Panic in Detroit

"Panic in Detroit" is one of my favorite all-time David Bowie songs. Mostly because it's the story of my life. Except for the rock star part.

Going to Detroit very soonish (like 15 minutes from now) to see my dad. He's not feeling well.

Please send him good and happy thoughts.

Prince Harry Got Him Some

I have to admit it: I've had a crush on Prince Harry since he was 14.

Of course, this means that I was only 18 at the time... *coughwaterspitcough*

Personally, I have always thought of young Harry as the cuter and more dynamic of the amazing Prince Wonder Almost-Twins. And yes, this would mean that in actuality, I could be considered a little... odd... with the fact that I'm only *coughcolaspitcough* a few years older than he.

If I were Prince Harry (or any Prince, for that matter), I would probably do no more or no less than what the young pipsqueak has done. Drink some beer? Smoke some grass? Grab some boob? Yeah, sounds like a plan.

Geez, he's only what, 22 at the most? He's doing the exact same thing as Princes and homeboys of yore have been doing for centuries. Drinkin' and gettin' some. Geez, leave the bloke alone, eh why don'tcha? I think she was getting her some, too. Princesses (and homegirls) should get some, too.

I try not to get so "crazed" over teenage/young adult sexual contact. One rule: no babies. As to sexual contact, they are going to touch each other; it's the law of men and women. I just hope whoever took that picture was not a friend. That would suck. It coming out sortly after the news that English youth were maybe trying to detonate some planes was... well... shall we say... hmmm... ill-timed. We'll leave it at that.

There will come a day when Prince Harry will need to do the right thing... and he will do it. When it comes to certain Princes of England (and homeboys), when the time comes, in love or honor, they have mostly come through. Mostly.

Have fun, Harry. Just not too much of it.

Okey, I do realize that I go from a rant on Iran to a "ooh, young rich prince punk having a good time." It's good to be flexible, I think.

It's the End of the World on August 22...

My computer is slowly dying, and hopefully I'll have a new one coming by the end of the week. I've not been blogging very much because it's such a pain with a dying computer, plus some other things have been going on, I didn't have the funds, blah, blah, blah. I've had to liquidate some funds to buy a new computer, as I still haven't been able to pay my bills down to the point where I can save a little bit... but that's coming soon, and I'm very happy about it!

However, it may not matter that I need a new computer, or that I'll pay down my bills, or that the world will continue after August 22, 2006. Since I don't know that much about the inner workings of Shite/Sunni politics or the Koran, who would have thought that the "foot-in-mouth-disease" leader of Iran, Ahmed Ahmadinejad, is alledgedly planning something big on August 22 in order to bring about the 12th Imam and lead the Muslims into glorious... well... whatever glorious something that they want. The 12th Imam, as far as I can tell, is the Islamic version of the 2nd coming of Christ, and I guess if they both show up at the same time, there's going to be a showdown, which will not resemble a hootenanny. (Disclaimer: as far as I can tell, I made the whole thing up about the Battle of the 12th Imam and the Christ. Hootenannys, unfortunately, are very real.)

According to the "Armageddon Cocktail Hour"

August 22 is at the very least an auspicious day for the Shi’ite Ahmadinejad: in that it is the day that Muhammad’s power to create a new Islamic society became manifest, it can be analogized with the beginning of the putative new era of Islamic justice to be ushered in by the Mahdi. As Iran comes out of its period of isolation — its time in the cave — Ahmadinejad’s public statements indicate that he sees himself as an agent of change in the next phase of Islamic development, one in which “the world is standing on the threshold of great development and the Muslims are expected to overcome their aggressive enemies.” Symbolically, it may be that Ahmadinejad sees August 22, the day on which he has promised to respond to Western nations regarding their offer of incentives to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program, as the day on which he begins his own transforming mission.

While Armageddon Cocktail Hour goes on to note the wee differences between the Islamic and Persian calendars as to the possible date in question, a goodly portion of the blogosphere (as pointed out by Boing Boing), predicts that Iran has something up its sleeve for August 22. Some predict a nuclear attack on Israel; others a snub to America. Whatever does or doesn't happen, we are all amping up the rhetoric, and in my opinion, bringing Armageddon on ourselves.

I grew up in Pentacostal Christianity, and the End Times prophecies almost caused me to loose my mind back in the day. I'm convinced there will be no second coming of any Imam or Christ, but that our own mouths and beliefs and headbutting will lead to any sort of Armageddon that may be in store for us.

It's all quite sad, the entire bloody mess we've gotten ourselves into all because a good portion of the world hates the other half and has God on their side to prove it. If the Chosen People are Jews, Christians, or Muslims who are determined to kill each other in the name of their God, then have at it. Personally, I think the Jews have been pretty much just leave us the fuck alone, but Christians keep egging them on and Muslims keep wanting to rid them off the face of the planet.

It's hard out there for a radical when you're trying to prove how great your God is. I came to the conclusion long ago that if God where as vindictive and jealous as was written about him, then I didn't want any part of him. And I've stuck to that, with the occassional dip into the Buddhist pool, which clearly states that it's WE who are full of ego, and our surroundings are reflections of our own egomanical fantasy worlds, like say for instance, making Gods out of our own images. Get rid of the ego, and you'll see the connections of us all. Blow up a Buddha, though, and you can pretend that your God is greater after all.

Alrighty, I'll acknowledge that I'm getting a tad ranty, but I've had it. Whatever the President of Iran does on August 22, if anything in the shape of an explosion, well, have at it. But just remember: the consequences of your action may not bring about the 12th Imam, but it just may bring about your complete and total annihilation. All in the name of "Whose God is Bigger."

I'm sick of this game where absolutely no one wins.

D.C. Archival Days

I'm in Washington, D.C. for the Society of American Archivists conference. We're at the Washington Hilton (yes, the hotel made famous by Reagan being shot there), and yes, it's hotter than hell.

I have to restrain myself from wanting to go to the White House and yell choice words in the general direction of the man who we appointed President. Someone stop me, please. (Though I doubt that he's here in the dog days of the Washington summer. I'm sure he started his ten-week vacation already.)*

We went to the National Archives for an open house the other night and the archivists were personally greeted by the Archivist of the United States, Allen Weinstein. He's not an archivist, (go figure), but at least he's an historian. As he took my hand, I said to him, "Wow, I've never been personally greeted by the Archivist of the United States before." It was true. I've seen the outgoing Archivist (who was much beloved by the archival community) at a few events, but I guess since we are here for the annual conference in his home territory, he thought he should personally greet us. It was weird but fun.

The National Archives were recently flooded, and some things were destroyed. Go read about it here.

Anyway, tonight, we are going to a reception at the Museum of American History. I love being an archivist and going to these things. A few years ago we went to Boston and toured (and partied) at Fenway Park all by ourselves. Last year in New Orleans, our reception was at the beautiful Aquarium of the Americas, located on the riverfront. It was odd that we left that town exactly one week before it was mostly wiped out. I still get freaked out by that now and then.

Anyway, it's hotter than sin down here, and I must jump into the pool prior to going to the reception tonight.

Please tell me how much of a bad idea it would be to go to the White House, stand in front of the gate, and start yelling. Thanks.

*Bummer... just found out that Bush is taking an "abbreviated" vacation this year. Does that mean only five weeks?