Woosies

Frightened D.C.ers Needing Solace and Comforting


The Epicenter of the Massive Conspiracy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaI3zwZYuGw&feature=related

Tuesday morning at approximately 10:51AM, my time (PST), which is the only time that matters, the mischievous residents of the former gold mining town, Mineral, Virginia (population 424 as of 2000), decided to cause some trouble.
How they did it is still unknown (probably by the use of "Fracking," techniques (http://www.readersupportednews.org/news-section2/312-16/7166-fracking-could-have-caused-east-coast-earthquake), however the fact remains that approximately 5 miles south, southwest of the town, and about 3.7 miles underneath the ground, those rascals got an old geological fault line created several hundred million years ago during the formation of the Appalachian Mountains, to shift around a little for about 20 to 30 seconds.
Now the dirt on the East coast of the United States is a lot older than the rest of the country. I don't know why. It just is. And the dirt on the east coast tends to be stuck together. Now when the earth shifts around, that movement is transmitted over a large area, in the form of what some would call an earthquake. As it turns out, a 5.8 earthquake on the Richter Magnitude Scale, which is a pretty big quake, a little less powerful than a 5.9 earthquake, and much more powerful than a 5.7, most assuredly. The Richter people describe this magnitude quake as "moderate." They also describe a moderate quake as: "Can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions. At most slight damage to well-designed buildings." They claim that this type of event is actually a natural occurrence that should be expected to happen every 800 years or so.
They were certainly correct about the amount of damage which was a result of the quake. Below is a picture representative of the comprehensive damage sustained during the mighty trembler:

It would seem that the prank backfired on the people of Mineral, Virginia, as they seemed to have received the brunt of the physical realities of making the earth move back and forth so close to where they live. Around the town masonry crumbled, cracks ran down walls, windows shattered, and chimneys crumbled. The town actually sustained some serious damage, which of course is unfortunate to say the least. However, there were no reports of physical injuries to the town's citizens, which is the most important thing.
But due to that old dirt, and the ability of the earthquake's shock waves being transmitted long distances, the quake was felt quite aways away (as opposed to the younger dirt we have here in Los Angeles, for instance, which does not transmit these types of shocks very well, resulting in much fiercer tremors in a more localized area, which causes more damage to property and people).
And people on the East coast of the United States are not used to this type of behavior from their dirt... to say the least.
I'm told that reports of tremors came from as far north as Sudbury, Ontario, which is way up in Canada, a whole different country (so this quake could be considered by some as an act of war), and as far south as Alabama.
Thousands of innocent folks poured out of offices and other buildings after experiencing the unfamiliar shocks in Washington D.C. (picture above) requiring solace and comforting. The Pentagon, White House, and the Capital building were evacuated. The Holland tunnel under the Hudson River in New York City, which links New York and New Jersey, was closed. The city's skyscrapers shifted from side to side (which is exactly what they're supposed to do in such instances.
Here are two examples of the national media's coverage of the unusual event:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amvfA3gxAZM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxDA41EIVKY
The quake was of such a magnitude that my lovely ex-case manager, Erin, was aware of it before I could dutifully report it to her in my daily Email briefing concerning current events (either that, or her family in New Jersey told her about it). This was her response when I did let her know of it: "I heard!!! So Odd!!!"
Odd Indeed! The ways of the planet are strange and marvelous.
There were a few instances of actual damage other than lawn furniture displacement reported. The Washington Monument was closed yesterday as inspectors inspected cracks in the structure way up at the top. The National Cathedral in D.C. had several pinnacles in one of it's towers either crack or brake off (which indicates the structure needs refurbishing, and why does the U.S. have a National Cathedral anyway... a clear violation of the separation of church and state!).
MSNBC commentator and host of "Hardball," Chris Matthews, was so scared by the quake that he ran off into the night and a substitute host had to take over his duties. He hasn't been heard from since.
Two nuclear reactors at the North Anna power station, which is very close to the epicenter of the quake at Mineral, were automatically taken off line during the quake, as a safety precaution. This of course proves how dependable and secure nuclear power is, and more plants of this nature should be built near existing fault lines to meet the nation's growing energy needs immediately if not sooner.
It is interesting to note that the earthquake occurred within House Majority Leader, Eric Canter's home district. It is also interesting that Rep. Cantor has voted to cut funds for natural disaster preparedness, such as the budgets for United States Geological Survey (which is the nation's agency responsible for dealing with earthquakes), the National Weather Service (who needs to know about the stinking weather anyhow... just look out the freaking window, for Christ's sake!), and NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Don't need to worry about tsunami's in the U.S., this isn't freaking Indonesia!).
According to Roger West of the Richmond, VA Examiner: "Government officials predict the closure of as many as 12 NOAA offices - which provide warning services for 30 million Americans. The national weather service budget would be cut by $126 million over the next six months with furloughs at 22 forecast offices. -and shorter work weeks for the storm prediction center and the national hurricane center shall be expected.
Where are we going as a country? Last week the president of the NWS union said 'that if those cuts go through, there will be furloughs at both of the tsunami warning centers that protect the whole country.' The president also said, 'there is a very heightened risk of life if these cuts go through.'"
http://wattsupwiththat.com/2011/03/08/national-weather-service-union-warns-people-will-die-because-of-budget-cuts/
"What if we where to experience a disaster like Japan? How prepared are we in our country?"
http://www.examiner.com/political-buzz-in-richmond/eric-cantor-defends-cuts-that-affect-your-safety
Mr. Cantor, currently you have Hurricane Irene headed your way. How would you know about that, and make vital preparations for it's arrival if there were no agencies as those you and your Republican/Tea Bagger buddies would like to cut funding for. Are the Koch brothers going to warn you? I don't think so.
I first heard about the quake upon returning from my weekly yoga class, around 11:15, or so. Like my lovely ex-case manager I am also aware of the infrequency of events such as this on the East coast of the country (the last big quake in the East, with a magnitude of 5.8, was in 1944 in Massena, N.Y). I said to myself, "Wow... an earthquake in New York," then took a nice shower to remove my yoga sweat.
When I returned to my television they were still reporting on this itty bitty 5.8 earthquake, and how people there were so not used to such things. It was reported that many in New York City especially, were reminded of of the attacks of 9/11, and for a moment thought that was happening again.
I don't blame them.
And I have to admit that we here on the West coast experience them so frequently, even more powerful and deadly ones, that we tend to take them in stride (which could either be a good or bad thing, depending on the circumstances).
I've gone through many such instances of sudden shifting of the earth, and just don't care about them anymore. The earth will do what it will whether I like it or not. So I thumb my nose at them with haughty disdain.
When I was fifteen, on February 9th, of 1971, I remember waking up because my bed was shaking back and forth violently. My little dachshund, Buttons, was sleeping inbetween my outstretched legs as was her custom. She woke up to.
"Earthquake," I said to Buttons, then we both went back to sleep.
A lot of people reacted differently. My psychotic step father at the time, Norman, abandoned his family and ran from our house naked.
That quake was 6.6 on the Richter Scale. It caused a whole bunch of damage and 65 people died because of it. My family and I had to evacuate our home for three days because the Lower Van Norman Dam was damaged and a breech thought possible. We lived under that dam, and we were told that if it did break there would have been 5 feet of water where our living room used to be.
But I for one will never, ever, make fun of the over reactions of those of the East coast of this wonderful country, despite the title of this post. We are all Americans, brothers and sisters. I can't imagine how I would react to an oncoming hurricane, such as the one currently creeping toward the Carolinas (move to California), and as a nation we certainly share the sorrow and pain experienced by those in New York City on September 11th, 2001, as the tenth anniversary of that tragic event draws near.
No one can ridicule that.
We are reminded how those in the East react to our reaction on the rare occasions that snow actually hits the ground somewhere in Southern California.
Yes indeed, we do remember.
Maybe the Evangelist Pat Robertson sums up our collective feelings toward the reaction of those on the East coast, as reported in the Borowitz Report:
“God looks at people who get their panties in a twist after a little shaking, and He says to Himself, ‘Wow, that’s really kind of gay,’” he said.
http://www.borowitzreport.com/2011/08/24/pat-robertson-blames-mild-earthquake-on-people-who-seem-kind-of-gay/
In the meantime, the FBI has arrested the entire population of Mineral (babies too) and are in the process of interrogating the instigators. Republicans in Congress insist they all be shipped to Guantanamo Bay as Enemy Pranksters... forthwith.

