It Has Been Said; "I Know People, Buddy!"

A Letter From Ms. Coly Jen Perico;


I would like to rouse people's indignation at Mr. Nefarious Aflatus, Esq.. To start, Mr. Aflatus has nothing but contempt for you, and you don't even know it. That's why I feel obligated to inform you that he's more than wretched. Mr. Aflatus's mega-wretched. In fact, to understand just how wretched he is, you first need to realize that Mr. Aflatus never stops boasting about his generous contributions to charitable causes. As far as I can tell, however, his claimed magnanimousness is completely chimerical and, furthermore, if one accepts the framework I've laid out here, it follows that I receive a great deal of correspondence from people all over the world. And one of the things that impresses me about it is the massive number of people who realize that I'm at loggerheads with Mr. Aflatus on at least one important issue. Namely, he argues that he understands the difference between civilization and savagery. I take the opposite position, that I undeniably have a hard time trying to reason with people who remain calm when they see Mr. Aflatus advertise "magical" diets and bogus weight-loss pills. I cannot compromise with Mr. Aflatus; he is without principles. I cannot reason with him; he is without reason. But I can warn him, and with a warning he must definitely take to heart: I recently overheard a couple of clumsy politicasters say that one can understand the elements of a scientific theory only by reference to the social condition and personal histories of the scientists involved. Here, again, we encounter the blurred thinking that is characteristic of this Mr. Aflatus-induced era of slogans and propaganda. Let's look at the facts. First, he has studiously avoided being contaminated by the facts. Second, he is eating our lunch. And finally, I overheard one of his drones say, "Human life is expendable." This quotation demonstrates the power of language, as it epitomizes the "us/them" dichotomy within hegemonic discourse. As for me, I prefer to use language to show Mr. Aflatus how he is as wrong as wrong can be.

We will have to become much more vigilant to ensure that Mr. Aflatus doesn't exploit the masses. His flunkies have been trained, organized, and motivated to dump effluent into creeks, lakes, streams, and rivers. Or, to express that sentiment without all of the emotionally charged lingo, I am not embarrassed to admit that I have neither the training, the experience, the license, nor the clinical setting necessary to properly argue about his proposed social programs. Nevertheless, I do have the will to reinforce the contentions of all reasonable people and confute those of the most coldhearted warmongers you'll ever see. That's why I sincerely believe that from secret-handshake societies meeting at "the usual place" to back-door admissions committees, his hired goons have always found a way to lower this country's moral tone and depreciate its commercial integrity. Even if Mr. Aflatus's facts were reliable, they were gathered selectively and then manipulated towards favored conclusions.

Mr. Aflatus has an amazing ability to disengage his intellect. Sounds pretty brassbound, doesn't it? But is it any more so than Mr. Aflatus's muddleheaded scribblings?

Mr. Aflatus rarely tells his acolytes that he plans to break down age-old institutions and customs. Surprised? You shouldn't be, because we have our work cut out for us. Now that's a rather crude and simplistic statement and, in many cases, it may not even be literally true. But there is a sense in which it is generally true, a sense in which it unmistakably expresses how I do not propose a supernatural solution to the problems we're having with him. Instead, I propose a practical, realistic, down-to-earth approach that requires only that I warn the public against those egocentric windbags whose positive accomplishments are always practically nil, but whose conceit can scarcely be excelled. He is terrified that there might be an absolute reality outside himself, a reality that is what it is, regardless of his wishes, theories, hopes, daydreams, or decrees. Knowledge is the key that unlocks the shackles of bondage. That's why it's important for you to know that in order to solve the big problems with Mr. Aflatus, we must first understand these problems, and to understand them, we must focus on the major economic, social, and political forces that provide the setting for the expression of an inarticulate agenda.

A great many of us don't want Mr. Aflatus to declare that science is merely a tool invented by the current elite to maintain power. But we feel a prodigious pressure to smile, to be nice, and not to object to his unconscionable exegeses. Looking at it on the bright side, I am not trying to save the world -- I gave up that pursuit a long time ago. But I am trying to initiate meaningful change. Mr. Aflatus should learn to appreciate what he has instead of feeling so oppressed because he can't do everything he wants, every time he wants to. One last thing: Mr. Nefarious Aflatus, Esq.'s success is just a flash in the pan.

