Its like the good old days, when I would discover some really obscure random band who would become big later... This show is AWESOME, and so up my alley. Really pisses me off that it's so hard to get al-Jazeera out here in the Midwest. People have gone to GREAT LENGTHS to suppress it out here. But at least you can still watch it online, and for free nonetheless. Plus, there are a bunch of clips floating around on YouTube. Looks like the current show is focusing on some of the new talent coming out of South Africa (one of the powerhouses of African music, in fact).
Given that their selections mirror my taste in music pretty well, I think I am obligated to look up some of the other artists on their site. I get a feelingsome most of them would be right up my alley. Also, Michelle, if you are reading this, check it out. I know you like some of this music too (Gogo Bordello, Rachid Taha, M.I.A., Balkan Beat Box, Calexico, etc). I get a feeling this might be a good show to watch. Time for some internet surfing and sampling of bands on Amazon and iTunes....
Man, I am in LOVE! And no, thats not a reference to anchorbabe Ghida Fakhry. I absolutely love it when I find stuff like this, because it gives me a whole bunch of new artists to explore and see what I might like or want to experiment with. Plus, it makes me feel so cutting edge... knowing about all the cool new music before all of my friends and associates, you know. Its like the good old days, when I would discover some really obscure random band who would become big later... This show is AWESOME, and so up my alley. Really pisses me off that it's so hard to get al-Jazeera out here in the Midwest. People have gone to GREAT LENGTHS to suppress it out here. But at least you can still watch it online, and for free nonetheless. Plus, there are a bunch of clips floating around on YouTube. Looks like the current show is focusing on some of the new talent coming out of South Africa (one of the powerhouses of African music, in fact).
Given that their selections mirror my taste in music pretty well, I think I am obligated to look up some of the other artists on their site. I get a feeling
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Racism and Media Bias
No doubt some of you out there have eagerly been following the unfortunate incidents in Mumbai (formerly Bombay, for you colonials out there), perhaps even worried about friends, relatives and loved ones back in Bharat. For those not savvy on the incident, you can read up on it at BBC South Asia, The Deccan Herald, al-Jazeera English and/or MSNBC.
Now you know me. I'm practically in bed with the so-called 'Liberal Media,' but as the dust settles and question start getting asked, quite a few things about these attacks bother me. First of all, at least a couple hundred people are currently dead, and I expect that toll to rise a bit as the authorities start taking census of the carnage. Yet the media chooses to focus in solely on a couple of dead Americans, Brits and others. These murders are a tragedy, regardless of whom died. Yes, my heart goes out to my fellow Americans who died or lost loved ones. But I also feel empathy for the Britons who died, and the Australians, and the Israelis, and the Indians, and everyone else. How could I not? The vast majority of the people killed in these attacks were not tourists, though; they were local people just going about their daily lives, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a tragedy, and their lives are just as valuable as some European or American tourists.
Far more worrying than media bias, though, is the disturbing degree or organization on the part of the attackers. South Asia is no stranger to terrorism. But these attacks are different from, say, random car bombings in Kabul, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, or Maoist guerrillas in Nepal. For one, these attackers were highly disciplined, organized and trained, and armed to the teeth. They were more akin to professional soldiers than your typical terrorists. Who were they? Who trained them? Who were they working for? Those are the questions that need to be asked. The Indian government should have made it a top priority to try and take as many of them alive as they could, in order to interrogate them, because we (the international community) need to know these things. The fact that they could carry out such an organized attack on one of the world's largest and most important cities is bad. Very bad. The only way to stop future attacks is to find out who is supplying them, because nothing would prevent another cell from attacking, say, Calcutta, Madras, Goa, Hyderabad, Amritsar or Jaipur at the moment.
