Speculators, Spivs, Lawyers & Geeks


All the focus on the 'Financial Crisis' has revolved around the machinations of the bankers and their operatives, the politicians in Washington DC. This is part of the picture. But the real source of our problems is more fundamental.

America is no longer a productive country. We are no longer a working nation, in terms of producing anything of value. We depend on cheap foreign goods as consumers. We no longer produce energy that is aimed at our domestic market. Our farmers have been bankrupted and folded into multi-national conglomerates. Our manufacturing base for essential items such as steel has shrunk to a miniscule level.
We no longer invent and produce items that our own nation can consume, let alone goods for export.

A man must work. I know that if I cannot work at something, if I sit idle for days or weeks at a time, I fall into a sort of 'black hole'. An entropy happens. The longer one is idle, the harder it is to get back into a productive rythmn.

For most men, work means working with his hands, and using his intelligence to inform his handiwork. What is left to American men to produce?

We were seduced by the 'yuppie' cilture. a culture designed for speculators, spivs, lawyers and geeks. The aforementioned are a parasite class. They produce nothing of value, but suck the lifeblood of the labour of others for their sustenance. We were duped into thinking that a 'service economy' would be the 'next thing', the inevitable future. But who 'services' but a prostitute, who has no other means of earning her daily bread except in the selling of her body? We have whored ourselves before the false gods of the parasites.

My father, who fought in WWII, was a mechanic. First in the USAF, stationed in England, where he worked on airplanes. The, when he got back, he worked for the Yale Corporation, the company that first mass produced the fork-lift truck. Pop could do anything as far as working with cars; he could also build a house, or do anything related to repair and renovation. He lost his job. after 25 years with Yale & Towne, when Cleveland's Eaton family, friends of the Rockefellers, bought Yale and decided to move the company to North Carolina, where there were no labour unions. This as in the late 70s, and this was the beginning of the trend of destroying our manufacturing base, in search of greater and greater profits, moving companies wherever cheap or slave labour was abundant.

Then you had the 80s, with the takeover of Wall Street by alien speculators. These aliens had never done any real work in their lives. This was the heyday of the 'Yuppie Revolution' where the philosophy was basically 'easy money without work'. Certainly without working with you hands. It was the decade of 'Always Take'. The energies of this parasite class were directed at the dismantling of whatever was left of the American productive plant, selling it off in exchange for 'junk bonds', and then disposing of the real assets of American industry into the hands of foreigners. We were told this was wonderful. What fools we were. This was a nest of termites eating into the foundation of our home, America. The proceding decades saw this criminal trend accelerate into what we have now. Which is America as a wholly owned 'subsidiary' of foreign and domestic parasites.

The rise of the personal computer and the Internet have also given rise to a new false paradigm. We witness the emergence of 'geekdom' or the computer obsession. As real work has been downgraded, we also see a downgrading of social values, as the workplace has traditionally been a socializing factor for society. Men working together (women also). But with this downgrading and elimination of traditional work and handicraft, we see the emergence of 'virtual' or computer related work. Much of the activity of the computer user or worker is done in isolation. This leads to a 'dysfunctional' way of looking at the world. An alienation from fellow humans. And, this new 'virtual culture' is custom designed for the parasite, as it leads to the introduction and manipulation of 'virtual wealth'. Another layer for the 'shell game'.

Let us not forget the lawyers. In a den of thieves, a 'negotiator' serves a vital function. They say that everyone has a price. The lawyer helps determine what everyone's 'price' is, and thereby helps to perpetuate the enterprise, make it run smoothly, without resort to more drastic measures that may upset the apple cart.

We need to put America back to real work: On the land for farmers, in revitalized factories/industries for the craftsman, in the development and use of our great natural oil and mineral resources, and in infrastructure, using the graduates/technicians of our universities. The parasite class must be given a dose of strong medicine, eliminating a majority, and containing the destructive activities of the survivors. At the same time, we need a system of 'micro credit' which will encourage the innovator in his productive activities, and give us a strong local base for a healthy economy. The big and the small need to work, and to get paid for their labours, in just measure.

I call for the 'bug man' to come into our house, and for him to spray and lay bait and traps with the goal of neutralizing the termites and cockroaches. As the 'bug man' works, so shall we, doing a thorough house cleaning, and then getting to work in the garage and basement, so to speak.

