More Signs of the Climate Apocalypse

Japanese fishing industry stung by plague of giant jellyfish - Times Online

Why Do We Suck?

Why do we suck so bad as a species? Humans collectively are like Ron Jeremy, in that we will fuck anything. The oceans, the forests, and the skies above have thoroughly enjoyed a brutal and often sadistic pillaging. Continue, or perish? Obviously, we've chosen to perish. And that's OK with me.

We deserve extinction, because we're not as smart as we think we are. These big fucking brains have done nothing but help us to seal the fate of our species.

If our stupid monkey friends ran the show, would they fuck shit up as much as we have with less than half the brain capacity? Perhaps, but I argue that they would not be nearly as efficient at doing so. So, here it is; we're fucked.

Your kids, and your kids' kids will inherit a battered, raped, and dying Earth. Fucking Green Peace with Bill Gates' bankroll couldn't get us out of this quandary.

It's important to now take all the bits of your life that are beautiful, tragic, and compelling, and put all that shit in a big stew, let it simmer on high, and create something that will show the toxin laden ancestors of human beings that we were more than the selfish god damned assholes responsible for fucking up the Earth.

From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog: Buy Gold

From the Wilderness' Peak Oil Blog: Buy Gold

War Redux

"Saigon was an addicted city, and we were the drug: the corruption of children, the mutilation of young men, the prostitution of women, the humiliation of the old, the division of the family, the division of the country - it had all been done in our name... The French city ... had represented the opium stage of the addiction. With the Americans had begun the heroin phase." -James Fenton, 1985

"We seem bent upon saving the Vietnamese from Ho Chi Minh, even if we have to kill them and demolish their country to do it....I do not intend to remain silent in the face of what I regard as a policy of madness which, sooner or later, will envelop my son and American youth by the millions for years to come." -George McGovern, speech to U.S. Senate, April 25, 1967

Insert Sappy Sentimental Patriotic Post Here

"Further, the process of transformation, even if it brings revolutionary change, is likely to be a long one, absent some catastrophic and catalyzing event - like a new Pearl Harbor." -PNAC I constantly pray for those that lost loved ones on that fateful day.

But wrapping yourself in a star spangled banner and blindly following some elitist twit to the dawn of Armageddon is not the most effective manner of mourning. Follow the light of truth and you will be set free.

Bottom line, without wasting too much valuable time, is that 9/11 was an inside job* and a pretext to secure the second largest remaining oil reserve in the world.

3,000 lives to insure the 'American' way of life is a small price to pay for those that decide our futures, shit more than a million have already died in Iraq.

Being a cynic, wrapped in the tattered shell of an idealist, I know now there's nothing we can do about the status quo.

So, sit back relax, check you're fucking Facebook and enjoy the show, because it's going to be a good one.

*unless you believe an autonomous faction of cave dwelling fundamentalist breached the most sophisticated defense and intelligence network in human history without professional training and or assistance

Tell Me What I Want

Between Google, Facebook, and Chase Bank or whatever parasitic credit company that owns your soul, nothing is secret. These mega-conglomerates no longer deal in tangible goods, but information.

They know what kind of toilet paper you wipe your ass with, whether you prefer pistachio ice cream or rocky road, and if you're a queer punk rocker with a preference for studded anal beads.

These mother fuckers know everything. I'm at a point in my life where I just don't feel like thinking for myself anymore. I tried that and it only causes mental turmoil, hair loss, and hallucinogenic drug use.

I mean, how the fuck else could you cope with a world that is infected with government sanctioned torture, environmental degradation, and Fox reality shows people watch to escape their own shitty, meaningless lives? 

Therefore, I implore Google, Facebook, Chase and whatever Department of Defense data mining program that is monitoring my every digital move, to tell me what I want.

You know more about me than I do, so please just come out and say it, because I'm tired of using this overgrown mass of gray matter for empty introspection.

Why I'm Rooting for the Fall of Modernity

Admittedly, I abuse modern technology and all of its unnecessary evils just as much as the next fellow, but I do despise it.

Maybe not as much as Theodore Kaczynski, but you have to wonder about the worth of material things that cause some to see life as being secondary to intrinsically worthless shit. Ironically enough, I say this while typing on my MacBook, with Gmail open in another tab.

But I think humanity would be well served if the lights went out, the iPhones melted away, and the mind numbing filth that permeates the internet faded to black. Imagine a world in which human interaction counted for something more than temporary fulfillment of materialistic urges.