Shock Doctrine 3

I do not subscribe to the theory that the Bush administration knew the attacks of 9/11 would happen before hand (other than the warnings they were given), or that Bush orchestrated them. He and his buddies were not bright enough to pull that off without getting caught. It happened because we continued to meddle in the affairs of the Middle east (as the U.S. has in almost every other country that was of some strategic interest, and which didn't have the power to repel it) and those meddled with rightly didn't like it, thus they retaliated the only way they knew how, and with the resources that they had... a few box cutters.
Does that sound unpatriotic, dear readers? Does it stand against the creed "America right or wrong"?
I apologize if it does, but I tend to be reality based, and most times ignore heated, politically motivated, nonsensical rhetoric. And I have no patience for the general idea of American exceptionalism. This country is exceptional in many ways, just as other countries are exceptional in many ways. There is nothing exceptional in that. I do believe that when America is proven wrong in philosophy or deed, it should be set straight and held accountable.
Bin Laden himself said that meddling was one of the things that motivated his actions (as well as his belief that U.S. foreign policy had oppressed, killed, or otherwise harmed Muslims in the Middle East). He was particularly upset that U.S. troops were stationed in his homeland, Saudi Arabia (even though the Saudi government had invited them there), which of course is the most revered state of the Islamic religion, containing the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. As former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer has stated "They [Bin Laden and his followers] hate us for what we do, not who we are."
That makes a great deal more sense then the drivel George Bush was telling the American people, "They hate our freedoms: our freedom of religion, our freedom of speech, our freedom to vote and assemble and disagree with each other."
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we already knew all of that Rick, you say dear readers. But where did Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda come from? How did he become so important, and what the hell does all of this have to do with the "Shock Doctrine?"
Well, it's funny you should ask. Have patience dear readers. I'm trying to provide a little back story here, a little perspective, a perspective I find a tad distressing.
Why is that Rick?
Well, it seems that we invented him, or at least gave him a great big assist.
WTF!
I agree with you. Listen:
From December of 1979 to February of 1989 the Soviet Union was involved in a war in Afghanistan, just like the United States is now. The U.S.S.R. was trying to prop up the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, which was recognized as the legitimate government of that country, and which was communist with close ties to the Union. The DRA was in the midst of a civil war, with rebels called the Afghan Mujahideen (loosely translated "Muslims who struggle in the path of God"), who were fighting the government and Soviets, with the help of foreign volunteers. Since this was still the era of the Cold War, The U.S. thought this conflict would be a good opportunity to draw the Soviets into a long protracted military engagement thereby draining it's military and economic resources. In other words we wanted to cause as much trouble for the Russians as possible without a direct confrontation which might have led to nuclear war. Several countries also backed the mujahideen, including the United States, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and others.
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev came into power as the General Secretary of the Soviet Union in 1985. He inherited the war in Afghanistan and didn't like it. Thousands of Soviet troops had died, military morale was deteriorating, and the Soviet people back home were beginning to protest the war (unheard of until then in a communist country). He wanted to get out of there, and made preparations to do so.
Ronald Reagan had been in power since 1981, and after taking office he intensified America's so-called passive involvement in the conflict. The United States became instrumental in training, equipping and leading mujahideen forces against the Soviet Army. Reagan funneled billions of dollars, along with top-secret intelligence and sophisticated weaponry to these fighters through the Pakistani intelligence service.
Gorbachev was faced with the same problem we are now... how to extricate themselves from Afghanistan while providing support for the local government, and guaranteeing some type of stable and permanent transition.
In February of 1987, he tried to make a deal with the United States. Soviet forces would pull out of Afghanistan if America would stop supplying the rebels with assistance and weapons.
Reagan would have no part of such a deal.
So, Gorbi couldn't proceed with his plans to withdrawal.
Instead he escalated the fighting.
In April, Soviet troops, attacked a new compound of Islamic fighters along the mountain passes of Jaji, near the Pakistani border. The leader of those fighters was a thirty year old, well educated man, born from a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia... Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden.
"The battle lasted for about a week. Bin Laden and 50 Arab volunteers faced 200 Russian troops. … The Arab volunteers took casualties but held out under intense fire for several days. More than a dozen of bin Laden's comrades were killed, and bin Laden himself apparently suffered a foot wound. … Chronicled daily at the time by several Arab journalists … the battle of Jaji marked the birth of Osama bin Laden's public reputation as a warrior among Arab jihadists. … After Jaji he began a media campaign designed to publicize the brave fight waged by Arab volunteers who stood their ground against a superpower. In interviews and speeches … bin Laden sought to recruit new fighters to his cause and to chronicle his own role as a military leader. He also began to expound on expansive new goals for the jihad." -Steve Coll, "Ghost Wars."
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1594200076/qid=1086903870/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/102-1702016-6589764?v=glance&s=books
In September of that year Gorbi again let the U.S know they planned to pull out of Afghanistan, and asked for help in containing a Islamic fundamentalist movement within the country. The Reagan administration didn't trust him and did nothing.
The Soviet military did indeed leave the country, the last troops withdrawing in February of 1989.
What might have happened if Reagan had taken Gorbi up on his initial offer, or second offer concerning the Soviet troops leaving Afghanistan? We have no way of knowing for sure. We do know that the "Battle of Jaji," would probably have never taken place, and quite possibly Osama may not have become so influential within the Arab jihadist movement, and then quite possibly the attacks of 9/11 may never have occurred. But who knows? Osama was a wealthy man. He could have bought influence and carried out his plans. What we do know for sure is this:
Bin Laden formed Al Qaeda in 1988, then returned to Saudi Arabia. Iraq attacked and occupied Kuwait in 1990, putting the Saudi kingdom at risk. Osama pleaded with the Saudi aristocracy not to rely on non-muslim help from countries like the United States, offering to defend Saudi Arabia with his mujahideen. His offer was declined, and the House of Saud invited the U.S. military inside the country, which incensed Bin laden. He denounced the Saudi government, and made his plans to attack the west for reasons already mentioned. The Saudi government eventually became tired of Bin Laden's criticism and banished him from his home country. He settled in Sudan and established a new base for mujahideen operations. After a failed attempt by the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which Osama was closely associated with, to assassinate the President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, Sudan was pressured to expel him as well. In 1994 Bin Laden had his Saudi citizenship revoked, and his billionaire family disowned him.
By 1996 the worst fears of Mikhail Gorbachev, and his advisors came true. The Taliban, an Afghan religious fundamentalist movement, came to power.
That year Osama bin Laden returned to Afghanistan and began making plans.

Shock Doctrine 2

The Republican Vision for America

Most days I spend on average of three hours a day going through my Email (Sundays tend to be lite, because it is the day of rest). And that's skimming through it. As you can see from the link section to the right I have a fairly wide variety of interests, and they all insist on sending me Emails (especially those "Save the Frogs" people) on a regular basis.
It is my habit to file away the stories that catch my eye in a "Need To Read," folder, for later consumption, while I continue to skim through the rest, every once in a while adding to that folder.
I will never get through them all. I know that now, and have come to terms with this fact.
However I do get through a great deal of them. A few days ago I was reading this article from the Washington Post: "House bills give a glimpse into the tea party’s vision for America"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-tea-party-influence-is-creating-a-new-dynamic-in-the-house/2011/08/11/gIQAkvf0KJ_story.html?wpisrc=emailtoafriend
It had been referred to me from Keith Olbermann if I remember correctly, and as the article's title suggests, a pretty clear picture of the future of this country is painted if the Tea Baggers and their Republican minions have their way, indicated by the legislation they have already passed in the House of Representatives.

