That little 9 year old boy

Today I performed a social experiment. I confronted a great, big bully that is controlling innocent people's lives. There is a 9 year old Canadian boy that is currently in detention at a private correctional facility in Texas, at no fault of his own. I heard him tell his entire story on Democracynow.org, and tears fell for the obvious torture of forced displacement for such a young life.

Kevin was travelling on a non-stop flight from Tehran, Iran to Toronto, Canada. Apparently, there was a person that suffered a heart attack and the plane was forced to land in Puerto Rico. The plane was then searched by the american immigration officials at the airport, and Kevin's family was kept at the airport. The plane waited for 1 hour, then departed for Toronto.

Today, I had the satisfaction of inquiring to the legal department of www.correctionscorp.com, and ask for the official comment on this situation for a 9 year-old boy in detention on no charge. I was hung up on, and I promptly called back and left a message for an official comment on the voice mail. One hour later, my request was recommended via voice mail to contact the official government department that was conducting the contracting.

Tonight, Kevin spends another terrifying night sleeping next to a dank toilet apart from his family. I will call the government contact tomorrow morning, and attempt to get hung up on again. I'm hoping that my actions will quantify into something.

Peace :)

So they think an attack in Canada is imminent

Global media reported a couple days ago that an attack on Canada's oilfields is imminent because our oil is heading for the U.S. economy. Not only did this report come out of Ottawa, this rumour was generated whilst a Conservative gov't is currently in minority status within our Parliament. Last year, I attempted to complete my taxes, not before the new neocon Canadian's began taking 3 years taxes due from my bank account. Just taking it. Oh, well. I'm patient enough to know that what's fair will come out in the end. And I will see that day, trust me.

I would love to have an insentive as an 16-year old in this day&age, to purchase a hybrid vehicle, and have that be the first vehicle I would drive. Could anyone imagine that world? I'll tell you what: not so long as the Conservatives & Liberals are in power. It's just like Pepsi & Coke. But I don't want it. I want bloody Western Family, goddamnit. I want the ability to condemn these to parties and stand for NDP & The People That Have Decided To Think For Themselves And Not Give 2 Shits About What The Royals Think. thanks

'Slowly Savoring Each Morsel' ...by Bill Bartlett

It's 1:30 PM Wednesday, 1/31/07 and I've just gotten off the Staten Island ferry to take the Brooklyn bound R. The subway's closed, streets are blocked off, police cars everywhere. Oh God no! It can't... Then I remember Bush is in town. Alright I'll walk up a few blocks to the A. Beautiful day, happy to be alive in New York City, I love my job. Perfect time in life for a giant Snickers Bar. I hand a buck and a quarter to the newsstand guy. The thing’s still frozen. Usually I have no patience and break the frozen candy with my teeth. However, tens of thousands of dollars in recent dental bills for caps, crowns, bridges and god knows what else remind me vaguely of the Buddhist concept of slowly savoring each morsel. This is exactly what I'm doing as thirty or forty police motorcycles roar by. There he is, passing before my eyes on Broad Street. Even through the tinted glass I can see the smarmy, A. E. Newmanesque 'What me worry?' smirk. Instinctively I stick out the middle finger of both hands and stand there quietly moving my arms up and down.
Now, some of us spend entire lifetimes searching for and perhaps never finding, that perfect moment. Well all I can tell you is the taste of that slowly dissolving chocolate, the caramel, nuts and nougat, the sun shining down through the canyons, the half completed Times crossword under my arm and my absolute freedom to express my total contempt and disdain toward the leader of the free world...
God, I love this country.
-- Bill Bartlett, Director, Imagine Project