What if we had to actually work together to survive? Now, I'll be the first to admit that I would quickly perish from a combination of boredom and starvation.

Yet, what if we retained and utilized our instincts, that deep down primal shit all of us possess, but is convoluted by reality TV shows, cable news, and corporate debauchery? Fuck it, too much thinking for now, and Prison Break just came on.

RIP Ted Kennedy

The last of the uber-politico Kennedy brothers has died.

You can bet the good ole' boys of the military industrial complex and other gluttonous corporations are lighting up their illegally imported Cubans, whilst sipping on a vintage bottle of Bourbon saved from the days of slavery. 

Albeit, Teddy wasn't exactly the picture boy of morality, as demonstrated by his excessive drunkenness and the time he bailed on that chick when she was drowning, but he did do some good stuff which I won't waste time writing about here.

I wonder what Robert McNamara, Michael Jackson, and Ted Kennedy are talking about in whatever place their non-corporeal bodies have traveled to?

Perhaps MJ is teaching them the proper technique to maximize the visual effects of a crotch grab. Or maybe McNamara is still trying to sell them on that whole Vietnam thing.

I think most likely though, Teddy is mixing up fuzzy navels and reminiscing about that three way he had with his bros and Marlyn Monroe in the Oval Office. Or would that be a four way?

Shell is Evil

Shell to pay $15.5 million to settle Nigeria claims

(CNN) - Oil company Royal Dutch Shell will pay $15.5 million to settle a lawsuit against its Nigerian subsidiary by the family of executed Nigerian environmental activist Ken Saro-Wiwa and other dissidents, the plaintiffs announced Monday. A team from Royal Dutch Shell works amid spilled oil in Atali, Nigeria.

A team from Royal Dutch Shell works amid spilled oil in Atali, Nigeria. The lawsuit accuses Shell of complicity in the 1995 hanging of Saro-Wiwa and the killings or persecution of other environmental activists by the military government that ruled the country at the time.

Roughly half of the settlement will go into a trust fund to help the people of Nigeria's Ogoni region, according to court papers.

"In reaching this settlement, we were very much aware that we are not the only Ogonis who have suffered in our struggle with Shell, which is why we insisted on creating the Kiisi Trust," Saro-Wiwa's son, Ken Saro-Wiwa Jr., said in a statement accompanying the settlement.

Nigeria's Ogoni people have complained for years that Shell was allowed to pollute its land without consequences. Saro-Wiwa's death sparked a worldwide outcry, and his movement ultimately forced Shell out of the oil- and gas-rich Ogoniland region.

There was no immediate response from Shell to Monday's settlement. The New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights went to court on behalf of Saro-Wiwa's family and others in 1996.

Shell fought the lawsuit until last week, when a federal appellate court ruled that the plaintiffs could sue the company's Nigerian subsidiary in American courts, overturning a March decision in the company's favor.

"This was one of the first cases to charge a multinational corporation with human-rights violations, and this settlement confirms that multinational corporations can no longer act with the impunity they once enjoyed," plaintiff's lawyer Jennie Green said in a statement released with the settlement.

Cold World

The instant we are conceived, whenever that may be, our futures and fates are sealed. If we are born to a rich and affluent family, opportunity awaits, the possibilities are limitless. To the poor and destitute, life may not be so easy. Though, many can climb out of the gutter, perhaps this game, life, is rigged.

Righteous Wretchedness

I like the anonymity of my name. A simple Google search turns up a host of interesting individuals with the same moniker.

Among them, a mystery writer, an American outlaw of the 19th century, a Canadian politician, an architect, a composer, and a multitude of other interesting characters.

They accomplished something, as their names are prominently featured when queried.

Then of course there is myself. I don't think my identity registers within the first dozen pages of a Google search. And I'm OK with that. I enjoy living in the shadows.

Why strive for recognition when someone else of the same handle can do it for me?

There are many interesting JW's that have existed. Take this fellow for example. He sacrificed himself at the age of 21 during the Battle of the Bulge.

At 21 I was in a haze of substance induced euphoria.

There's even an award named after a prominent JW. So, as it is, I am content with the other JW's of the world representing with a wealth of commendable and notorious achievements. I'll sit back and bask in their reflective glory.

