Shannon Larratt is Zentastic

This time it really is half way through the year, right?

The party actually started about 18 hours ago it turns out, with our power systems being struck by lightning (computers here run off a pair of big UPS's) — meaning we had to drink all the beer before it got warm, right? Well, that quickly degraded into making mixed drinks of some calibre, which even more quickly degraded into making mixed drinks with less caliber and more alcohol.

And then I made some nice spaghetti… Whole wheat pasta. After cooking, add a bunch of garlic, olive oil, jalepeno, and (embarrassment for taking the easy route coming up) a whack of club house Greek spice. Then a really plain classic tomato sauce. It's actually really good; nice and simple but just overflowing with a surprisingly complex flavor.

I had nightmares about something.

I don't remember what it was about; all my dreams are the same. Escape dreams. They're all about horrible things happening around me — sometimes war, sometimes crime, sometimes just general assholism. Last night involved a cheap hotel and my Corvette being stolen — I know I said I didn't remember, and that was true, but writing is bringing it into focus.

I was in a cheap hotel programming. I took a walk and I noticed some super trashy dudes painting a blue corvette skin tone (it actually looked kind of cool). When I got closer, I realized it was my Corvette and they realized that I had caught on… They jumped in and gunned it straight at me. I jumped into the middle of the street and tried to block them but they swerved around me and took off. Of course, they were painting it in their own driveway so I just went up to the house.

Even though they'd driven away already, they were still at the house. Or their clones were; several copies each. I don't know if that's my dream brain being lazy, or some profound statement on the personification of evil. In any case, threats escalated back and forth, and not long after we were in some seedy bar fighting. Eventually I just realized that since I was leaving anyway, I'd probably get more on the insurance settlement than I would if I sold it anyway (which, moving to BVI, I'd have to do) and wandered off.

Anyway, all my dreams seem to have this central theme of being surrounded by wrongness (be it mundanity or full on evil), with my mission not being to fight or destroy that evil, but simply find a safe space for my family, leaving the evil to destroy itself. That's what I dream about I guess.

Back in the real world, BMEfest is today!

Or, if you'd rather know about the messed up part of the real world, the AP is reporting that Iraq is heading to full-scale revolt (more). If they're right, the “war” won't be over until America has either retreated out of their territory or killed every last one of them. But no worries there — we know which path has been chosen — America is developing a new set of “super-weapons” guaranteeing new levels of horror never before imagined by humans (more).

Ah, progress.

At least the Army sees through it; their resentment toward their rulers grows as strong as those of the average radicalized citizen (fuck the sheep, they're not even worth mentioning), writing in a recent ArmyTimes editorial that Bush is paying nothing but lip service to the troops in his pandering speeches (more). They know because they're getting killed and their wages are being slashed while Bush prances around in uniform like a kid on Halloween.

Back in the American gulag, Guantanamo Bay, both guards and prisoners are “feeling marooned” in a “surreal society” (more). Bizarre mind control and conformity experiments are being conducted, often on minors — this is happening largely outside the reach of advocacy groups such as the ACLU, and clearly the US has the power to violate the Geneva convention when it suits it. Suicide attempts run rampant, although the official word from the psychiatrists at the facility is that these are simply a “coincidence” and would have happened to these people anyway (more).

Why even get mad? It's a culture of lying when it comes to the government these days it seems. The Future of Freedom Foundation writes, “are we feeling duped yet?” (more), and John Marshall of The Hill qualifies, “A rose is a rose is a rose. But a lie is, well… that's really more of an exaggeration” (more) pointing out the obvious: either the US government is a pack of evil liars, or they're the most incompetent group of fools to ever run the country.

Or if we're to believe Buchanan's The American Conservative, America is flirting more and more with all-out fascism (more).

As many of you know, the US Supreme Court overturned sodomy laws last week, with perfect timing for Pride festivals around the world. Republicans are decrying the decision as a horrible mistake for freedom and liberty for all, and have promised to make sure that even if gays have stolen the right to have sex in private, that they will never be permitted to marry (more), with the Republicans pushing forward a bill that would place a constitutional ban on gay marriage.

Unfortunately even the Democrat offerings on this matter are weak at best. Only Kucinich (more) is actually pushing for full federal legality of gay marriage. Sure, guys like Howard Dean have helped bring about gay civil union (not the same as marriage; more), but Dean has constantly said that he will not support gay marriage, nor will he support it federally. I should point out that the “states rights” part of my sympathizes, but to be honest, I think this sort of thing should be federally — even internationally — mandated (more). Partial rights are bullshit. Gays deserve full rights, not some “compromise”.

This entry has gotten too long.

I demand it end now.

So this morning I've already had a visit from the police regarding BMEfest. Apparently they tell me that some asshole from Winnipeg has been calling in complaints and warnings about it, claiming that there are plans for underage drinking, illegal surgery, and so on… Hmm…. I wonder who it could have been that made those complaints?

Here's a hint: if you make threats to me in email, I will — and did — read them back to the police. Them saying, “yup, that's pretty much exactly what we were told” kind of invalidates your whole attempted attack. But seriously, how pathetic does someone have to be to try and wreck a BBQ? What is the goal? Because I didn't want to put you in the BME movie you have to try and make everyone you think is associated with BME unhappy?

Not only that but they showed me printouts from “fake ads” that this person has been posting for BMEfest inviting all sorts of people that we don't even know. The police were cool though, I explained everything to them and they seemed to understand and be sympathetic. But again let me emphasize to people to be on good behavior!

I am pretty much 100% sure that the police will stop in at some point during the day, so when they do BE POLITE AND COURTEOUS. They're just there because they have to be, and if they see that we're just friends having a BBQ they'll be on their way again.

Most importantly that means: IF YOU ARE UNDER 19 DO NOT DRINK! If you do, you will get the entire event shut down. Seriously. I can not emphasize that enough.

If assholes that we don't know appear, let me know so they can be dealt with before it gets out of hand.

I've really got a ton of work to do still today, so I can't post too much, but I wanted to mention two headlines. First, from the Independent (link), “War is not over yet, warns US – Fresh wave of military fatalities as deteriorating security situation threatens aid programme“, and second, from the Washington Post (link), “US Soldiers Face Growing Resistance – Attacks in Central Iraq become more frequent and sophisticated“.

The stories note that the war in Iraq has moved from the US/UK troops being confronted in (losing) firefights by Iraqis, to classic guerrilla style attacks — quick ambushes designed simply to kill and demoralize the US soldiers (already desperate to come home). The dumb-ass response that's coming from the US is to do things like house-to-house searches and fatal attacks on uninvolved civilians — an act which totally plays into the hands of the guerrillas. Have none of the people planning this war ever read Mao or Guevara? You can bet “the enemy” has.

I'd also like to point out that in Vietnam, only a tiny percentage of the population actually opposed the US — you don't need that many people to stage a guerrilla war effectively (that's the whole beauty of it). Hell, the French Revolution actively involved only about 1% of the population and they toppled an empire and a society… And they had a lot less to be angry about than the Iraqis (and perhaps the American people too, but the big question is what does it take for 1% of the US population to reach that breaking point?).

PS. Also worth a read (thanks Ferg): Rage. Mistrust. Hatred. Fear.