Both India and the US have wasted no time in pointing fingers at Pakistan, and while I cannot rule out involvement/backing by the ISI, there are no list of possible suspects in this crime. Russia, China, Iran, the EU, even the US... any country could have trained and backed these people. India is a rapidly expanding economic power. Indian goods are sold around the world. And, in contrast to every other Asian country, India actually has a single overseas military base (in Tajikistan), and could easily expand into other parts of Central, South and Southeast Asia. The attacks on Mumbai were meant to disrupt India's banking, economy, tourism and even Bollywood... it is part of an organized, well-planned terrorist attack. And there are no shortage governments that could have been behind it. Worse still, in this day and age, it is easy enough to find, and hire,private security contractors mercenaries. Even the US is employing some, like Blackwater and Triple Canopy, in Iraq. It is not inconceivable that a mercenary company somewhere could have trained these terrorists. That is why they need to be captured and interrogated.
Terrorism is bad for us, our allies, and the entire free world. Above all else, I am in favor of capitalism and free trade, spreading prosperity so that we don't have children starving to death in the streets. We have already seen what happens when elements in the US hijack our country to drive it to war, like in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yes, it might benefit a few individuals, but for you and I, it only makes things worse at the end of the day. How many Americans and Iraqis have died to help Halliburton's shareholders? That is not the American way! That is not FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY and CAPITALISM! Were it up to me, I would recommend sending American military, police, medics, mercenaries, security consultants, government agents and diplomats - anyone we can spare in both the government and private sector - to India immediately to help with the clean-up efforts. We cannot allow instability to take hold of the world's largest democracy, nor can we allow another ally to fall.
That's my two cents on the issue
Now you know me. I'm practically in bed with the so-called 'Liberal Media,' but as the dust settles and question start getting asked, quite a few things about these attacks bother me. First of all, at least a couple hundred people are currently dead, and I expect that toll to rise a bit as the authorities start taking census of the carnage. Yet the media chooses to focus in solely on a couple of dead Americans, Brits and others. These murders are a tragedy, regardless of whom died. Yes, my heart goes out to my fellow Americans who died or lost loved ones. But I also feel empathy for the Britons who died, and the Australians, and the Israelis, and the Indians, and everyone else. How could I not? The vast majority of the people killed in these attacks were not tourists, though; they were local people just going about their daily lives, who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is a tragedy, and their lives are just as valuable as some European or American tourists.
Far more worrying than media bias, though, is the disturbing degree or organization on the part of the attackers. South Asia is no stranger to terrorism. But these attacks are different from, say, random car bombings in Kabul, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, or Maoist guerrillas in Nepal. For one, these attackers were highly disciplined, organized and trained, and armed to the teeth. They were more akin to professional soldiers than your typical terrorists. Who were they? Who trained them? Who were they working for? Those are the questions that need to be asked. The Indian government should have made it a top priority to try and take as many of them alive as they could, in order to interrogate them, because we (the international community) need to know these things. The fact that they could carry out such an organized attack on one of the world's largest and most important cities is bad. Very bad. The only way to stop future attacks is to find out who is supplying them, because nothing would prevent another cell from attacking, say, Calcutta, Madras, Goa, Hyderabad, Amritsar or Jaipur at the moment.
Both India and the US have wasted no time in pointing fingers at Pakistan, and while I cannot rule out involvement/backing by the ISI, there are no list of possible suspects in this crime. Russia, China, Iran, the EU, even the US... any country could have trained and backed these people. India is a rapidly expanding economic power. Indian goods are sold around the world. And, in contrast to every other Asian country, India actually has a single overseas military base (in Tajikistan), and could easily expand into other parts of Central, South and Southeast Asia. The attacks on Mumbai were meant to disrupt India's banking, economy, tourism and even Bollywood... it is part of an organized, well-planned terrorist attack. And there are no shortage governments that could have been behind it. Worse still, in this day and age, it is easy enough to find, and hire,
Terrorism is bad for us, our allies, and the entire free world. Above all else, I am in favor of capitalism and free trade, spreading prosperity so that we don't have children starving to death in the streets. We have already seen what happens when elements in the US hijack our country to drive it to war, like in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yes, it might benefit a few individuals, but for you and I, it only makes things worse at the end of the day. How many Americans and Iraqis have died to help Halliburton's shareholders? That is not the American way! That is not FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY and CAPITALISM! Were it up to me, I would recommend sending American military, police, medics, mercenaries, security consultants, government agents and diplomats - anyone we can spare in both the government and private sector - to India immediately to help with the clean-up efforts. We cannot allow instability to take hold of the world's largest democracy, nor can we allow another ally to fall.