*In this time of increased foreclosures, continued robo signing of title documents by banks, swelling the ranks of the homeless and disenfranchised by thousands, the Tea Baggers would end 3 programs to provide assistance to those about to lose said homes ("Refinance Program Termination Act," "Emergency Mortgage Relief Program," "The HAMP Termination Act of 2011").
*Health care reform? That would be gone ("Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act," I guess the title says it all). Of course they offer no alternative plan, so it would be back to the medical insurance companies deciding what they will and will not cover, and how much, etc, etc, etc.
*Carbon dioxide pollution, and other greenhouse gases. No more federal guidelines to limit emissions ("Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011"). Koch bros... do what you will.
*A Medicare overhaul that would force new recipients to buy private insurance after 2022, thereby effectively gutting Medicare, and increasing the cost of coverage about $6000 a year for each individual.
*Financial reform? The bill President Obama got through was already weak enough, but the Republicans in Congress are attempting to derail any form of regulation, taking aim now at the newly formed Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, blocking Richard Corday from taking the helm of the agency until the Bureau's powers of enforcement are next to non-existent.
*Oh yeah, the old balanced budget amendment they keep insisting on, which would relieve Congress from doing it's job, which is allocating a budget, and which leaves no leeway for emergency expenditures, and which, thank God, hasn't a snowball chances in Albuquerque of ever passing 2/3 of each chamber, and 3/4 of the states.
It isn't easy to pass a Constitutional Amendment. The founding fathers didn't want it to be (because of instances just like this), and fortunately these bills have little chance of surviving in the Democratically controlled Senate.
The article makes clear though that it is the Republican's wish to repeal and get rid of everything, every gain, the Obama Administration has painfully made, to be replaced by... nothing. The Republicans have no ideas they can offer the American people... they just don't like the ones Obama had. Why? Because it was Obama who had them (a similar point can be made for the 9/11 attacks. The Clinton administrators attempted to warn the incoming George W. Bush team that Al qaeda wanted to attack us on U.S. soil:
http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB147/index.htm
Hell their own CIA even told them how they were going to do it: http://wanttoknow.info/020515post_memo_bush_white_house_bin_laden_attack_america_9-11 )
But Bush, and his cronies chose to ignore these warnings because... they came from Clinton (or his people), and thousands died due to their arrogance and stupidity).
There is also the matter of the general state of the economy. It's a mess. High unemployment. Employers cash rich but unwilling to hire. Average citizens having to increase their debt just to stay afloat, and when that fails their home is taken from them by eager banks those same people helped bail out during the meltdown of 2008. Wages are flat, have been for more than a decade, while employers demand higher productivity. Consumer protections are being held up by Congress. That same Congress refuses to lower the national debt and balance the budget by increasing taxes on the wealthy, while raiding social programs needed by the poor, the elderly, veterans, women...
The country is being raped by the super wealthy and multi-national corporations who control Congress and the Supreme Court (and influence the White House as well), and who would impose austerity measures on the majority of it's citizens for the mistakes that were made by those same multi-national corporations and banks, the same Congress that sat by and allowed them to make those mistakes. Those corporations and banks wish to continue to pillage without restraint, the possibility of another financial crisis and recession is very real. Upstart Republican presidential candidates promising the world to Tea Bagger groupies, when it was their party that was responsible for the mess we're in to begin with. They're greatest hope is that the country does not remember that, that we all fall under some type kind of collective amnesia. And they lie. The Republicans enjoy having their very own propaganda network that caters to the ill informed masses who are eager to be led, who are consistently told what they want to hear, most often having nothing to do with the real world, with facts, facts indeed are shunned, to be replaced by a white hot ideology fueled by fear, mistrust, bigotry, ignorance and hatred.
And those in power won't be happy, will not rest, until every once of sustenance is sucked out of the heart and body of this nation, until the majority of Americans spend their lives serving them, hypnotized by corporate television, video games, and the grind of making a living. They won't be satisfied until everyone but them are left to exist in the modern day equivalent of Depression era "Hoovervilles."
Here is Jon Stewart's take on the Republican's view of the poor and income inequality:
http://www.alternet.org/newsandviews/article/652418/jon_stewart_to_fox_news%3A_making_the_super-rich_pay_taxes_is_%22class_warfare%22_no%2C_the_war_is_on_the_poor/#paragraph3
The United States of America will never be defeated by a foreign enemy, our military is much too strong. But it can, and may be defeated, it's democratic goals and protections withered away, from the enemy within.
How did this state of affairs come about?
The majority of Americans became complacent, or were duped, just as our internal enemies wanted us to be, had worked feverishly for us to be, and then after long preparation, there came an unexpected shock.
Which started a silent civil war within the country.
And that began on the 11th day of September, in 2001.

To be continued.

Shock Doctrine

Naomi Klein

A few months before this blog started up in February of 2009, before lovely Erin came to work as my case manager, my case manger was the lovely Marisela, who has since taken off to Australia to continue her studies. Who knows where she is now. I certainly don't.
Her partner was the lovely Demitri, who now works over at the Abby Hotel where case manager Paul went to work. FYI, Paul is now a married man, congratulations to him and his lady, and will soon be leaving SRHT to continue his work in the social services field somewhere near Long Beach, California. I don't know why. One place is as good as another if you ask me.
We've mentioned Demitri before on this site, specifically this post:
http://joycestake.blogspot.com/2009/03/emails-with-demitri.html
Here's her picture:

I told you she was lovely. And hey guys, she's single... and a property owner!
She does have two psychotic dogs though.
In any case, during one of our many discussions concerning politics she said this to me: "Quit reading 'The Shock Doctrine'... it's driving you crazy."
Indeed I had been reading the Canadian investigative author Naomi Klein's book, "The Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism," at the time, and I agree with Demitri, it was driving me crazy... or at least really pissing me off.
I wasn't totally unprepared for the book. I had heard of the economist Milton Friedman, and of course who hasn't read "The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money," by John Maynard Keynes? But I have to admit I'm a very nieve and innocent soul, and Naomi's extensive work opened my eyes to a whole other world, a world driven by sociopathological ideology, and dare I say it... evil, driven to, well I don't know what the perpetrators of the doctrine hope to achieve since it is not sustainable and never works... the Sunk Cost Effect perhaps, where one cannot give up one's ideals simply because one cannot admit they are completely, tragically wrong.
What is the shock doctrine? Funny you should ask.
The shock doctrine is a noun, a process, and as the name suggests, an accepted belief system that at it's core involves the verbal form of the word "shock."
Klein argues that the free market policies of Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman and the Chicago School of Economics have been accepted, or forced upon countries that have undergone some form of disaster, or "shock," be they economic, political, military or natural in nature. The idea being that the population of said countries will accept drastic measures of change that would not normally be acceptable, in order to quickly correct the situation. The desire for decisive, immediate action allows unscrupulous leaders or entities to put in place measures that go far beyond the actual need of that country, or legitimate response to the disaster. She also suggests that the speed with which these measures are put into place will allow them to be implemented with little scrutiny and oversight, and once put into place these measures or policies will become the norm rather than the exception, and thus almost impossible to dislodge.
It's all rather simple really. The genius of Naomi Klein is that she was able to see it implemented where others were not (except those who did the implementing, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, at the direction of Milton Friedman), and effectively present the facts to an unsuspecting world.
Here is a quick example of the applied shock doctrine within our own country, perpetrated upon the nation not by an outside agency like the IMF or World Bank, but by our own government.
After the attacks of 9/11 the United States was understandably in turmoil, its people angry, bitter, saddened, "shocked," and malleable. The Bush administration took advantage of this and rushed through Congress what is known as the "Patriot Act," just 45 days after the attacks. Notice the name of the Act that was chosen, almost assuring it's passage, for who would want to vote against something "patriotic," at that particular time (66 out of 435 members of the House, and 1 out of 100 members of the Senate did vote against it)? The Act gave the government sweeping new powers. It "dramatically reduced restrictions on law enforcement agencies' ability to search telephone, e-mail communications, medical, financial, and other records; eased restrictions on foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expanded the Secretary of the Treasury’s authority to regulate financial transactions, particularly those involving foreign individuals and entities; and broadened the discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. The act also expanded the definition of terrorism to include domestic terrorism, thus enlarging the number of activities to which the USA PATRIOT Act’s expanded law enforcement powers can be applied." -Wikipedia
The Act effectively allowed the government to circumvent Constitutional protections, such as the Fourth Amendment's prohibition against unreasonable search and seizure, that our founding fathers fought and died for. The idea of the provisions of the Act coming into existence at a time other than when it was is unthinkable.
Yet it was easily passed. And as the shock doctrine dictates, once the change is put into place it becomes the norm rather than the exception. The proof of that in this instance is that the Patriot Act is still in place today.
According to the dictates of the doctrine, the Patriot Act was the precursor to the invasion of Afghanistan. Although this military action was unnecessary (the Taliban was willing to give up Osama bin Laden to the U.S. under certain conditions, like evidence of his involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Bush refused), but at least on appearances it was an appropriate action. The invasion of Iraq on the other hand was unnecessary, and totally unjustifiable. These military actions gave the Bush administration the unheard of opportunity to attempt to fashion a nation (Iraq) into anything it wanted to while stealing its natural resources. It also allowed the American military industrial complex, and other private concerns such as Dick Cheney's Halliburton, to steal directly from the national treasury and the people of the United States, under the guise of being "at war."
This would not have been possible at any other time then after the great "shock" of the attacks of September 11th, 2001.
American military forces and private contractors are still occupying both countries, still stealing, our soldiers still dying.
It is my position, and others, including Ms Klein herself, that the Shock Doctrine is still very, very much in effect, and being implemented in new, more devastating ways.
We'll discuss this in the next installment. In the meantime here's a link to Naomi Klein's "The Shock Doctrine: the Rise of Disaster Capitalism:
http://www.naomiklein.org/shock-doctrine#

To be continued.

Salvation Diary 51

"Salvation" artist Amanda Milke
http://amandamilke.wordpress.com/


September 1 Sunday Day 355

So... we're back to September.
What an odd month. Very hot during the day, nice at night. I don't believe I've done anything significant in September... until now. 354 complete days without a drink of booze, fix of heroin, snort of cocaine, whiff of marijuana, or the introduction of any mind altering chemical in any way, shape, or form.
Except for nicotine and caffeine of course. Maybe next year. Perhaps having my teeth bleached on the 9th will provide a motivating factor to quit smoking.
I still have a few days before the year's up. Today began at 8:00. After my alarm sounded I heard Robert and Roger in the bathroom getting ready for chapel. They had both been awake for hours, but they each independently decided that right at the time I woke and needed to get washed and dressed would be a good time to hog the washing facilities.
Scum, both of them.
At 8:15 exactly they left and I moved in. I kicked out a janitor, then had the place to myself.
I sat next to Schimmele in chapel. After the service began I noticed that Kevin Rockoff was not present. He must have been in bed, tired from his all night job guarding a dairy. I shook Schimmele's hand while saying, "Congratulations, you're now an usher."
Much to his eventual regret he did such a fine job that Clarence Orion decided to make him permanent.
Ron Collins wimped out and did not go with me and Brian Montique to the Sunday A.A. meeting. He wanted to watch football instead.
Ron told me last night that he didn't think he would be seeing his counselor Cathy anymore. As an employee he doesn't have to.
I think I know why Ron doesn't want to see her, but I'm not allowed to tell. I'm not even allowed to let on that I know. It would embarrass him and I don't want to do that.
I like Ron, and he's my friend, but I worry about him sometimes.
The A.A. meeting was a good one with a fine speaker. Skip was there for me to talk to during the breaks. I've been showing up long enough that I can't help but meet others as well.
I went to the park for an hour. I listened to songs 364, 363, 362, and 361 of the KLSX Top 1000 Labor Day Weekend Countdown, while reading some more about co-dependency.
One guy in the park set up a PA system and played Christian religious propaganda and music as loud as he could. He danced around as he did this. He had a lot of nerve invading my space in a public place like that. I felt as a non-smoker must feel in a movie theater surrounded by a bunch of kids smoking their brains out. Finally the police came over from the other side of the park, where they had been busy harassing some poor homeless people, and told this dancing idiot to turn the music down.
When the police went away he turned it back up again.
I ate dinner back at the residence. A big meatball sort of thing with yams and green beans. It was good. I hadn't eaten all day, so I was hungry. At the time a block of warm cement would have tasted good. I poured blue cheese dressing over it to spice things up a bit.
I watched "Star Trek, the Next Generation." A repeat episode dealing with the question of what it is that we find love in others, what is important to us? Is it the exterior, or the person that they really are?
I think it's both, and in varying degrees.
I then fell asleep for awhile, but got up in time to get a good seat for the Sunday night V.C.R. movie, "Wild at Heart," a delightful film from David Lynch... his version of "The Wizard of Oz." Laura Dern was perfect. Nicholas cage was funny, and William DeFoe... frightening.
Some might say the movie was sick and deranged, as is David Lynch.
They might be right.
He is also one of the most original and inventive filmmakers around.
Still, there's no denying the man is disturbed.
After the movie I returned to my lonely room and played with my word processor and printer. I got it to print all I had to say in about half the space I used to.
Nifty, but hard to read.
After I got tired of that I ate some unauthorized tortilla chips and salsa, then got into bed and watched a rerun of "M.A.S.H.," while reading Arthur C. Clarke. I soon slept.
I dreamt of alien wearing black rubber gloves.


September 2 Monday Day 356


Labor Day! Oh Boy!
I was so excited about it that I made an unconscious decision to celebrate by sleeping in until noon. I didn't wake until Robert announced over the P.A. system that a special holiday V.C.R. movie, "Dancing with Wolves," would be shown at 1:00.
I would have attended, but the idea of watching Kevin Costner dashing around in the midst of a herd of mechanical buffaloes didn't seem to appeal to me.
After a nice shower I went down and had lunch instead. Very tasty luncheon meat sandwiches, with a piece of baked chicken, and corn-on-the-cob.
I smoked a cigarette outside in the parking lot, then went back to my lonely room and turned on my word processor and printer. I would continue to play with these two devices for most of the evening (very exciting), and actually write the sequence just before Day 1 starts, at the beginning of this book. I wrote it directly into the processor, without first forming it in long hand.
I felt exhilarated seeing it in print.
The word processor gets the page numbers all mixed up though. I'll have to check into that.
At 5:30, I was standing in the parking lot talking to Schimmele, when Tommy Bommarito walked up and said hello. He looked a little weather worn, but otherwise fine. His job these days is to stand near freeway exits or entrances while holding a sign proclaiming he was a homeless person who needed food or cash donations... preferably cash. His sign also lets the passing folks know that he is diabetic.
He tells me that he pulls in about forty five dollars a day, tax free. A lot more than I make. He let me know some of the trade secrets, like the need to look ragged, so people will believe that you're actually homeless, but not to ragged, or they will be afraid to come near you and pass you right by.
Tommy's not even really homeless. He lives in a sober living house not too far from the center.
He told me that he sees Reuben Perez every once in a while. Reuben's not doing as well as Tommy is. Reuben lives in an abandoned house close to where Tommy lives.
Reuben of course is also diabetic, just like Tommy, but Reuben doesn't seem to be taking care of himself. He's a physical wreck, Tommy told me, skinnier than he is, and that's very thin. One of Reuben's arms is paralyzed. He refuses to seek help.
For most of us the road is a rough one until we seek help. Even after that it's still rough for a time.
Tommy soon left to catch a bus, and I returned to my lonely room to watch a repeat episode of "Star Trek, the Next Generation." Capt. Picard got laid in this one.
Good for him.