It Has Been Said; "How Do I Get One Of Those?"

Alright... so here it is. I know there are thousands of people out there that have daydreamed about it. I know there are literally hundreds of people that have made really shady deals just for it. And here is the part that is going to piss every one of them off.

I was walking down Hollywood boulevard the other day, and out of no where, someone just handed it to me.

There I was.... strutting down the walk of fame and thinking, not unlike many others there walking along in whichever state of existence they happened to be in at the time (including the drunk slumped against the wall that is convinced he already has one as a re-incarnated dead guy of one sort or another), that it would probably be pretty cool to get a star on the Hollywood walk of fame.

Of course this is next to impossible in this day and age unless you can afford it that is. Or so I thought.

It seems that there has been a small change in the Hollywood elite that now recognizes that it is really kind of silly to just let people who can afford to bribe and purchase them, have stars on the walk of fame....so they have devised a very "California" like approach to deciding who gets a star on the walk of fame. It is, from what I can tell, a sort of "celebrity welfare" program.

It just so happens that I had been there on one of the two times every year that the entire crew associated with choosing and installing stars on the walk of fame, were set up and doing a test run of this new "dole of fame" so to speak. The only pre-requisite is that you cannot be a native (born in the state) of California.

I was qualified being originally from the great state of Nevada... and I am sure it didn't hurt that she was Battle Born.... so I thought, what the hell... I'll give it a go.

As people might expect, even though it is the "welfare of fame" version... there are still plenty of "catches." For instance in order to qualify further, a person must be able to demonstrate efficiency with a sock puppet OR speak (communicate) in a complete sentence.

I WAS IN!

Another catch is that they just rotate the "freebies" through in the twice a year installation process.... which is understandable as most of the celebrities were mad because they had to buy theirs anyway...and really, as many of the actual celebrity personalities denoted, those useless things aren't really good for much more than a year or so anyhow before the "neat" wears off.....then it's just another place to catch bum spit... as no one really gives a shit anyway and it isn't as though anyone is going to be digging them up in a thousand years as if they were part of the Parthenon or something.

So there it was... I was standing amidst the crew getting ready to install my new star on the walk of fame... really kind of enthralled with the novelty of it. "What a great idea to boost tourism" I said to one of the "panel" members that was usually just getting ready to receive a huge check at this point in the process.

"Yeah, what ever" she replied. "I'm just going along with it so I don't have to compromise my lady like image and to maintain my P.R. with my peeps... so don't go getting all that excited."

"I'm not really" I replied, "Not really all that impressed either...really" I then continued, "think about the kind of people it associates me with... such as yourself for instance.... that's no picnic for 'P.R.' you know... and then" I said pointing to the other stars on the walk of fame where we were standing, "there's junkies and dope fiends.... pill freaks and drunks....camera whores and media whores... then" I continued "there's the most sickening part... the dried up junkies and drunks and the like which have found some self righteous, judgmental stance in some self help group.... which really kind of means they missed the point if you ask me... that's no less obnoxious or detrimental than if they just stayed a raging drunk.... in fact... it might be worse because it means that everyone has to put up with them longer than if they stayed saturated with chemicals and booze and died" I said as I watched the blood leave the face of the "nice lady" in the "panel" of people worried about how this would effect their publicity.

"You aren't supposed to know that stuff...er....something" she stammered clearly at a loss for words with which to maintain and defend her "position" in the "society."

"Not supposed to know that stuff?" I asked rhetorically. "Why do you people put it all over the media then?" I said as she then leaned back and slumped a bit in her chair. "Hell" I then continued, "if I were in the position of some of these folks" I said while again pointing to the other stars on the walk of fame, "I'd just shut the fuck up and enjoy the ride... I wouldn't bother myself with trying to tell someone else how to run their life from the drunken stupor I was living mine in."

"You better watch it" she then said, "I know people buddy."

"That's about as neat as thinking you are some influence on existence" I then said.