That's my two cents on the issue
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Breaking News: Somali Pirates to Acquire Citibank
DJIBOUTI - The Somali pirates, renegade Somalis known for hijacking ships for ransom in the Gulf of Aden, are negotiating a purchase of Citigroup.
The pirates would buy Citigroup with new debt and their existing cash stockpiles, earned most recently from hijacking numerous ships, including most recently a $200 million Saudi Arabian oil tanker. The Somali pirates are offering up to $0.10 per share for Citigroup, pirate spokesman Sugule Ali said earlier today.
The negotiations have entered the final stage. Ali stated, “You may not like our price, but we are not in the business of paying for things. Be happy we are in the mood to offer the shareholders anything at all.”
The pirates will finance part of the purchase by selling new Pirate Ransom Backed Securities. The PRBS’s are backed by future ransom payments from hijackings in the Gulf of Aden. Moody’s and S&P have already issued their top investment grade ratings for the PRBS’s.
Head pirate Ubu Kalid Shandu said, “We need a bank so that we have a place to keep all of our ransom money. Thankfully, the dislocations in the capital markets have allowed us to purchase Citigroup at an attractive valuation and to take advantage of TARP capital to grow the business even faster.”
Shandu added, “We don’t call ourselves pirates. We’re coast guards. This will just allow us to guard our coasts better.”
The pirates would buy Citigroup with new debt and their existing cash stockpiles, earned most recently from hijacking numerous ships, including most recently a $200 million Saudi Arabian oil tanker. The Somali pirates are offering up to $0.10 per share for Citigroup, pirate spokesman Sugule Ali said earlier today.
The negotiations have entered the final stage. Ali stated, “You may not like our price, but we are not in the business of paying for things. Be happy we are in the mood to offer the shareholders anything at all.”
The pirates will finance part of the purchase by selling new Pirate Ransom Backed Securities. The PRBS’s are backed by future ransom payments from hijackings in the Gulf of Aden. Moody’s and S&P have already issued their top investment grade ratings for the PRBS’s.
Head pirate Ubu Kalid Shandu said, “We need a bank so that we have a place to keep all of our ransom money. Thankfully, the dislocations in the capital markets have allowed us to purchase Citigroup at an attractive valuation and to take advantage of TARP capital to grow the business even faster.”
Shandu added, “We don’t call ourselves pirates. We’re coast guards. This will just allow us to guard our coasts better.”
Is That a Serpent In Your Pocket or Are You Just Happy to See Me?
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Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Reflections
Haven't posted in this blog in a while. Haven't really felt all that alive either. I hate the suburbs... actually, that's not true. There are parts of the 'burbs I like. The hot soccer MILFs for one. Free parking for another. But there's something out here that just sort of makes everyone feel... how shall I say this? Apathetic? It's as if people get caught in these dead ends and just kind of piss their lives away. And I feel the same thing happening to me. I have to get out of here and get on with my life.
At this point in my life, I'm far from where I want to be. And, quite frankly, I don't see it getting any better any time soon. I've been pushed into a career that isn't what I wanted, and I'm tied down by far too much. Money is nice, but I can feel my identity slipping away. It's not that I'm a different person than I was, say five or ten years ago. It's that my entire IDENTITY has had to be negotiated. That's not fun... it just kind of leaves you feeling numb in fact. Oh sure, I can change my appearance and personality at the drop of a hat, shifting through personas like some other people might change clothing. But deep down inside, I think I forget who I really am. If I really am, in fact. Without having some sort of interests, hobbies, something, I think I start to loose track of myself.