Working in the jungle

From Michael C. Ruppert

REALLY BAD FUCKING NEWS -- There is one story that really stuck out today. It seems that someone at Baxter Pharmaceuticals "accidentally" mixed H5N1 bird flu with a human virus into one vaccine and sent it off to Eastern Europe where it was injected into humans. For those who have been with me a long time you know what kind of investigative journalism we did on biowarfare and how it would be used to reduce population eventually. You know how well we documented the relentless quest for gene-specific bioweapons. Well, the only thing that was saving us from H5N1 bird flu was that it was generally considered not transmittable to humans. (Of course we known that it already has been on a small scale.) But here's a pharmaceutical company that we have written about at FTW (I think also in Rubicon) that's accomplished what nature couldn't. This story has zero credibility for how the screw up occurred because even the most basic lab protocols would prevent it. Combine DNA from H5N1 with a human viral DNA, inject into a human, and then watch the perfect mutation take place... The mother of all superbugs. I don't have time to rewrite what I have already written. In fact none of us have time to slow down for those who don't get it or who slow us down. (Combat veterans know this attitude very well.) Go to Rubicon and go to FTW and search for biowarfare or Baxter.

For about seven years now I have warned that an event like this would confirm that the die-off was planned... and underway. This sounds like a starting bell. Combine what we know about events in eastern Europe and this makes very sick sense. I don't think the elites will be able to control this anymore than they can fully control the collapse; or than Warren Buffet could control getting his clock cleaned... But then again, Buffet may be screaming louder than he's actually hurt.

For more click here.

Tuesday SITREP

Amidst rumors of a 'non-military' missile test by N. Korea, the United States and S. Korea will hold joint military exercises today.

Canada warns Russia about entering its airspace. And are Russian jets formidable opponents to Western tech? 

Mass migrations anticipated due to climate change.

Study finds that 1 in 50 US kids are homeless. And Fox News reports the 'God Spot' of human brains has been identified.

Indeed

Huh?

Sunday Coffe

Solarized

Dinner @ Thong Lo Soi 13

Muntadher al-Zaidi Knows What's Up

The Iraqi journalist that chucked his kicks at Dubya is the man. I think he pretty much summed up my feelings on the Iraq debacle in a succinct and piercing manner.

While appearing in court he said Dubya's "bloodless and soulless smile" and joking banter provoked him. I only wish he had an NFL caliber arm and better aim...

From the man himself; "I could only see Bush and feel the blood of the innocents flow under his feet, as he was smiling that smile -- as if he had come to bid farewell to Iraq and with the last support and more than 1 million martyrs,"

"At that moment, I felt this is the man who killed our nation ...the main murderer and the main person responsible for killing our nation." "I don't know what accomplishments he was talking about. The accomplishments I could see were the more than 1 million martyrs and a sea of blood," al-Zaidi said.

"There are more than 5 million Iraqi orphans because of the occupation. ... More than a million widows and more than 3 million displaced because of the occupation."

Keep on keepin on Muntadher al-Zaidi.

Shearaton

Working

In Da CubiCal

Asok is moving

Primal Instinct

There are times in life when one is posed with a high pressure situation that requires a split second decision. These decisions come naturally to some, others hesitate or are paralyzed with fear.

Those that hesitate, or react in the wrong manner, become footnotes in history, while those that come through in the clutch reap eternal glory for their prowess. I never look for such situations where split second decision making, and remaining cool under pressure are paramount to the wellbeing of others.

However, I often find myself in such instances where deep rooted, primal instincts to read and react are fundamental to preventing a calamitous situation.

One of my first Thai friends happened to be a Colonel in the Thai equivalent of the FBI. At first I was intimidated by this Glock toting, combat veteran lush, then overtime an enduring friendship developed.

He anointed himself my sworn protector, and I embraced his assistance in figuring out this seemingly insane country. I remember one of the first times we met at an old Chinese teakwood pub, in the company of a bottle of whiskey.

We talked politics, war, life; all subjects in which I was somewhat well versed. Then he made a piercing revelation that made me tremble. "I get very cold sometimes, and I can't sleep at night. I've had nightmares about something that happened in the South of Thailand.

One night I was on a patrol with several other comrades in the very thick jungle. Many Muslim insurgents had been known to frequent the area so we were all on high alert. Suddenly, there was a rustle in the trees about 50 meters from our position.

We froze. Then contact, a threat was perceived and we lit up the area. Our M-16s silenced the noise and we proceeded to determine the nature of the suspected combatants. Children. The bullet riddled corpses of what appeared to be a six year old boy and girl were all that remained of the rustle in the bushes."