"You know...." I then continued, "most of the people on this walk of fame have gone through a definite progression on the way to "godliness" which usually is something like going from an incredible party machine... just as the average "demi-god" celebrity.... into full on "godliness" through becoming a saturated, pissing themselves in fits of emotional instability, chemical freak of one sort or another. I'm thinking... hey, I could do that....and I wouldn't be some self righteous ass about it either."

"Are you just being mean?" she asked me now playing the passive aggressive submissive role.

"Oh, please" I replied, "how could you even think that such a statement would be valid? As I said, it isn't like any of that is a big secret or anything, and it isn't as though I'm personally attacking anyone...just stating the obvious really....and on the live shows.... it isn't that hard to spot the amphetamine freaks either, that's for sure" I then concluded as the workmen were finishing the inlay of my name on the plaque. "What is your name?" I then asked her.

"Coly" she replied in a sort of stand offish way, "Coly Jen Perico."

"Well Ms. Perico" I said, "just consider the fact that the thing over at the Chinese Theater started when a drunk celebrity fell into wet cement.... it isn't as though it's something new about the phenomenon and allure of fame."

"They did not.... they weren't drunk...." she stammered.

"Ahh..." I then said in a smart ass manner, "you must be on the committee of 'enablers' to the stars. How's the pay?"

As the workmen were laying the star it was all that Ms. Perico could do to look busy with something else and not to look at me without looking as though she was trying not to look at me... or even further, trying not to look as though she was pretending not to have heard me.

"That must be her 'special power' in celebrity land" I thought to myself.... "not quite good enough to 'casting couch' her way into acting.... but obviously good enough to land her a position on the panel of payment collectors for the issuance of stars on the walk of fame."

It Has Been Said; Dr. Frankenstein..... I presume?

When recently researching the availability of independent grants and funding for individuals interested in promoting the arts and writing, I found that there are actually more INDEPENDENT funds available for "individual scientific" research than there is for writing and arts.

I found that if it is you seek funding for art or writing or even for film making... you must be affiliated with some organization of group. Particularly and more precisely, a non-profit organization.

Further I found that many "funding opportunities" for writers in particular require that you are in fact, already published. What this means is that they are actually just "granting" that given amount to the publishing institution for all intent and purpose.

If you are looking for funding to begin an independent project, essentially you are S.O.L. in many respects.... unless of course you happen to be doing scientific research... which as I have stated and found, seems to be over-full with monies for individuals with no other affiliations.

Maybe... I should find a cadaver somewhere....then apply for a research grant pertaining to the speed at which a human body will decompose? Simply place the carcass in a room somewhere and watch it rot as I write away.... calling it research? Odds are, from what I have found... I would be more likely to find funding.

Imagine if it were that I had some wicked Frankensteinien research I was going to do? Kind of frightening when you think about it. Perhaps that is where all of the actual scientific research "progress" happens? Since it is, that is, that the science community is shackled with very important laws dictating the very fragile boundaries which have been found within science.....

It would stand to reason.... the "basement" scientist visual that this presents that is....

...think about it, where else is it that many of the "developments" in science could actually be done? Beyond the legitimate volunteer arena, that is.

I can't find funding to independently publish works in writing... or further to begin an independent publishing company with specific goals in mind.....

...but.....

....if I had spent four years tinkering in science class rooms... I could get monies for just about anything that I wanted to.

Say....

....I just got a "Johnny Science Kit" from the toy store.... you want to come over for awhile? Just for the evening, really..... have some coffee, maybe? Tea, perhaps?

(enter sardonic laughter here)

No... really. We could just chat or something.





...as long as we weren't too loud.... I would hate to disturb all of the other brains I have around the house in jars.

It Has Been Said; "NAG, NAG, NAG!"

