I Think That I'm A Brad Pitt Fan

Can a guy like Brad Pitt movies but not be a Brad Pitt fan?
This past weekend, I just wanted to order pizza and sit on my couch in my shorts and watch football and movies. The past two weeks have been spent getting my young cousins ready for school, seeing that all of my relatives were evacuated, and dealing with my tenant's monthly needs. (Now it looks as though we'll be asked to evacuate again - this time running from Ike.)
This weekend it was going to be Guy Richie movies. Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch (Pitt was the ("ish") as a drunken Irish(?) boxer. But Pitt was also great in Fight Club, getting high from a honey-bear in True Romance and as a crazy activist in 12 Monkeys. That's when I thought; "Damn.. I might be a Brad Pitt fan.") and Revolver.
Guy Richie is cooler than his wife (Madonna - Who was pretty hot during her "plump" Like A Virgin days.). He's kind of a British version of Tarrantino. Revolver dealt with good vs. evil - or the perception of good vs. evil to be exact. Two of the protagonists were a con-man and the other a chess master. "Interesting", I thought, "How would each view the world?".

"The formula for the con is no different from that of the corporation, they are based upon one principle - self gain" - Billy "Salt" Peters, confidence man

It seems as though corporations run America. We have no rights - unless those in power choose tell us that we do. We have no vote - Diebold, ES&S and Sequoia (Voting machine companies that control more than 80% of our election services) have stolen it. We have no right to privacy - the Patriot Act has seen to that. Municipalities void our right to bear arms, our right to own property (eminent domain), and free speech (making only certain areas okay in which to protest).

The Federal Reserve loans us (the Government) our (the citizens) own money and charges us (the tax-payers) interest.
The Federal Government is set to spend hundreds of billions of dollars to bail out Fannie-Mae and Freddie-Mac. There was never a need for these companies. They were only invented as a tool used by investors and speculators to hedge their bets. Obama calls it a practice of "Heads I win, tails I don't lose". The auto industry is hoping to receive from 25-50 billion dollars to bail them out from their self-inflicted wounds (The auto industry focused on building a lot of products adequately instead of building only a few well - as the Asian auto makers did.) The Airlines are also scrambling for their piece of the Government's Corporate Entitlements Program. Multi-billion dollar corporations receive billions in tax credits and cuts while everyday citizens are wallowing in debt.
Cui Bono?
Not me. Probably not you.

In his farewell address, on the eve of his leaving office, Dwight D Eisenhower warned of the dangers of the "Military - industrial -(Congressional) complex". He warned of the Government becoming too powerful and abusing that power to suppress citizens rights in exchange for corporate profits.
As of yet, I'm not sure for whom I'll vote. I'm leaning (heavily) towards Obama - but he has to tell me something. The show is over, get down to the meat and potato issues.
McCain doesn't seem like a bad guy. In an interview for the book Making a Killing - Outsourcing the War, McCain states; "It looks bad. It looks bad. And uh... apparently Haliburton has more than once has overcharged the Federal Government. That's wrong.".
Documents show that on Aug 3, 1992 - Kellogg, Brown & Root Services (KB&R - Haliburton) were given a multi-million dollar contract to investigate whether outsourcing some of the duties usually performed by troops (peeling potatoes, latrine duty, laundry, logistics and some security) would be better served if administered by an outside company. During which time Dick Cheney was the Secretary of Defense. Needless to say, the findings of the study were in favor of such an arrangement.
Over the next ten years, Haliburton was given over 700 contracts to do these jobs. In five years, Cheney's net worth went from less than about one million dollars to more than 60 or 70 million dollars... working for...you guessed it, Haliburton.
McCain; "I would have a public investigation of what they've done."
At this point, the interview ends. McCain nervously winks at the camera and leaves the room. A secretary can be heard in the background saying that Vice-President Cheney is on the phone. Was some sort of deal made to keep McCain quiet about the issue? I don't know.
Haliburton is no longer headquartered in America (where congress could investigate) - it's now headquartered in Dubai. WTF? A Foreign company that is based in the Middle-East is in charge of our military's needs?
America is divided. Not by race, gender or political party.
America is divided by executive (them) and proletariat (you).