September 3 Tuesday Day 357


Good old Jim Docken and Hobart Rodgers took off again this morning. They got the itch and had to hit the streets one more time. They left Eddie Acuna behind this time, thank God. They must have thought he would have slowed them down.
Or Eddie's gaining some sense.
My friend Carlos Noble became an employee a week or so ago. He's the dock foreman now. The same position he held when I first met him in Canoga park almost two years ago. He should do well. He's experienced, and is familiar with the in-house politics of the Salvation Army.
At least he's not a driver, though I've seen an awful lot of dock foremen come and go.
Wayne Dubois, on the other hand, became a driver, or had become a driver, because he was fired today for refusing to pick up a doner's select garbage, telling the doner he didn't have the time and he'd have to schedule another pick up. I guess he was in a hurry to get somewhere. The doner was rather upset over this turn of events (quite often doners will take time off work, or their busy lifestyle activities, in order to be home when the truck arrives to pick up their trash), and called our dispatch office and filed a complaint. Now Wayne is a beneficiary again.
Reuben Smith's tan is fading. At least that's what I keep telling him him. It drives him crazy.
I call him snowball.
I had a good morning while working. Got everything ship-shape in the office, then wrote a lot.
I exercised in the weight room after work, then watched an interview of a KGB officer on PBS in my lonely room.
I sat with Richard Bennet at dinner. He said I looked much happier then I had for the last couple of weeks. He had been worried about me. I let him know I had been a little preoccupied lately, but that I was alright now.
Ups and downs. Our lives are filled with ups and downs. The trick in life is to try to keep the amplitude down to a minimum.
I told Richard that I felt fine and that I had good things to look forward to. School was coming up soon, and a year's sobriety the next week. I told him I had already memorized what I would say when I took my cake for 1 year.
"You'll forget it," he said. "You'll be lucky to get out, 'Keep coming back!'"
I watched "Star Trek, the Next Generation," and then read. At 8:00 "Nova," came on channel 28, the PBS channel. The show involved the 1989 Neptune (and it's cool moon (about 35 degrees above absolute zero) Triton) flyby of the Voyager 2 spacecraft. The program was narrated by Patrick Stewart, who of course plays Capt. Picard on "Star Trek, the Next Generation." You know, the guy who got laid yesterday.
I read some more, and munched unauthorized tortilla chips.
At 11:00, Part 3 of "The Mind," series came on channel 28 again. It discussed how aging affects the mental processes, and how each of us (human type people) are affected differently by growing older. Alzheimer's disease was mentioned.
I thought about my grandmother.
I think I could suffer anything except losing my mind. It's the only thing I think with!
Use it or lose it I guess.
If I were to lose my mind, would I know, would I realize that it was happening?
Have I lost my mind already?
Am I now totally insane without realizing that this is the case?
I must consider this.


September 4 Wednesday Day 358


A good day. Lots of things done. Like my laundry. Got that out of the way for another week. Very important.
I spent my morning (because it is mine) taking care of the usual paperwork, writing, securing janitorial supplies, and sitting with the man from Abbott Laboratories, who had come to service the ADx machine. We'd been having some problems with it. In the end he replaced a lamp and told me that everything would be okay now. Or hunky dory. I had no way of testing his supposition however, because Abbott had been late shipping us the reagent chemicals we need to operate the machine. In the mean time I'm up to my ears in what is getting to be some very stale urine.
I did my laundry, as I've said, in the afternoon. I also exercised, read from the Bible and the co-dependency book that Cathy had lent to me. I also searched about half of the lockers looking for errant towels. Found some too.
Counselor Charity made a rare appearance tonight at chapel. Barbara was there to. And after chapel... Cathy.
She was a tad upset that Ron Collins had excused himself from her caseload so abruptly. She told me she felt kind of abandoned. Well, that's Ron for you, the Heartbreak Kid. Ed Reitz gave her a whole bunch of new clients to help ease her abandonment crisis. A white supremacist, a young black man who considers himself that upon which the universe pivots (how absurd, when in actuality I am the center of said universe), another man who was in need of a Big Book, and her regular, Ron Cooper. She was kept nice and busy.
After she was finished we had a nice talk. Then she left. We waved to each other as she drove off.


September 5 Thursday Day 359


In difference to Mr. Steinbeck's contention that Thursday's are sweet, in my opinion, these particular days of the week, which come around with sickening regularity, suck. Almost nothing good ever happens to me on Thursdays.
Wednesdays aren't all that hot either, but at least Cathy comes to complicate my life and confuse me.
At least there's that!
Just after lunch I had to break up a fight between two of my desk men, Columbus Davis and Gene Mance. They were calling each other "nigger," and stuff like that (it's probably a good thing that they're both black). Ridicules. I never did find out what it was about.
Just as things settled down I noticed a civilian standing at the desk. I asked him if I could help him, and he told me he was our next door neighbor. He said that every time his wife opened her kitchen door to let some air in, our gardener, Don Robinson, would sit down a few feet away, smoke cigarettes and stare at her. He told me it was getting to be annoying. I could belive that.
I went with him outside and around the building, and sure enough, there was Don, squatting against the side of the residence, smoking, and looking right into the lady's kitchen. I chased him away, directing him to not use that particular spot for a smoke break anymore.
The ADx guy came out again. After running some controls he told me the machine was fixed... again. After he left I ran some samples using the cocaine assays, and got the same "Insufficient Reagent" message I had gotten before. This time from a brand new pack of reagents, so I had to call the Abbott customer service center in Dallas to have the technician come out again.
Meanwhile, the urine accumulates and ripens.
We had to clamp down a bit on all of the contraband coming in the front door when the boys come home from work. They're taking advantage of the fact that Corona and Parsons are letting them have underwear for personal use, and bringing it over directly from the warehouse to the residence. Today when they came back I had Columbus confiscate all of the T-shirts the guys carried in. We discovered that they were not only bringing back underwear, but various types of white polo shirts with collars, white T-shirts with printed pictures and lettering, and numerous other items as well that couldn't quite qualify as undies.
Naughty boys.
I had taken Roger Collins to and from the hospital before lunch so he would be ready to open the canteen at 4:00. At 5:15 he came to tell me he couldn't walk on his foot and wouldn't be able to work. Roger is a pain in the ass. Ed McNicol was not around, so I had Jack Crossley work in the canteen.
Jack did a good job really.
Ed Reitz came over after dinner to tell Anthony Rutherford that he had one week to make arrangements to move out. Anthony, at any given time, has half of the house ready to kill him. Anthony has a certain disdain for social interaction.
The evening's meetings went well. About fifty guys crowded into the small T.V. room for the CA panel when two sharp looking ladies showed up as the speakers.
Later I ran cannabinoid tests on all of my urine samples to at least get something done with all of the yellow fluid. Cocaine remains the only test giving me problems.
Richard Bennet left late after finishing his counseling sessions. "Each one took a long time tonight," he let me know.
"You mean they actually had some issues and problems they're trying to deal with?" I asked.
"Yes."
"I hate that when that happens."
He smiled, and said, "So do I."
I went to the canteen near curfew time and... er... borrowed forever, two eggrolls from the leftover late dinners, heated them in the microwave and consumed them
And at 10:48P.M. exactly, I drank my last cup of coffee.
I'm giving it up.
After Eddie Gillespie came to relieve me I went to my room and switched on channel 28. I watched Part 5 of "The Mind," concerning pain and healing. My feet began to hurt while watching it, so I turned it off and went to sleep.