Mr. Nefarious Aflatus, Esq., allow me to introduce myself. I'm one of the victims of your nettlesome screeds. As a note of explanation for other readers of this letter: Mr. Aflatus provides simplistic answers to complex problems. What follows is the story of how Mr. Aflatus can be so rich in the rhetoric of democracy and yet so poor in its implementation. Although he is only one turd floating in the moral cesspool that our society has become, he has a glib proficiency with words and very sensitive nostrils. Mr. Aflatus can smell money in your pocket from a block away. Once that delicious aroma reaches his nostrils, he'll start talking about the joy of careerism and how you and I are inferior to the worst types of shiftless, drossy pipsqueaks there are. As you listen to Mr. Aflatus's sing-song, chances are you won't even notice his hand as it goes into your pocket. Only later, after you realize you've been robbed, will you truly understand that one can see the blood-lust in his eyes. Now, that last statement is a bit of an oversimplification, an overgeneralization. But it is nevertheless substantially true.

To be quite frank, whenever Mr. Aflatus is blamed for conspiring to needle and wheedle revolting scumbags into his little empire, he blames his forces. Doing so reinforces their passivity and obedience and increases their guilt, shame, terror, and conformity, thereby making them far more willing to help Mr. Aflatus send children to die as martyrs for causes that he is unwilling to die for himself. When you reflect upon this, you'll realize that my general thesis is that he thinks I'm trying to say that Mr. Aflatus knows 100% of everything 100% of the time. Wait! I just heard something. Oh, never mind; it's just the sound of the point zooming way over Mr. Aflatus's head. I'll talk a lot more about that later, but first let me finish my general thesis: He likes to quote all of the saccharine, sticky moralisms about "human rights" and the evils of radicalism. But as soon as we stop paying attention, Mr. Aflatus invariably instructs his thralls to sully a profession that's already held in low esteem. Then, when someone notices, the pattern repeats from the beginning. Though this game may seem perverse beyond belief to any sane individual, it makes perfect sense in light of Mr. Aflatus's juvenile monographs. He keeps telling us that ageism is a viable and vital objective for our nation's educational institutions. Are we also supposed to believe that those of us who oppose him would rather run than fight? I didn't think so.

It strikes me as amusing that Mr. Aflatus complains about people who do nothing but complain. Well, news flash! He does nothing but complain. Even if grungy sad sacks join his band with the best of intentions, they will still blend together irreligionism and vandalism in a train wreck of monumental proportions in a lustrum or two. Not all, I hasten to add, do join with the best of intentions.
Mr. Aflatus is trying to brainwash us. He wants us to believe that it's bitter to appeal not to the contented and satisfied, but embrace those tormented by suffering, those without peace, the unhappy and the discontented; that's boring; that's not cool. You know what I think of that, don't you? I think that no one can be right all of the time. But it goes further than that; Mr. Aflatus is extraordinarily brazen. We've all known that for a long time. However, his willingness to destroy that which is the envy of -- and model for -- the entire civilized world sets a new record for brazenness.

I don't want to overstate this point, but the public is like a giant that Mr. Aflatus has blindfolded, drugged, and gagged. This giant has plugs in his ears and Mr. Aflatus leads him around by the nose. Clearly, such a giant needs to place a high value on honor and self-respect. That's why I feel obligated to notify the giant (i.e., the public) that people tell me that there are a number of conceptual, logical, and methodological flaws in Mr. Aflatus's histrionics. And the people who tell me this are correct, of course. It's debatable whether he doesn't want equality, but revenge. However, no one can disagree that if you read between the lines of Mr. Aflatus's ebullitions, you'll doubtlessly find that Mr. Aflatus can get away with lies (e.g., that he can override nature) because the average person cannot imagine anyone lying so brazenly. Not one person in a hundred will actually check out the facts for himself and discover that Mr. Aflatus is lying.

Woe to the disgraceful brutes who engage in the trafficking of human beings! Today, we might have let Mr. Aflatus alter, rewrite, or ignore past events to make them consistent with his current "reality". Tomorrow, we won't. Instead, we will contribute to the intellectual and spiritual health of the body politic. Regardless of the theoretical beauty of the notion that his allegations are faddism at its worst, there is the opposing fact that he exhibits an air of superiority. You realize, of course, that that's really just a defense mechanism to cover up his obvious inferiority. Please don't misread my words here; Mr. Aflatus claims that his decisions are based on reason. Well, I beg to differ.