This revelation profoundly impacted me and solidified our relationship. He professed something that was such a great source of torment to someone that was a relative stranger.

I told him to seek professional guidance, and he did (that's another story). Fast forward to a year later. I'd been in Thailand for over a year, and was relatively proficient in traversing the bustle of Bangkok.

We decided to meet for a drink after almost six months of not seeing each other due to work. Of course we rendezvoused at the same Chinese teakwood pub.

I could tell that he was already intoxicated by the time I got there. Despite this understanding, a fresh bottle of DeWars provided the ideal companion for this reunion, and I, often reckless, in that sometimes I live like Nicholas Cages's character in Leaving Las Vegas, did not protest.

We swapped stories about the happenings of the last few months, and like usual talked politics, war, and life. Then we decided to move on to an old haunt down the street, that was a little more lively.

At this point, after consuming a whole bottle of DeWars, we collectively decided that enjoying a pitcher of beer Singh was a good idea, which it probably was not. After scaring away a gaggle of Korean tourists that were sitting at a table next to us, I realized P'Jimmy[alias], was significantly more drunk than I was.

Not too surprised, and relieved that P'Jimmy only lived a few hundred yards from our position, I pounded that pitcher of beer Singh, with the dual goals of sending him home as soon as possible and preventing him from consuming anymore alcohol.

We 'checked bin' our way out of there, and I proceeded out the door to suck down a cig, and wait for P'Jimmy. This was probably my fatal wrong move of the night, and why I left a bit ahead of him is something I have psycho analyzed many times, and the most obvious explanation was that I was embarrassed by his sheer drunkenness.

I know this reflects poorly on me, but fuck it, it is what it is. In my defense, I'm usually not too concerned about the wellbeing of a Glock toting combat veteran with police impunity, and perhaps I too was a little intoxicated.

As I enjoyed my cig at the perimeter of the pub, I noticed a strange circumstance begin to emerge. One particularly perturbed Thai individual, whom I thought was a server at the aforementioned pub, began to aggressively question P'Jimmy.

Due to the limitations of my abilities to understand drunken Thai, I have absolutely no idea what they were talking about, other than what I can guess. And I guess, that P'Jimmy said and or did something inflammatory in his state of advanced drunkenness.

A large group of Thai males, about eight or so, began to encircle P'Jimmy, whilst I, being a paranoid foreigner, hung back and maintained a heightened level of situational awareness. Suddenly, the previously mentioned suspected server with eight males backing him, pushed P'Jimmy to the ground.

My pulse began to accelerate, and decisions were no longer being made in the realm of my conscious mind, rather in the depths of my primal subconscious. It was fight or flight, and I knew in this instance P'Jimmy would not back down no matter the circumstance.

Additionally, my mind was absolutely focused on one thing, and one thing only; the high-capacity military issue Austrian made Glock with hollow point bullets, calmly resting in P'Jimmy's commando shoulder bag.

As predicted P'Jimmy did not back down, and the group of males encircling him grew ever more aggressive. My primal subconscious took control and I sprung into action.

I was not going to allow my close friend to make a ruinous decision on my watch, I knew that if I continued to stand idle, someone was going to be threatened or worse with the weapon that they had no idea was there.

I calmly sauntered over to the group as to not appear hostile or aggressive in my movements. I looked at P'Jimmy, and calmly said in the best Thai that I could muster at the moment, "Go Home quickly."

He gave me a blank stare and did not move. Then something, something so primal, something so purely instinctual took over as it often did in times like this.

I belted out like a commanding General towards an insubordinate officer with eyes wide in psychotic and focused rage, with all my soul, with everything I am, with every hope and every dream. "P'JIMMY, GO HOME NOW!"

He then proceeded to follow my command. The group of men seemed equally dumbfounded and intimidated, as though they did not expect such a forceful outburst from a 120 pound skinny white boy.

I walked him back to his condo, which was not far away, and left him in the hands of a trusted security guard. I commenced back towards the street and to my surprise the usually ineffective police were investigating the scene.

I, of course, was singled out for questioning and a half-ass search. My Thai speaking ability is usually somewhat limited to a few key phrases, however it seems as though whenever the police are around I become a well versed and nearly fluent speaker.