And that's just it. It's not that I can't dress the way I want to; outward appearance is nothing more than a social statement. It's that everything, down to my very beliefs, has been decided for me, and society only serves to enforce these unspeaken codes. Am I exaggerating? Probably, I have a dramatic flair for hyperbole. But think of it? How often have you held back your own personal opinions because of your parents, bosses, co-workers, spouses or, worse still, people you don't even know? How often have you chosen to dress in a specific way because you were told to? To eat foods you don't like, or go to events you could care less about?
The fact is that from a very early age, we are taught to subsume our own precious individuality and 'go with the flow.' It is this same sort of ignorant mentality which lead so many Germans to cooperate with the Nazis during World War II, because they simply accepted the attrocities of their government. They were 'just following orders'... We have seen this time after time, from Rwanda to Bhopal to 9-11. The Æons keep mankind shackled and ignorant, but it is as much our fault, for we have sacrificed that most human of all traits - Free Will!
Halloween sucked this year. I mean truly and honestly sucked. I'll spare you the details, both because I don't care and because it isn't important. What I realized is that other people, many of them younger (and happier) than myself, have not given up their identities. Part of it is the difference between people in the city, and people in the suburbs. People in the city have more freedom to express themselves and retain their ideals; here, people stagnate and become... content to waste their potential for greatness. The other part? Social life. Over the last couple of years, I've been a bad friend. I've neglected many... most of my friends. The fact is, I don't go out with them, I don't visit or hang out, I don't even call them. Even people I used to see every day of my life. And I'm sorry for that.
The fact is, I need to get out of the house more often, even if that leaves me with no sleep once in a while. Or no money for that matter. The fact is, there are people in this world who still, once in a while, manage to drag themselves out of bed and go out and do stuff with their lives... take classes, learn a new language, dancing, sky diving, trying new foods, reading books, going on vacations, seeing plays or movies, and I don't mean the latest Tom Cruise blockbuster. I mean those short run movies that play for a week or two, then you have to hope they show up later on DVD if you missed them. I have not been going to concerts, night clubs, bars, cultural festivals, BBQs, museums, art galleries, lectures or political rallies. And the world is a sadder place for it all.
To be honest, there are only really two paths I could go down. I could be petty and jealous, complaining about people who chose to be more... well interesting than I am. Or, I could join them. I'm done supressing my own beliefs and identity simply to appease some long dead old coot, and I hope you will join me.
Which would you rather be? One of those boring old people who sit at home all day, staring at the wall and wondering where your depth perception went, or a person who actually gets out there and does... SOMETHING! Take some classes, learn an art, develop some new skills, make friends. Just get off your bloody arse once in a while!
Ahhh... money. There's the rub. I wasted a good portion of yesterday resolving some... descrepencies on my bank statement. I'm getting my money back for the disputed charges, Praise Be to God, but it's still rather annoying. A cabal of thieves had gotten my credit card number, illegally, and were charging me. The clue? They started by charging small amounts, then went on to charge bigger amounts only minutes later. Although no much, $30-50 USD, it still adds up over time. I ultimately had to close my checking account and open a new one, which means everything is stalled. I have to get a new debit card... and the worst part? These charges all came from various aliases going back to a place called CCBill... It's a scam folks.
Now, I have no problem acknowledging I look at porn now and then. That's what the internet was made for, in fact, at least according to my latest conspiracy theory. But I sure as hell am not going to pay for charges that I never made, let alone two or three in a day. The way it works is that this site gets your card number, either you sign up for a site or through other means (including Amazon, by some accounts), and then they sign you up for a 'free trial,' after which they go on to rip you off. What they don't tell you is that they also will sign you up for OTHER sites, which then charge you after X number of days. To top it all of, they do not neccessarily send you an e-mail, nor do you have a password for these sites (which means you cannot easily cancel). And, if you try to cancel, they won't neccessarily take you off. And if they don't send you an e-mail confirming this, they will say that they cannot prove it (not true, by the way, since any e-mail leaves a record) and thus are not legally obliged to cancel.