After being called a frowzy nonentity a hundred times or so by Mr. Aflatus and his flunkies, I have reached the conclusion that if Mr. Aflatus is going to talk about higher standards, then he needs to live by those higher standards. In his assistants' rush to join the crowd, they failed to observe that Mr. Aflatus just reported that he is a tireless protector of civil rights and civil liberties for all people. Do you think that that's merely sloppy reporting on Mr. Aflatus's part? I don't. I think that it's a deliberate attempt to bask in the flagitious shine of animalism. I could tell him that his squibs exude palpable misoneism, although he obviously doesn't care. I could tell him that he is never without a power-hungry thing to say, but he wouldn't believe me. He probably also doesn't care that he doesn't understand politics or simply doesn't care. So let me appeal to whatever small semblance of reason Mr. Aflatus may be capable of when I tell him that this is not the first time I've wanted to exert a positive influence on the type of world that people will live in a thousand years from now. But it is the first time I realized that he asserts that society is supposed to be lenient towards the worst kinds of reprehensible, twisted bottom-feeders there are. That assertion is not only untrue, but a conscious lie.

Sure, Mr. Aflatus can fabulize about how every featherless biped, regardless of intelligence, personal achievement, moral character, sense of responsibility, or sanity, should be given the power to grant a free ride to the undeserving. That doesn't change the fact that the impact of his high-handed hypnopompic insights is exactly that predicted by the Book of Revelation. Evil will preside over the land. Injustice will triumph over justice, chaos over order, futility over purpose, superstition over reason, and lies over truth. Only when humanity experiences this Hell on Earth will it fully appreciate that the unalterable law of biology has a corollary that is generally overlooked. Specifically, anyone who says that we should abandon the institutionalized and revered concept of democracy can be branded as both pathetic and crude. That's just a fancy way of saying that Mr. Aflatus maintains that superstition is no less credible than proven scientific principles. Perhaps it would be best for him to awaken from his delusional narcoleptic fantasyland and observe that his true goal is to embark on wholesale torture and slaughter of innocent civilians. All the statements that his faithfuls make to justify or downplay that goal are only apologetics; they do nothing to fight on the battleground of ideas for our inalienable individual rights. I am not concerned with rumors or hearsay about Mr. Aflatus. I am interested only in ascertained facts attested by published documents, and in these primarily as an illustration that one could truthfully say that I'm definitely bewildered by the subversive, conniving nature of Mr. Aflatus's teachings. But saying that would miss the real point, which is that I have a dream, a mission, a set path that I would like to travel down. Specifically, my goal is to get people to sign a petition to limit Mr. Aflatus's ability to cause trouble. Of course, his goombahs are quick to point out that because he is hated, persecuted, and repeatedly laughed at, Mr. Aflatus is the real victim here. The truth is that, if anything, Mr. Aflatus is a victim of his own success -- a success that enables Mr. Aflatus to keep a close eye on those who look like they might think an unapproved thought.

What Mr. Aflatus is incapable of seeing is that he wants to generate an epidemic of corruption and social unrest. Personally, I don't want that. Personally, I prefer freedom. If you also prefer freedom, then you should be working with me to help people see his macabre communications for what they are. It should be intuitively obvious even to the most casual observer that I want to advance a clear, credible, and effective vision for dealing with our present dilemma and its most pouty manifestations. I want to do this not because I need to tack another line onto my résumé, but because if you want to hide something from him, you just have to put it in a book. The question that's on everyone's mind these days is, "What exactly is the principle that rationalizes Mr. Aflatus's nefarious perceptions?" One might as well ask, "Is Mr. Aflatus's incessant burbling about the wonders of imperialism supposed to convince us that the sky is falling?" Well, I asked the question, so I should answer it. Let me start by saying that he truly believes that black is white and night is day. It is just such incomprehensible, venal megalomania, passive-aggressive egoism, and intellectual aberrancy that stirs Mr. Aflatus to utilize questionable and illegal fund-raising techniques. Please remember that he says that he is a perpetual victim of injustice. What he means by this, of course, is that he wants free reign to overthrow democratic political systems. Defeatism and anti-intellectualism are not synonymous. In fact, they are so frequently in opposition and so universally irreconcilable that my cause is to question Mr. Aflatus's authority. I call upon men and women from all walks of life to support my cause with their life-affirming eloquence and indomitable spirit of human decency and moral righteousness. Only then will the whole world realize that the basal lie that underlies all of Mr. Aflatus's tendentious roorbacks is that mediocrity and normalcy are ideal virtues. Translation: Man's eternal search for Truth is a challenge to be avoided at all costs. I doubt you need any help from me to identify the supreme idiocy of those views, but you should nevertheless be aware that if Mr. Aflatus wanted to, he could turn politicos loose against us good citizens. He could deny us the opportunity to take away as many of his opportunities for mischief as possible. And he could sensationalize all of the issues. We must not allow Mr. Aflatus to do any of these.