Magic (Happy Birthday Jill St. John)

Stunner


Stunner in Black & White


Stunner in Bathing Suit


The Riddler's Moll


Jill with Doug McClure


Bond Girl


From Russia With Love


She Cooks Too!


Jill & Robert

It is my great honor and privilege to give a mighty happy birthday shout out to one of my very favorite actresses, Ms Jill St. John.
Jill Arlyn Oppenheim was born at a very early age right here in Los Angeles. That makes her an L.A. Girl! Take that the rest of the world!
Her mom was Betty Lou Oppenheim, who had hopes of a show business career for her young daughter and pretty much pushed her in that direction. Sadly Betty Lou died of cancer in 1998 at the age of 85.
I can't find any information concerning Jill's father. Presumably she had one. Hell, they just get in the way most of the time anyway.
Jill made her radio career debut at the age of 5. At the age of 9 she appeared in a television production of Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," as Missie Cratchit, along with another of my favorite actors, Vincent Price, as the host/narrator. You may be familiar with the story. Comes on about every Christmas. Taylor Holmes played Ebenezer Scrooge, but no one knows today who he is because he died in 1959.
I'm sure he was a very fine actor though.
That was in 1949. A couple of years later she appeared with some more of my favorite actors and comedians, George Burns and his lovely wife Gracie Allen, on their television program. By golly, I have DVDs of that show right here in my box. I think I'll watch one right now. Please excuse me.
Wow that was fun. That Gracie sure was a crazy one. Crazy like a fox.
Anyway, the next year, in 1952, she appeared in one of my favorite T.V. shows, although I was not alive yet to watch it. "Sky King," with good old Kirby Grant as Sky King, flying with his daughter Penny in their Cessna 310 all over the place causing trouble. "From out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King!" They don't make'em like that anymore.
Also at about this time Betty Lou changed Jill's name from Oppenheim to St. John. I don't know why. Oppenheim is a fine and respectable name. Maybe she had a thing for Apostles.
By the time she was 16 years old she had over 1000 radio and 50 T.V. credits to her name. This led to her getting a contract with Universal Studios, which began her career acting in major films.
By the time I was 16 I was learning how to smoke pot and ditch High School. But that's a whole different story for another time. I don't really want to go into it.
Naturally Jill attended Beverly Hills High School. Another ballet girl, she was in the same class with Natalie Wood and Stefanie Powers, whose birthdays we've celebrated in the past. All three lovely ladies would have long term relationship's with the lucky actor Robert Wagner, who I've met as well, although we've never had a relationship... yet.
Actually he's really not my type. Too many commercials concerning reverse mortgages. I did see him dressed in drag as a nurse once, but that's a whole different story for another time. I don't really want to go into it.
Jill met Robert when she was 14. Robert would later marry Natalie, and after her tragic death, Jill and Robert would marry. That was in 1990, and they've been married ever since. They spend their recreational time skiing, horseback riding, golfing, and eating cookies in bed, I'm told. His nickname for her is "Magic."
Jill's very smart for a human being with and IQ of 162. What does that mean? Good question dear readers!
Well IQ stands for "Intelligence Quotient," which is a score derived from one of several tests that one can take if they're smart enough to do so. These tests and the "IQ" score supposedly rate a persons level of general intelligence in the broadest sense of the word. It's not a perfect system, but it is certainly the most often used, and the most familiar to the public.
Now if Jill has an IQ of 162, what does that mean? Not a damn thing by itself! But in relation to other IQ scores one gets a sense of how intelligent the scorer is.
Mensa International is a high-IQ society for really smart people who get together to make fun of the rest of us. In order to get in Mensa one needs to have at least an averaged IQ of 130.82. Now Jill's IQ score is 162, which of course is way higher than the 130.82 which it takes to get into Mensa, so she could get into Mensa anytime she wants probably. I don't know if she's a member. I'm certainly not.
Now I'm told the average IQ of a high school graduate is 100. That of a university professor as was our president, Barack Obama is 135 upwards. Unskilled workers is 87. Adults that can harvest vegetables like illegal immigrants is 60. Those who can do domestic work, or basic carpentry is 50. And those who can mow lawns and do simple laundry (as opposed to complicated laundry) is 40.
Now that doesn't mean that every fruit picker, or maid has less than average intelligence. Oh no. There could be lots of folks out there who are mowing lawns right now with an IQ of 150 or more. They may just like to mow lawns. Some people do. Take Jill St. John for instance. She has an IQ of 162 and she became an actress of all things, when she probably could of discovered a cure for cancer by now. Shame on you Jill.
In a strange anomaly we've discovered that former president George W. Bush has an IQ of 57, which may explain his constant desire to cut brush with a chain saw while he was in office.
My IQ stands at 15. I'm dumb as a freaking rock, and have to pay a smart person to move my fingers across the compter's key board to type this.
I think.
Anyway, Jill was so smart she began studying at UCLA, which is a big college here in L.A., when she was just 14, leaving two years later when she starting working at Universal.
She also got married for the first time when she was 16 (how did that happen? Did she need a note from mom?) to Neil Dublin, whom I'm told was a millionaire. Not a bad catch for a 16 year old. They got divorced a little over a year later.
And she continued working getting her first film role in the John Saxon vehicle, "Summer Love," in 1958. Then two years later Jill would appear as the female lead in "The Lost World," with Michael Rennie (who had played Klaatu in "The Day the Earth Stood Still," nine years previously), and with the Invisible Man himself, Claude Rains.
I liked this film very much as a very young person watching it on T.V. years after it first came out. It had lizards in it dressed up as dinosaurs. Way cool.
The year earlier Jill had gotten married again to Lawrence Graf von Haugwitz-Hardenberg-Reventlow (Lance), an entrepreneur and race car driver. Another rich guy (us poor guys never had a chance with this girl. She was too smart), his mom was Barbara Hutton, an heiress to the Woolworth fortune. He was also the step son of actor Cary Grant. They were married for three years before divorcing.
Jill continued making films like "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone," with Vivien Leigh and Warren Beatty (recently remade with Helen Mirren in the title role), F. Scott Fitgerald's (Tender is the Night," with Jennifer Jones and Jason Robards. She played opposite Jerry Lewis in "Who's Minding the Store," "Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed," with Dean Martin and Samantha the Witch, Elizabeth Montgomery.
In 1964 she returned to television in another of my favorite shows (for a little while. It soon became very silly) "Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea," reuniting with actor David Hedison who she worked with in "The Lost World," film. She appeared three times on the "Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre," between 1963 and 1965, and would accompany Bob on at least one of his famous USO tours to entertain the soldiers who were fighting in Vietnam (Bob liked her. I don't blame him. She would appear a total of 11 times on his specials between 1967 and 1983). In 1966 she appeared on the first episode of the original Batman television program as the Riddler's girlfriend, Molly. Unfortunately she was the only woman to get killed during the entire series. I don't know why.
She worked on "The Big Valley," television show with Barbara Stanwick, and as a stripper in the film "The Oscar," with Stephen Boyd (of "Ben Hur," fame) and the singer Tony Bennett (his first film role).
In 1967 she married the singer Jack Jones for one and a half years before divorcing again. She would remain single for the next thirteen years, but dated guys like Frank Sinatra, Sean Connery, Jack Nicolson, and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (he's so cuddly) from 1973 to 1977 (which explains the above photo where Soviet Premier Leonid Brezhnev was... er... checking out the scenery, on I believe his only trip to the United States, here in California in June of 1973. Tricky Dick Nixon can be seen on the right).
Also in 67 she appeared with Doug McClure in "The King's Pirate" (picture above), who my dad used to deliver booze to while he was working in the T.V. show "The Virginian."
In 1971 Jill appeared on the Red Skelton television show. Here's the clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edsfBJqySTM
That same year she starred with Sean Connery in what a lot of people believe was her best known film role, as the beautiful diamond smuggler Tiffany Case in "Diamonds are Forever," the seventh James Bond film, and the sixth and next to last for Sean. Jill was the first American "Bond Girl," and in my opinion the best thing about the somewhat campy movie. I got very mad at Bond when he slapped her in it. How rude and brutish.
It is interesting to note that Lana Wood, Natalie Wood's sister, appeared in a small role in the movie as Plenty O'Toole, a uh, opportunistic working girl, a part that was first considered for Jill herself. Natalie at the time was between marriages with Jill's future husband, Robert Wagner... literally. They had once married from 1957 to 1962, and would marry again in 1972, and remain married until Natalie's death nine years later in 1981.
Jill continued working. Here are some of my favorite shows she was on: "The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour," eight times on "Rowen and Martin's Laugh In," in 1979 the pilot episode of "Hart to Hart," which of course starred Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers, which went on to air until 1984, hence Stefanie's long term relationship with Robert.
Jill appeared four times on "The Love Boat," once on "Magnum P.I.," "Fantasy Island" twice. In 1982 she was acclaimed for her performance as a cruel warden in "The Concrete Jungle," and in 1997, an episode of "Seinfeld," with her then husband, Mr. Wagner. I don't think she's appeared as an actress on television or film since 2002.
As I've mentioned Robert and Jill married on May 26th, 1990, and remain married to this day. They reside in Aspen, Colorado. She has three step daughters with Robert, and has written several cookbooks. She has also served as a food columnist for the USA Weekend newspaper.
Well there you go Robert. I've now written a birthday tribute to Stafanie, Natalie, and now Jill, three unique, talented, and very beautiful women who have been very important to you throughout your life.
Glad to do it. They've been very important to me (and millions of others) as well.
Continued good fortune and health Ms St. John, and from all of us here at Joyce's Take, have a very happy birthday.
Happy Birthday Jill!
Here's a small tribute video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lwr1Cf2ssCo