I answered their questions with poise and explained, as best I could, that the main figure in question was in fact a Colonel, and could easily smite their dismal 40 baht bribe taking careers.

I was allowed to leave in haste, and made way for the safe confines of my home. I'm not very big or strong, I'm not an especially skilled unarmed combatant, and I don't have loads of money.

But I do possess one thing, that I feel is greater than any of the aforementioned; the ability to come through in high pressure situations that demand split second decision making. Now, if only I could say the same thing about my long term decision making processes...

Obama, MLK, and JFK

The nation, reeling from a chronic economic crisis, yearns for change. The feeling of optimism is nearly tangible, and Obama's youthful exuberance is the reason why.

Only one other President embodied the hopes and dreams of a new generation in a similarly charismatic fashion. His name was John Fitzgerald Kennedy. The contagious optimism he bestowed upon a new generation of Americans was destroyed in seconds by an assassins bullet.

The years that followed were filled with atrocities that reverberated around the globe, and can still be felt to this day. Another revolutionary figure met his fate in much the same fashion.

His name was Martin Luther King Jr. His lessons were eternal, but it would be decades until his visionary dream was realized.

Today, another revolutionary will assume more responsibility than any other human on Earth. Will a nation once more be tortured by the abrupt and violent loss of hope? Or will the faith and ideals that bind human kind as one be emboldened by this iconic figure? Will America finally realize its potential, or will the status quo once more prevail?

The cyclic nature of history is cause enough for pessimism, but on this historic day, if just one person can be inspired, if just one person can rise up from the chains of oppression and greed, then this presidency, no matter the length, will be forever known as a direct assault to the tyrannical forces that so often prevail behind the facade of patriotism.

Thursday SITREP

Wednesday's situation report was postponed due to excessive alcohol intake.

Pirates are continuing to pirate off the coast of Somalia.

Thai military forces are using American tactics to battle their insurgency.

Ricardo Montalbon has died, and anyone with a name that awesome deserves some recognition.

And excessive coffee consumption has been linked to hallucinations.

Monday Madness

Obama hints that he will not investigate the Bush administration's use of torture and domestic spying. Another win for tyranny.

Iran is allegedly buying weapon components from US companies in order to construct IEDs in Iraq. I wonder who these US companies are?

And George W rejected Israel's plea to attack Iran. Dubya really let me down on this one. I was hoping for a full scale invasion to test the mettle of our ridiculously expensive F-22s. Guess I'll have to settle for Gaza.

Pulling A Jim Thompson

Does this man look fed up with modern society?

Jim Thompson was a former OSS/CIA agent turned Thai silk baron that mysteriously disappeared into the jungles of Malaysia. No remains were ever found. Was he abducted and cannibalized? Or did he say fuck everything and bail out on modernity?

I often contemplate my ability to relinquish the confines of modern life. And each time I venture into the jungle, forsaking everything except my primal instincts, I wind up mortally wounded or horribly disfigured.

Fortunately, my plan to 'pull a Jim Thompson' has never come to fruition, other than in the dark recesses of my mind.

Thai beer sign

"Bright golden color. Honeyed raisin toast aromas with a hint of lychee follow through on a crisp, smooth entry to a dryish medium body with a hint of apple, nut, and a solid roasted grain character. Finishes with a crisp, balanced earthy hop and pizza dough fade. A very nice food beer."
They forgot to mention the night after brain hemorrhages.

Another Day at Work

Taking pics @ the HoHo Cafe for Food of Life mag. Sukumvit soi 49

Christmas in Bangkok

Wednesday SITREP

Al Qaeda message claims Israeli strikes in Gaza a gift from Obama.

Israel opens a 'corridor' for humanitarian aid in Gaza.

European nations are feeling the repercussions of the Ukraine-Russia gas rift.

An Ebola outbreak in Congo forces Angola to close the border.

And George W. Bush plans to establish the largest marine reserve ever, whilst gutting aspects of the Endangered Species Act.

My Favorite Thai Dish

I like it without the lime though.

It's 2009

Israel is continuing New Years celebrations with a full blown ground assault on Gaza.

Barack Obama is mum on the matter. Expect his official policy statement to be the defining flow of his presidency.

Russia has cut off gas supplies to Ukraine, and some predict great destabilization of the area with a nuclear twist.

And vast untapped energy resources in the arctic are primed to ignite a global conflict whilst simultaneously multiplying the risk of a total ecosystem collapse.

Happy New Year.