In the end, you wind up paying money. YOUR money. And lots of it! You can read all about it at ripoffreport.com. Needless to say, it's a multi-million dollar business, all leading back to the slimy fingers of one Mr. Ron Cadwell of Tempe, AZ. He's a former chiropractor (another scam, by the way) and self-proclaimed 'porno king' of the internet. And where are the Feds on this S.O.B.? They won't touch his fat ass with a ten foot pole, not that I can blame them. He's probably bought them off. This is another example of American criminals victimizing other Americans, and the .gov choosing to 'look the other way.' Damn well makes me want to get all Jihad on his fat ass... speaking of which, I have his name, phone number, address and personal information. Managed to track that down, but I'm not sure what prank would be funniest. Suggestions welcome.
I've decided to dip into my travel funds a bit. Originally, I had hoped to go overseas sometime soon, but various things have made that a virtual impossibility for the time being. Since the future is not yet born, who cares? I've got money, so I may as well waste it on things that I like. There are alot of straight-to-DVD bad horror movies, the rest of the 8 Films to Die For from last year, more Deathnote stuff, and of course Doctor Who. Not to mention games, whether electronic or table top. And even a few odd toys here and there to keep my attention for some time. Maybe even get a new scorpion, or some sort of poisonous sea creature... I think I have space in my room for an aquarium. And if not, then I suppose I shall have to make space for it.
What about concerts? To be honest, I'm not sure at the moment. I said before I want to get out and, well do stuff. Southeast Asia Night was great. A sort of ironic turn of events, actually. I had hoped to go up to Toronto for the Emilie Autumn concert, but I never got my tickets. I'm still out money on that, by the way, and I'm not sure whether the guy who sold them never sent them or the .gov simply chose to confiscate my mail (yet again). I still have a number of parcels which have yet to reach me, including some from points of origin now designated as the 'Axis of Evil' by our (former) President. In fact, I haven't heard from my contact in the West Bank for many moons.
I have a new winter coat, and look forward to the first snows. I also DID get my Sonic Screwdriver. Hooray for British Doctor Who toys! I suppose that means I can at least count on packages from the U.K., thank God, since a significant portion of my mail comes from there.
At this point in my life, I'm far from where I want to be. And, quite frankly, I don't see it getting any better any time soon. I've been pushed into a career that isn't what I wanted, and I'm tied down by far too much. Money is nice, but I can feel my identity slipping away. It's not that I'm a different person than I was, say five or ten years ago. It's that my entire IDENTITY has had to be negotiated. That's not fun... it just kind of leaves you feeling numb in fact. Oh sure, I can change my appearance and personality at the drop of a hat, shifting through personas like some other people might change clothing. But deep down inside, I think I forget who I really am. If I really am, in fact. Without having some sort of interests, hobbies, something, I think I start to loose track of myself.
And that's just it. It's not that I can't dress the way I want to; outward appearance is nothing more than a social statement. It's that everything, down to my very beliefs, has been decided for me, and society only serves to enforce these unspeaken codes. Am I exaggerating? Probably, I have a dramatic flair for hyperbole. But think of it? How often have you held back your own personal opinions because of your parents, bosses, co-workers, spouses or, worse still, people you don't even know? How often have you chosen to dress in a specific way because you were told to? To eat foods you don't like, or go to events you could care less about?
The fact is that from a very early age, we are taught to subsume our own precious individuality and 'go with the flow.' It is this same sort of ignorant mentality which lead so many Germans to cooperate with the Nazis during World War II, because they simply accepted the attrocities of their government. They were 'just following orders'... We have seen this time after time, from Rwanda to Bhopal to 9-11. The Æons keep mankind shackled and ignorant, but it is as much our fault, for we have sacrificed that most human of all traits - Free Will!