Salvation Diary 50

"Salvation," artist Amanda Milke
http://amandamilke.wordpress.com/


August 27 Tuesday Day 350

Robert had taken his car in to have it fixed. The mechanics over at the Mobil station (the same station where I purchased my morning coffee, and later in the evening my dinner, when I lived in the Park) are "Saddam Hussein's cousins." according to him. They replaced his thermostat. Then everything was "A okay," and in tip top condition, they assured.
As soon as Robert returned with the car it began to leak water.
"What causes that?" he asked. "Is that normal?"
"My car did that once," I answered. "Just before it blew up."
So this morning he took it back to Mobile station again, and was told he may need a new water pump.
"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus," he says.
I returned to work. I had a wonderful day until 1:30, when I thought I'd be very efficient and get some urine samples analyzed before my shift ended in an hour.
The ADx machine gave me a lot of false results, wouldn't read the bar code instructions correctly, and was generally mind fucking me. I over reacted by getting intensely angry at the rest of the world, and was in a rather gruff mood for the remainder of the afternoon.
After work I exercised, then napped, after which I felt much better.
Jill came in at 6:05 for her 5:45 group counseling session. I made sure I was down in the lobby when she arrived to see what she was wearing.
Her blue dress. My favorite.
I spent a good deal of the evening playing with my word processor and discovering the various printing styles available to me through the printer. I composed another short letter to my mom, and printed it six times, each using a different format, and mailing them all for her inspection.
After I finished I printed the first page of this book. It looked very nice. Clean and clear.
As I read it I remembered all too well what it felt like on that morning a hundred years ago. I didn't care for that feeling.
Writing this is going to be harder than I thought.


August 28 Wednesday Day 351


Wolf Pandolfi knocked on my door at 3:30, waking me up. After fumbling my way to the door and opening, he told me that someone had broken into the thrift store, and one of us had to go over there and watch the place until reinforcements arrived in the morning.
This is how I started what turned out to be a very long and miserable day.
I really don't want to talk about it. One reason why I don't want to talk about it is because I don't understand women. Not one little part of them (except that their air breathing mammals, similar to me, but only in a physical sense). And because of that I find myself left angry and confused.
The reason of course is Cathy. She came tonight, and hardly said a word to me. After she had finished for the evening, I gave her back her copy of "Under the Influence," and thanked her for it, and offered her a copy of one of my favorite works of non-fiction, "The Dragons of Eden," by good old Carl Sagan. She almost bit my head off in her refusal, stating something about how I didn't understand how little time she had to read with her busy schedule and all.
I was shocked by her vehemence, and angered, and decided to distance myself from her by making my usual ten o'clock rounds early. While I was gone she completed her paperwork, got in her car and drove away.
Very strange.
All I ever gotten from this girl are mixed signals. One moment she wants me to call her, and when I do she doesn't answer her phone or return my messages.
Women!
I swear I will NEVER, EVER, go out, or try to get close to another FEMALE again.

NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope I've made myself sufficiently clear on this matter.


August 29 Thursday Day 352


Well, well, well.
Today was probably the worst day I've had since I've been here.
I woke in a foul mood, still trying to figure out what I had done to Cathy to offend her.
Not being able to remember anything specifically I attempted to figure out women in general.
Hopeless task.
Even when one knows the secret of feminine allure and love, one still does not know all the answers.
Far from it.
I had a nice long work day to look forward to, which cheered me immeasurably. Seventeen hours of fun and joy.
The thought of work... or even working, does not usually bother me, but today I did not feel like doing a damn thing. And when you don't feel like doing anything and you've got seventeen hours not to do it in- - it gets pretty depressing.
Even so I forced myself to write for a little while in the morning. I got that done at least. Then I resumed The Whitney Strieber novel, "Majestic," but couldn't keep from thinking about Cathy.
I was occupied by those thoughts all morning, and I couldn't concentrate on any other subject for very long, and I had no real interest in running the Pasadena Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center.
But I didn't drink and I didn't commit suicide or anything, which is a very big step for me (I usually drink and commit suicide during abandonment episodes). I thought about drinking, I'll admit that. I thought about walking away, chucking the whole place, going over to Vons and getting a bottle, going straight to the Park (because if I drank, I'd wind up there anyway), and try and forget all of my horrendous problems.
I considered it for about thirty seconds and discovered that I just didn't have any problems except for this one, none that I didn't have to drink over anyway. If I did want a bunch of problems, BIG PROBLEMS, the fastest way for me to get them would be by taking a drink.
I was tired from lack of sleep and in a confused mental state, so I napped after lunch. When I woke a couple of hours later I felt much better, but still had Cathy on my mind. I decided to do something about it. I'm an adult after all. I should be able to verbally communicate to this lady how I felt. The thought of continuing throughout the day, through next week, without getting this straightened out was intolerable.
So I called her and left a message on her answering machine. I was honest, telling her that if she didn't wish to see me she didn't have to. I just did not want any bad feeling between us, any animosity. I told her I would tear up her telephone number and never call her again (ah, the drama!). Then I told her I hoped her cats were okay, and that I thought they were good cats. I hung up then.
A message designed to administer guilt and demand sympathy if I ever heard one.
Of course her damned answering machine cut me off about half way through my plaintive plea for attention.
Things continued to go bad for me. Roger Collins had gone to his weekly doctor's appointment at U.S.C. County Hospital, to have his leg scraped (pretty sickening image, I agree). Ed Reitz had taken him there. When Roger called to be picked up shortly after lunch, Ed had gone to a Lion's Club meeting, making him unavailable, and there were no other vehicles around. The problem of getting Roger back from the hospital was put off and eventually forgotten, all of us kind of hoping Roger would fend for himself.
Later, at around 4:30 or so, I noticed that the canteen had not opened, which meant that Roger had not returned. Roger later claimed that it was impossible for him to walk the relatively short distance to the nearest bus stop, so he just sat there, waiting for someone to come and pick him up. Left to his own devices he would gladly sit there all night just for the change in routine, allowing him to miss working in the canteen as well.
Ed and I decided to go and get him. We drove to the entrance of the outpatient clinic where Ed had left him. He was no where to be found. We assumed he had tired of waiting and hobbled to the bus stop.
We were wrong.
As if timed, upon returning to the residence Roger called and said he was waiting at the emergency room exit. I told him to get on a bus and get back here or I would kill him. Ed said, why not let Curtis Carter, who had just been hired as a driver the day before, drive over to get Roger. Curtis said, sure, he'd go, but he wasn't sure how to get there. I got volunteered to show him, and once again found myself at the imposing and bleak medical facility.
The ride there was very interesting. I actually feared for my life. Curtis could not seem to keep the large van in any one particular lane while on the freeway. Other cars nearby, fearful that the lumbering van might careen into them, busily honked at us. I thought that if I wound up dying during this trip, Cathy would feel bad about spurning me.
We made it though. Roger was there, insipid as usual. We returned to the residence, and Roger took his sweet time opening the canteen.
Jack Crossley, who had been left in charge of everything while I was away, looked dazed, shocked, and confused after trying to get three different 12 Step meetings started at the same time (AA, CA, and Overcomers Outreach (a Christian AA program)). I gave him a hand when I got back, and together we managed to salvage the evening.
After the meetings and the canteen closed, and things in general had died down a little, I went to the sample room to run some tests. Actually I wanted to use the phone in there, as Cathy had called earlier and I wanted to call her back.
She explained why she had appeared angry the night before. She said she had wanted to explain yesterday, but she couldn't find me.
It had something to do with some kind of medical condition she experiences at times. About 12 times a year. I didn't really understand.
For getting so excited about the whole situation I felt like a stupid, insecure, little turd (women will do that to you).
But Cathy is a wonderful girl and made me feel a lot better by explaining to me some things about lack of communication and misconstrued signals. She said she would never intentionally do anything to hurt me, and her reasonableness was at once uplifting and captivating. She had been having a very hectic week herself, and had been dealing with a lot of issues. I listened quietly to what she had to say.
Things were back to normal between us... she wouldn't let me get a word in.
So we're friends again and I feel a hundred per cent better. She's a genuinely decent lady.
And so cute!
I reached my bed a half hour after midnight with the knowledge I would now sleep well.