I may be opening a Pandora's box by writing this, but Mr. Aflatus's sentiments are based on a denial of reality, on the substitution of a deliberately falsified picture of the world in place of reality. And this dishonesty, this refusal to admit the truth, will have some very serious consequences for all of us one day. The sole point of agreement between myself and domineering prigs is that Mr. Aflatus is like a stray pigeon. Pigeons are too self-absorbed to care about anyone else. They poo on people they don't like; they poo on people they don't even know. The only real difference between Mr. Aflatus and a pigeon is that Mr. Aflatus intends to truck away our freedoms for safekeeping. That's why Mr. Aflatus uses his victim status as a kind of magic incantation to stifle debate, disparage critical analysis, and persuade us that he commands an army of robots that live in the hollow center of the earth and produce earthquakes whenever they feel like shaking things up a bit on the surface. More than that, by allowing him to palm off our present situation as the compelling ground for worldwide Trotskyism, we are allowing him to play puppet master. Although Mr. Aflatus obviously hates my guts (and probably yours, as well), Mr. Aflatus's publicity stunts are not an abstract problem. They have very concrete, immediate, and unpleasant consequences. For instance, Mr. Aflatus says that we should all bear the brunt of his actions. You know, I don't think I have heard a less factually based statement in my entire life. Summa summarum, we need to stand up for our rights.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

NOW BEFORE YOU GET ALTOGETHER TOO EXCITED ABOUT SOMEONE HAVING LODGED A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY PERSON, I SHOULD POINT OUT IN ALL FAIRNESS THAT YOU CAN HAVE A COMPLAINT LETTER TOO!

SIMPLY FOLLOW THIS LINK AND ENTER YOUR NAME INTO THE "GENERATOR."

COMPLAINT LETTER GENERATOR!

It Has Been Said; "What's in a name?"

The Rune Symbols In The Translation Of My Name-

Translation;

Ansuz: (A: The As, ancestral god, i.e. Odin.) A revealing message or insight, communication. Signals, inspiration, enthusiasm, speech, true vision, power of words and naming. Blessings, the taking of advice. Good health, harmony, truth, wisdom. Ansuz Reversed or Merkstave: Misunderstanding, delusion, manipulation by others, boredom. Vanity and grandiloquence. (Odin is a mighty, but duplicitous god. He always has his own agenda.)

Wunjo: (W or V: Joy.) Joy, comfort, pleasure. Fellowship, harmony, prosperity. Ecstasy, glory, spiritual reward, but also the possibility of going "over the top". If restrained, the meaning is general success and recognition of worth. Wunjo Reversed or Merkstave: Stultification, sorrow, strife, alienation. Delirium, intoxication, possession by higher forces, impractical enthusiasm. Raging frenzy, berzerker.

Isa: (I: Ice.) A challenge or frustration. Psychological blocks to thought or activity, including grievances. Standstill, or a time to turn inward and wait for what is to come, or to seek clarity. This rune reinforces runes around it. Isa Merkstave (Isa cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Ego-mania, dullness, blindness, dissipation. Treachery, illusion, deceit, betrayal, guile, stealth, ambush, plots.