VIII. of Wands, Reversed
Halloween sucked this year. I mean truly and honestly sucked. I'll spare you the details, both because I don't care and because it isn't important. What I realized is that other people, many of them younger (and happier) than myself, have not given up their identities. Part of it is the difference between people in the city, and people in the suburbs. People in the city have more freedom to express themselves and retain their ideals; here, people stagnate and become... content to waste their potential for greatness. The other part? Social life. Over the last couple of years, I've been a bad friend. I've neglected many... most of my friends. The fact is, I don't go out with them, I don't visit or hang out, I don't even call them. Even people I used to see every day of my life. And I'm sorry for that.
The fact is, I need to get out of the house more often, even if that leaves me with no sleep once in a while. Or no money for that matter. The fact is, there are people in this world who still, once in a while, manage to drag themselves out of bed and go out and do stuff with their lives... take classes, learn a new language, dancing, sky diving, trying new foods, reading books, going on vacations, seeing plays or movies, and I don't mean the latest Tom Cruise blockbuster. I mean those short run movies that play for a week or two, then you have to hope they show up later on DVD if you missed them. I have not been going to concerts, night clubs, bars, cultural festivals, BBQs, museums, art galleries, lectures or political rallies. And the world is a sadder place for it all.
To be honest, there are only really two paths I could go down. I could be petty and jealous, complaining about people who chose to be more... well interesting than I am. Or, I could join them. I'm done supressing my own beliefs and identity simply to appease some long dead old coot, and I hope you will join me.
Which would you rather be? One of those boring old people who sit at home all day, staring at the wall and wondering where your depth perception went, or a person who actually gets out there and does... SOMETHING! Take some classes, learn an art, develop some new skills, make friends. Just get off your bloody arse once in a while!
Ahhh... money. There's the rub. I wasted a good portion of yesterday resolving some... descrepencies on my bank statement. I'm getting my money back for the disputed charges, Praise Be to God, but it's still rather annoying. A cabal of thieves had gotten my credit card number, illegally, and were charging me. The clue? They started by charging small amounts, then went on to charge bigger amounts only minutes later. Although no much, $30-50 USD, it still adds up over time. I ultimately had to close my checking account and open a new one, which means everything is stalled. I have to get a new debit card... and the worst part? These charges all came from various aliases going back to a place called CCBill... It's a scam folks.
Now, I have no problem acknowledging I look at porn now and then. That's what the internet was made for, in fact, at least according to my latest conspiracy theory. But I sure as hell am not going to pay for charges that I never made, let alone two or three in a day. The way it works is that this site gets your card number, either you sign up for a site or through other means (including Amazon, by some accounts), and then they sign you up for a 'free trial,' after which they go on to rip you off. What they don't tell you is that they also will sign you up for OTHER sites, which then charge you after X number of days. To top it all of, they do not neccessarily send you an e-mail, nor do you have a password for these sites (which means you cannot easily cancel). And, if you try to cancel, they won't neccessarily take you off. And if they don't send you an e-mail confirming this, they will say that they cannot prove it (not true, by the way, since any e-mail leaves a record) and thus are not legally obliged to cancel.
In the end, you wind up paying money. YOUR money. And lots of it! You can read all about it at ripoffreport.com. Needless to say, it's a multi-million dollar business, all leading back to the slimy fingers of one Mr. Ron Cadwell of Tempe, AZ. He's a former chiropractor (another scam, by the way) and self-proclaimed 'porno king' of the internet. And where are the Feds on this S.O.B.? They won't touch his fat ass with a ten foot pole, not that I can blame them. He's probably bought them off. This is another example of American criminals victimizing other Americans, and the .gov choosing to 'look the other way.' Damn well makes me want to get all Jihad on his fat ass... speaking of which, I have his name, phone number, address and personal information. Managed to track that down, but I'm not sure what prank would be funniest. Suggestions welcome.