August 30 Friday Day 353


For about thirty minutes at least. Eddie Gillespie, Bard of the Streets, knocked on my door at 1:10 in the morning. He told me the thrift store had been broken into again.
Some silly man had been observed by a passing motorist throwing a rock through the store's glass door. The motorist subsequently called the police.
I nice thing for the motorist to do.
Meanwhile the burglar helped himself to a portable television set, which he took across Del Mar Blvd., and hid in some bushes. He then returned to the store and began to browse through the men's clothing section. That was what he was doing when the police arrived (who had been at the park harassing homeless people) and arrested him.
Just as the police escorted this individual to jail, Eddie appeared from around the corner and was informed of what happened. Then Eddie came and told me.
I in turn got dressed and informed Mr. Vasquez.
"Aawh shit!" he exposed.
I told him I'd stay up and keep an eye on the residence while Gillespie stayed at the store. Robert said I didn't have to stay up, but didn't put up much of an argument when I reminded him that someone had to stay awake in the building as a fire watch and to wake the cooks for breakfast.
He told me he'd relieve me at 4:00.
I walked over to the store to survey the damage. The police had returned the stolen T.V. I plugged it in and began watching Steve McQueen in Henrik Ibsen's "Enemy of the People," a play I had once acted in back in high school.
Eddie went back to the residence to eat his dinner.
As I ate a Three Musketeers Bar, the picture on the television screen snapped into another dimension, making the actor's faces look like pastel dummies.
The hapless burglar would not have gotten much for the set I'm afraid.
When Eddie returned we rigged a large table to the hole in the thrift store's front door and tied it in place. I then went back to the residence.
I went to the canteen and turned on the T.V. they have in there, to catch the last of "Enemy of the People," and made myself some scrambled eggs and a hamburger in the microwave.
After eating, and the movie ended, I sat behind the desk and read until it was time to wake the cooks, drivers,and desk people.
They didn't want to get up.
At 6:15 (my 4:00 relief person did not materialize) I went back to bed and slept until noon.
I woke tired and hungry. I showered, dressed, and walked to Laos Tacos to dine on some tequitos and enchiladas.
Upon returning to the residence I wrote until it was time to work yet again.
Nothing much to do on my shift. Robert had gotten the gratuity early and had paid the men at lunchtime, so I fiddled around, reading and writing for most of the night. At about this time, half way around the world, communism was drawing a last breath in Russia.
I spent a lot of time trying to get the ADx machine to work properly, but it wouldn't cooperate. It kept trying to pretend there were no samples inside when there were.
It was in denial.
After my shift, after midnight, I read for awhile about aliens, then slept.
I had strange dreams of wild rides at Disneyland.


August 31 Saturday Day 354


Nobody broke into the store last night so I had a fairly normal night's sleep. Besides, I told Eddie to wake Robert up if anything happened.
I slept late, until 10:00AM. Then I smoked an unauthorized cigarette in the bathroom, then read in my room until lunchtime (chicken fried steaks).
Robert requested that I go get the weekend's V.C.R. movies, so I dutifully walked over to the Music Plus and picked out "King Ralph," because Ed Reitz told me it would be a good movie to get, it being a nice comedy and all, starring John Goodman and Peter O'Toole. For myself, and anybody who cared to watch with me, I got David Lynch's "Wild at Heart," with Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern. Ever since "Easerhead," I've been a Lynch fan.
Robert looked at the "Heart" tape upon my return, and said, "Don't get anymore porno, Joyce."
I went to the park for an hour, listening to the radio, and reading about co-dependency.
Back at the residence, after a shower, I wrote until my shift began.
Then wrote some more. Then I did all of the paperwork that needed to be done., then finished the "Majestic" novel. Whitney Strieber certainly seems to be sure this planet is being visited by an intelligent something. Maybe he's right, who knows?"
But probably not.
I allowed Curtis Cater, the week's duty driver, to go out with his girlfriend, so I drove six of the guys to an outside A.A. meeting. This was the first time I had done this. I think I'll do it more often as it was fun driving around Pasadena on a Saturday night. Lots of people walking around Colorado Blvd.
After picking up these same guys after the meeting, I made my rounds, locked everything up, then wrote in the office. In fact, that's what I'm doing right now. In real time it's now 10:49PM and 33 seconds, by my watch, which for this book is the only time that matters. As soon as I finish writing this I will go outside to have a cigarette and shorten my life about a month. After that I will come back inside and read some more about co-dependency. Near midnight, when Wolf Pandolfi comes, I may have to throw some people out of the program. I don't know yet, I hope not. It all depends on everyone getting back in time and if they're sober when they get here. At midnight, Wolf and I will lock the doors and turn off the lights, and shoo everyone upstairs. Then I will watch "King Ralph," in the small T.V. room. I will invite Columbus Davis to watch it with me, but he will refuse, saying he has to get up early. That's true, he does have to get up early. He has tomorrow's morning shift to contend with. So I will end up watching the video alone. After one hour and thirty six minutes, plus five minutes or so for another cigarette, I will close up the T.V. room and return the tape to the office. Then I will say goodnight to Wolf who will be dozing behind the desk. I will then go upstairs to my lonely room, undress, set my alarm clock for 8:00, get into bed and go to sleep.
My first dream will be of Cathy. Later I'll dream about Cal Tiki, the giant, immortal blob monster.
Such is life.