Dagaz: (D: Day or dawn.) Breakthrough, awakening, awareness. Daylight clarity as opposed to nighttime uncertainty. A time to plan or embark upon an enterprise. The power of change directed by your own will, transformation. Hope/happiness, the ideal. Security and certainty. Growth and release. Balance point, the place where opposites meet. Dagaz Merkstave (Dagaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): A completion, ending, limit, coming full circle. Blindness, hopelessness.

Raidho: (R: Wagon or chariot.) Travel, both in physical terms and those of lifestyle direction. A journey, vacation, relocation, evolution, change of place or setting. Seeing a larger perspective. Seeing the right move for you to make and deciding upon it. Personal rhythm, world rhythm, dance of life. Raidho Reversed or Merkstave: Crisis, rigidity, stasis, injustice, irrationality. Disruption, dislocation, demotion, delusion, possibly a death.

Kenaz: (K: Beacon or torch.) Vision, revelation, knowledge, creativity, inspiration, technical ability. Vital fire of life, harnessed power, fire of transformation and regeneration. Power to create your own reality, the power of light. Open to new strength, energy, and power now. Passion, sexual love. Kenaz Reversed or Merkstave: Disease, breakup, instability, lack of creativity. Nakedness, exposure, loss of illusion and false hope.

Hagalaz: (H: Hail.) Wrath of nature, destructive, uncontrolled forces, especially the weather, or within the unconscious. Tempering, testing, trial. Controlled crisis, leading to completion, inner harmony. Hagalaz Merkstave (Hagalaz cannot be reversed, but may lie in opposition): Natural disaster, catastrophe. Stagnation, loss of power. Pain, loss, suffering, hardship, sickness, crisis.

Ehwaz: (E: Horse, two horses.) Transportation. May represent a horse, car, plane, boat or other vehicle. Movement and change for the better. Gradual development and steady progress are indicated. Harmony, teamwork, trust, loyalty. An ideal marriage or partnership. Confirmation beyond doubt the meanings of the runes around it. Ehwaz Reversed or Merkstave: This is not really a negative rune. A change is perhaps craved. Feeling restless or confined in a situation. Reckless haste, disharmony, mistrust, betrayal.

It Has Been Said; We The People.... uh... with credit cards?

So it is that I happened upon the "Congress.Org" website yesterday.... and I went to "clicking around" some to find a rather interesting "standard" being employed on the website which represents the Congress of The United States of America.

In order to place a "soap box alert" post in/on the "soap box forum" at "Congress.Org," you must be prepared to PAY to do so.

This struck me as odd immediately seeing the vast number of UNITED STATES CITIZENS who are immediately excluded from such activity and interaction with of their rights as citizens, in being required to PAY for such "soap box" communication and further to PAY with a credit card.

Social discrimination to say the least, based entirely upon what some private corporate credit issuer sets as a standard for "acceptible people" within the requirement for remittence and further with a credit card simply to exercise already existing rights.

I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT THIS VERY "SERVICE" USED TO BE FREE AND OPEN TO ANY THAT HAD AN ISSUE TO RAISE. Which is part of the reason that it struck me as so odd.

Followong is a copy of the communication exchange which I initiated with the website pertaining to this matter;

-----Original Message-----
From: David_A_Archer_02_151968@yahoo.com
[mailto:David_A_Archer_02_151968@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 14, 2006 7:58 PM
To: CS
Subject: Request Contact

CAPITOL ADVANTAGE

A request for Customer Service contact has been submitted from:
First Name: David
Last Name: Archer
Email Address: David_A_Archer_02_151968@yahoo.com
Organization:
Telephone Number:
REMOTE_ADDR: 192.80.65.234

Comments:
Why does it now cost money to post a "soap box alert?" Why is
it that a person must have a credit card or pay to contact others in the
forum of the United States Congress? I don't recall any pre-determined
amount of money set forward in the constitution to access
representatives OR discuss issues within the rights of American
Citizens.

Those supposed peripheral "costs" which will or are used as an excuse
for such money demands to exercise rights, should and ARE covered in
the budgets already alloted of already paid tax dollars.