I've decided to dip into my travel funds a bit. Originally, I had hoped to go overseas sometime soon, but various things have made that a virtual impossibility for the time being. Since the future is not yet born, who cares? I've got money, so I may as well waste it on things that I like. There are alot of straight-to-DVD bad horror movies, the rest of the 8 Films to Die For from last year, more Deathnote stuff, and of course Doctor Who. Not to mention games, whether electronic or table top. And even a few odd toys here and there to keep my attention for some time. Maybe even get a new scorpion, or some sort of poisonous sea creature... I think I have space in my room for an aquarium. And if not, then I suppose I shall have to make space for it.
What about concerts? To be honest, I'm not sure at the moment. I said before I want to get out and, well do stuff. Southeast Asia Night was great. A sort of ironic turn of events, actually. I had hoped to go up to Toronto for the Emilie Autumn concert, but I never got my tickets. I'm still out money on that, by the way, and I'm not sure whether the guy who sold them never sent them or the .gov simply chose to confiscate my mail (yet again). I still have a number of parcels which have yet to reach me, including some from points of origin now designated as the 'Axis of Evil' by our (former) President. In fact, I haven't heard from my contact in the West Bank for many moons.
I have a new winter coat, and look forward to the first snows. I also DID get my Sonic Screwdriver. Hooray for British Doctor Who toys! I suppose that means I can at least count on packages from the U.K., thank God, since a significant portion of my mail comes from there.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pleased to Meet You, I'm a Goonch
Came across a report from The Sun about giant mutant fish terrorizing Nepal.
Turns out this gigantic aquatic monster is, in fact, no 'mutant' but rather a little known fish known as the 'giant goonch'. Tipping the scales at 200 lbs or so, the goonch is a catfish, probably one of the largest catfish in South Asia. They can be found in the Himalayan waters around India, Nepal and the like.
Appearantly, and bearing in mind that this is colored as much by rumor and folklore (rural legends if you will) as actual 'science,' the story goes that goonch got a taste for human flesh by munching on charred corpses floating downstream. This part of the story requires a bit of clarification, but suffice to say that as in many Hindu countries, cremation is the preferred funerary practice. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a real cremation, so especially in the poorest of rural villages, you get alot of partially cremated bodies sent down the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra.
For fish, this is a free meal. The Ganges river shark (Glyphis gangeticus) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are both known to take advantage of this, and it is also rumored crocodilians and tigers will if they opportunity presents itself. The goonch seems to be acquiring a taste for human flesh in this manner and, if the rumors are to be believed, move on to trying a live human. Then again, it could be alot of things. The subcontinent has no shortage of man-eaters... at least a dozen species have allegedly attacked humans (tigers, crocodilians, bull sharks, wolves, dholes, Burmese pythons, Asiatic lions, sloth bears, etc). Some of those cliams are more dubious than others, for what it's worth.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that sloppy funerary rites have caused problems. The most infamous being the man-eaters of Tsavo in the early 20th century. About 135 or so Indian laborers brought over by the British to work the railroads (and local Africans) were killed by the two lions, whom it is believed acquired the taste for human flesh after scavenging from the Indian laborers' make-shift cremation grounds. An interesting Chicago connection there, the two lions wound up at the Field Museum after being sold there by John Henry Patterson himself. I should know; I've seen them quite often! Aside from the man-eaters of Tsavo, Patterson was also head game warden in British East Africa, fought in the Boer War and a champion of early Jewish settlement in Palestine (even joining the Jewish Legion of the British Army, which would later become the IDF).
I've been meaning to read his other books for a while now, but never got around to it. Maybe I'll rummage through the library tomorrow and see what I can dig up.
But... while on the subject of giant Asian fish, I'm also reminded of the giant Mekong Delta catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). It is the world's largest fresh-water fish. Dekila Chungyalpa of the World Wild Fund for Nature reported a 9 foot, 646 pound specimen in her study of sustainable development in the region. No doubt those of you who watch Monsterquest regularly will remember that (she was one of the people interviewed on the 'giant fish' episode).