"Progress is a nice word, but change is a motivator and change has it's enemies" Robert Kennedy

Both parties and both candidates seem to be stressing the idea of change. Let's get real...these are just convenient sound-bites and campaign slogans. I believe that both candidates want to change the country for the better, they have different concepts of how to go about such a change and in which direction. But both are little guys, just bit-players in a major production.
Watch George W. give a speech - he seems confused. His delivery is that of someone trying to explain something to someone in exactly the same way that someone explained it to him.
Ask yourself; Are you smarter than a fifth grader? Many who have seen the show will answer;"Usually".
Now, ask yourself; are you smarter than George Bush? Hmm...everyone seems to have answered,"Yes".
George Bush is no cowboy, he's just a slow child playing a cowboy. He was born in New Haven Connecticut. His oil company did poorly, his baseball team stunk and his daddy got him elected as Governor of Texas.

"The great mass of people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one." Adolf Hitler

The invention and power of the Think Tank is scary. Think Tanks generate "evidence" and arguments to support a pre-supposed position and policy.
Project for the New American Century;
"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophe and catalyzing event - like a new Pearl Harbor."
Was 911 an inside job? I don't know, I hope not. I does seem possible (see; False Flag Operations i.e. Gulf of Tonkin). Since World War II, every President in almost every year has had the need to engage in military action. In order;
Guatemala, Iran, Lebanon, Haiti, Cuba, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Congo, Dominican Republic, Indonesia, Cambodia, Chile, Angola, Afghanistan, Libya, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Lebanon, Ghana, Chad, Bolivia, Panama, Iraq, Somalia, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Iraq, Bosnia, Iraq, Sudan, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, Yemen, Philippines, Columbia, Iraq, Libya, Haiti, etc... .
It's a form of economic imperialism and subjugation.
If Sudan would offer favorable concessions to the west, the genocide would end in a matter of months. American companies would grow rich by exploiting another country's assets.

"Marks don't often get suspicious. If they do, it's with the details that don't matter" Maury the Mint, confidence man

I'm not a cynic, I'm a skeptic.
Most Americans have fallen for "the Beautiful Lie". Kind of like one's parents telling them that if they're good - Santa Clause, The Tooth Fairy or the Easter Bunny will bring them something that they think they want.
When Michelle Obama stated that for the first time in her life she was proud to be an American, I understood.
It's not that she didn't believe in the idea(l) of America, she just didn't see a practice that matched up with the dream.

I have a brother who has beaten, robbed and killed others. He sells and uses drugs.
I love my brother...but I'm not proud of him.
This is what Michelle meant.

We need to stop being afraid.
Afraid of gay rights and legal immigration.
Afraid of liberals and conservatives.
Afraid of Blacks, Whites, Asians and Hispanics/Latinos.
Afraid of not having a flat-panel television in every room of one's house.
Afraid of not having an SUV, sedan and a sports car in every garage.
Afraid of SARS, West Nile Virus, Bird Flu and Anthrax.
Fear is what allows others to control you, to take your Constitutionally protected rights.

"It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wring" Voltaire

What matters?
The Iraq War - not the ever-evolving War on Terror.
The Economy - not the desires of investors and speculators.
The New Energy Equation - not the profits of big oil.
That's it! That the highlight reel.
Take care of these three issues and the other "problems" will be manageable or even solvable.
Which candidate can solve these three issues?
That's who'll get my vote.

"How fortunate for leaders that men do not think" - Adolf Hitler


[Quotes from; Revolver (alternate ending), McCain quotes - Why We Fight.) Next weekend I'll just watch football]