Work will set you free

 

Charla Nash


Charla Nash lost eyes, nose and jaw in chimpanzee attack

NY Daily News



The shocked family of the chimp attack victim said Wednesday a team of doctors is working feverishly to save her life as the extent of her horrific injuries was revealed.

Paramedics say Charla Nash, 55, lost her nose, eyes and jaw as the crazed simian ate her alive in the driveway of her friend's Stamford, Conn., home Monday.

His voice shaky, her twin brother, Mike Nash, thanked the four teams of specialists who performed more than seven hours of surgery.

"The team of doctors and staff battled around the clock to stabilize Charla," he said inside Stamford Hospital.

Charla Nash was listed in critical but stable condition yesterday, and her vital signs were improving, doctors said.

She was left near dead when her close friend's 200-pound ape, Travis, brutally mauled her after escaping the home he was raised in from infancy.

Travis' owner, Sandy Herold, used a butcher knife to stab the 14-year-old chimp, who was suffering from Lyme disease and had consumed Xanax - but the rampage only ended when cops shot the animal dead.

Questions emerged yesterday as to whether Travis should have been removed from Herold's home years ago.

A former Stamford resident, Leslie Mostel-Paul, 52, told the Daily News that Travis bit her hand in November 1996 when she tried to pet him in the parking lot of a local doctor's office.

Mostel-Paul says she contacted police, but her complaint was brushed aside.

"If the police had taken care of what they needed to, this woman wouldn't be lying in intensive care right now," Mostel-Paul said. "He shouldn't have been in the house."

Stamford Police Capt. Richard Conklin said he had no record of the incident and could not confirm or deny its validity.

[email protected]


Miss Nash is in our prayer and thoughts...........Frank Dialogue


 

Chimpanzee Owner


200 Pound Chimp in Cage


I first thought this story was some kind of joke...But it was not...What horrifies me is the insanity of the owner, one Sandra Herold, a seriously mentally imbalanced woman...She claims that 'the chimp was my life: I ate with him, cooked for him, slept with him...'...You can read the story for yourself...What bothered me about news stories I saw was the attempt to make the chimp a 'victim'...Now, I feel for the ape, since he spent much of his time locked in a cage, with only this neurotic human for company, but...Police officers had to shoot the marauding ape to stop the attack...An interesting sidelight to this story is a cartoon that appeared in the NY Post, showing two police officers shooting a chimp, and making comments about 'a monkey and the 'stimulus package'...The cartoon has stirred some outrage, and I post the cartoon and the Reverend Al Sharpton's reaction to it at the bottom of the post...

Owner now says she never gave slain chimp Xanax

By JOHN CHRISTOFFEREN, Associated Press Writer John Christofferen, Associated Press Writer Wed Feb 18, 6:20 pm ET STAMFORD, Conn.

 As authorities considered criminal charges, the woman whose 200-pound domesticated chimpanzee went berserk and mauled a friend backtracked Wednesday on whether she gave the animal the anti-anxiety drug Xanax. Sandra Herold told The Associated Press on Wednesday that she never gave the drug to her 14-year-old chimp, Travis, who was shot dead by Stamford police Monday after he grievously wounded Herold's friend Charla Nash.

However, Herold said in an interview aired Wednesday morning on NBC's "Today" show that she gave Travis the drug in some tea less than five minutes before he attacked Nash — she even showed a reporter the mug. Police have said Herold told them that she gave Travis Xanax that had not been prescribed for him earlier on Monday to calm him because he was agitated.

In humans, Xanax can lead to aggression in people who are unstable to begin with, said Dr. Emil Coccaro, chief of psychiatry at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

"Xanax could have made him worse," if human studies are any indication, Coccaro said.

The chimpanzee's rampage forced Herold to stab her beloved pet with a butcher knife and pound him with a shovel.

"For me to do something like that — put a knife in him — was like putting one in myself." she said Wednesday. "Then he turned around and like, 'Mom, what did you do?'"

Herold's voice was filled with fear and horror in 911 tapes released by police Tuesday night.

Travis can be heard grunting as she cries for help: "He's killing my friend!"

The dispatcher says, "Who's killing your friend?"

Herold replies, "My chimpanzee! He ripped her apart! Shoot him, shoot him!"

After police arrived, one officer radioed back: "There's a man down. He doesn't look good," he says, referring to the disfigured Nash. "We've got to get this guy out of here. He's got no face."