Ah, but alas, we have no such creatures nature to these climes, unfortunately. Nonetheless, we are fortunate enough to have some DAMNED big fish all the same. Say hello to the alligator gar, or as he is more formally known, Atractosteus spatula. Found throughout the Southeastern U.S., the alligator gar ranges from ten to twelve feet, and usually weighs a couple hundred pounds. In a rather Jonah-esque twist, the Cherokee (who know the fish by the name dakwa) have a myth of a brave in the Tennessee valley who was swallowed alive by one only to have cut himself out of it's belly.
I SOOO want to set up an aquarium and get some cool fish or marine animals... actually, screw that. I want to get an indoor pool, suitably modified for larger sea creatures. Now THAT would be cool! Sharks, octopi, giant squid, sting rays, crocodiles, eels... you name it.
Turns out this gigantic aquatic monster is, in fact, no 'mutant' but rather a little known fish known as the 'giant goonch'. Tipping the scales at 200 lbs or so, the goonch is a catfish, probably one of the largest catfish in South Asia. They can be found in the Himalayan waters around India, Nepal and the like.
Appearantly, and bearing in mind that this is colored as much by rumor and folklore (rural legends if you will) as actual 'science,' the story goes that goonch got a taste for human flesh by munching on charred corpses floating downstream. This part of the story requires a bit of clarification, but suffice to say that as in many Hindu countries, cremation is the preferred funerary practice. Unfortunately, not everyone can afford a real cremation, so especially in the poorest of rural villages, you get alot of partially cremated bodies sent down the Ganges, Indus and Brahmaputra.
For fish, this is a free meal. The Ganges river shark (Glyphis gangeticus) and bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) are both known to take advantage of this, and it is also rumored crocodilians and tigers will if they opportunity presents itself. The goonch seems to be acquiring a taste for human flesh in this manner and, if the rumors are to be believed, move on to trying a live human. Then again, it could be alot of things. The subcontinent has no shortage of man-eaters... at least a dozen species have allegedly attacked humans (tigers, crocodilians, bull sharks, wolves, dholes, Burmese pythons, Asiatic lions, sloth bears, etc). Some of those cliams are more dubious than others, for what it's worth.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that sloppy funerary rites have caused problems. The most infamous being the man-eaters of Tsavo in the early 20th century. About 135 or so Indian laborers brought over by the British to work the railroads (and local Africans) were killed by the two lions, whom it is believed acquired the taste for human flesh after scavenging from the Indian laborers' make-shift cremation grounds. An interesting Chicago connection there, the two lions wound up at the Field Museum after being sold there by John Henry Patterson himself. I should know; I've seen them quite often! Aside from the man-eaters of Tsavo, Patterson was also head game warden in British East Africa, fought in the Boer War and a champion of early Jewish settlement in Palestine (even joining the Jewish Legion of the British Army, which would later become the IDF).
I've been meaning to read his other books for a while now, but never got around to it. Maybe I'll rummage through the library tomorrow and see what I can dig up.
But... while on the subject of giant Asian fish, I'm also reminded of the giant Mekong Delta catfish (Pangasianodon gigas). It is the world's largest fresh-water fish. Dekila Chungyalpa of the World Wild Fund for Nature reported a 9 foot, 646 pound specimen in her study of sustainable development in the region. No doubt those of you who watch Monsterquest regularly will remember that (she was one of the people interviewed on the 'giant fish' episode).
Ah, but alas, we have no such creatures nature to these climes, unfortunately. Nonetheless, we are fortunate enough to have some DAMNED big fish all the same. Say hello to the alligator gar, or as he is more formally known, Atractosteus spatula. Found throughout the Southeastern U.S., the alligator gar ranges from ten to twelve feet, and usually weighs a couple hundred pounds. In a rather Jonah-esque twist, the Cherokee (who know the fish by the name dakwa) have a myth of a brave in the Tennessee valley who was swallowed alive by one only to have cut himself out of it's belly.
I SOOO want to set up an aquarium and get some cool fish or marine animals... actually, screw that. I want to get an indoor pool, suitably modified for larger sea creatures. Now THAT would be cool! Sharks, octopi, giant squid, sting rays, crocodiles, eels... you name it.
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