How is this seriously justified?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


CS wrote:
Greetings,

Thank you for writing. If you wish to contact your legislators, please
visit http://congress.org/ and enter your ZIP code in the box on the
side to find your representative. All direct emails to representative
are free.

A SoabBox alert simply allows you to post a message on Congress.Org that
others can use to send emails to their representative. It is the
electronic equivalent of the street corner Soap box. It does not send a
message to individual representatives.

Customer Service

~~~~~~~~~~~

From: David Archer [mailto:david_a_archer_02_151968@yahoo.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 15, 2006 12:58 PM
To: CS
Subject: RE: Request Contact


"equivalent of the street corner Soap box"

Very much a part of my point. When was the last time that a person had to pay, and
pay with a credit card, to "soap box" on the street corner... especially a "street
corner" affiliated with the official GOVERNMENT FUNDED web site pertaining to the
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA? For which we all are supposed to have
equal rights of access to regardless of income level, social or fiscal station
within corporate or financial entities, or who may have co-signed some corporate
contract to boost ones "credit" to a level of being issued an exclusively corporate
and therefore private form of recognition which has little to do with being a
citizen of the United States of America and the rights pertaining to such.... or
supposedly so.

Essentially, in justifying the use of payment... and further payment by credit card
simply to "soap box," it is then that some large, private institution has superseded
the rights of the citizens of the United States in being the acceptable form
of "recognition" to obtain access to something that is already their right as a
citizen of the United States to have access to, equally. Without that standard
of "equality" being some corporate entities acceptance of their supposed financial
credibility.

My question remains unanswered; Why and how is charging people to "soap box on the
street corner," and further charged through a credit card, justified?


Looks allot like a type of social discrimination meant to deprive equal access to
such a forum, to me. But as of this moment, such is only my opinion.


~~~~~~~~~~~

CS wrote:
Sir,

Thank you for writing back. Please note, we are not a government funded entity.
Congress.Org is operated and maintained by Capitol Advantage. Any monies taken in
from SoapBox alerts go to help fund and maintain the site, so we can continue to
offer it to the public as a way of speaking out, locating their legislators, and
seeing what others have to say on topics of interest. The charges are, again, only
to support the site maintenance.

Thank you for your time,

Customer Service

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sirs or Madams;

Precisely part of my point. It doesn't matter where the "monies" are supposedly
used. Why is it that your PRIVATE credit issuing institution, should have a right to
exclude, especially in the guise of GOVERNMENT AFFILIATION, citizens from such a
forum based on whether or not they meet YOUR credit standards. That is like the
bully on the block "pimping" everyone else just to exercise their ALREADY PRESENT
rights within the writ that supposedly governs even those larger entities such as
yourself.

Why is it that you have affiliated yourself with that writ and system, and then fail
to comply with even the most basic (and vital) of elements within it which insure
its most efficient and equal usage?

This is in no way a personal attack, please do not take it as such. Simply a
question which I feel should concern more people than it seems to.


So it is that my question still stands unanswered. Where is it justified in any way?

A person has to laugh... if at nothing more than the blatant hypocrisy employed in this instance. The company/corporate entity which is posturing and effectively acting as an extention of the United States Government should be acting under and within the same frame of standards and rule, right?

Of course, the further laugh is that they very much are in many ways! Given the fact that it usually takes some sort of money exchange to "grease the wheels" for just about anything when it comes to our "elected officials" and "efficiency" there abouts.

So perhaps it is more than just one of the best jokes I have ever seen in practical use on and against the very people that "it" claims to represent. Perhaps it is a wonderfully hilarious "actual," real time representation of the reality within and of our current version of Representative Democracy?

Essentially, on the Congress.Org website, a person cannot raise an issue in the "public" forum without paying with a credit card. I would imagine, just as a direct relation and relative consistency, that most Representatives and Senate members (as well as Judges and other Political figures), now accept payment with debit or credit cards!

....Uh, Hemmmm... Just to "Greese the Wheels," Of Course!

So with that.... please keep in mind, that when purchasing political favor or access to exercise already present rights.... and when violating the rights of the citizens you are supposedly representing....

.....make sure that it is done "properly," so as not to seem in poor form or bad taste.