Doctors at Stamford Hospital said Wednesday that it took four teams of surgeons more than seven hours to stabilize Nash, 55. Hand specialists, plastic surgeons and specialists in orthopedics, ophthalmology and trauma have treated Nash, who has made slight progress but remained in critical condition, Dr. Kevin Miller said at a news conference with the victim's family.

Nash's brother, Mike Nash, did not take questions from reporters but said the family is grateful for community support it has received.

"It should be known that people who were complete strangers to us prior to this have selflessly offered their assistance to our family," he said. "We are eternally grateful to them and to all of you who are keeping Charla in your thoughts and wishing her well."

Police have said they are looking into the possibility of criminal charges. A pet owner who knew or should have known that an animal was a danger to others can be held criminally responsible.

Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said Wednesday that a defect in Connecticut's laws allowed Herold to keep the chimp in her home, probably illegally. There are rules requiring large primates to be registered by the state, but officials have some discretion in enforcing them and violations carry only minor penalties, he said.

"This animal probably was illegally kept, so far as that statute is concerned," Blumenthal said. "Clearly, some kind of permission was necessary for this animal to be at that residence."

Herold, a 70-year-old widow whose daughter was killed in a car accident several years ago, told the AP the chimp "was my life" and that she "never, never, never" gave it Xanax. "He never had anything but love."

Herold speculated that Travis was being protective of her when he attacked Nash, who she said was driving a different car, wearing a new hairstyle and holding an Elmo stuffed toy in front of her face as a present to the chimp.

"She had the toy in front of her. This was just a freak thing," Herold said.

Herrold said Nash is a close friend who traveled with her to a Connecticut casino on Valentine's Day.

"It was the most horrible thing that could ever happen," she said.

Authorities are trying to determine why the chimp, a veteran of TV commercials who could dress himself, drink wine from a glass and use the toilet, suddenly attacked. A test for rabies was negative, Stamford police Capt. Richard Conklin said Wednesday.

Nash had gone to Herold's home in Stamford on Monday to help her coax the chimp back into the house after he got out, police said. After the animal lunged at Nash when she got out of her car, Herold ran inside to call 911 and returned with a knife.

After the initial attack, Travis ran away and started roaming Herold's property. An officer shot the chimp several times after it opened the door to his cruiser and started to get in.

Travis appeared in TV commercials for Old Navy and Coca-Cola when he was younger, and at home he was treated like a member of the family. Don Mecca, a family friend from Colchester, N.Y., said Herold fed the chimp steak, lobster, ice cream and Italian food.

Primate experts say chimpanzees are unpredictable and dangerous even after living among humans for years, but in her "Today" interview, Herold rejected criticism that they are inappropriate pets.

"It's a horrible thing, but I'm not a horrible person and he's not a horrible chimp." she said.

Connecticut law requires primates weighing more than 50 pounds to be registered with the state. But state Department of Environmental Protectionpublic health risk and was owned before the registration requirement began.

Blumenthal, the attorney general, sent letters to legislative leaders and DEP Commissioner Gina McCarthy, asking them to support a proposed law that would ban all potentially dangerous exotic animals, such as chimpanzees, crocodiles and poisonous snakes, from being kept in a residential setting in Connecticut.

McCarthy is seeking a similar law banning large primates. Her agency is also asking the public, police officers and animal control officers who are aware of large primates being kept as pets to report the animals to the agency.

Sourced from Yahoo News


Now, to the cartoon and the reaction of the Rev. Al Sharpton...




The Offending Cartoon


Quote from Al Sharpton:

"The cartoon in today's New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that "Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill.""Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?"

Oh yes. Words of wisdom from one one the biggest political and media whores ever to blemish the American landscape. As always, consider the source. And consider whether the 'stimulus package' is a victory. A victory for who and for what?

But, I must say that this whole story and the cartoon spinoff do Korrectly give a representation of the current AmeriKan Kultural and PolitiKal landsKape. We are most definitely at the end of something. I am afraid that America has become a nation of clowns, both in it's leadership and in the lifestyle and mentality of it's citizens. Definitely the end of something, reflective of a civilization that has lost it's bearings and is in a seriously downward spiral. But perhaps all is not lost. We have become a Kartoon Kulture, and, possibly, the cartoonist and the humourist are really voices of reason. Life would be unbearable if we lost the ability to see the ironic, and this irony often contains truth, be it painful or not. But what have we become when our women substitute a relationship with a monkey for a relationship with a man? Is this the logical result of sexual liberation? Or does it denote a devolution to a sub-human state? As the song says 'I guess I just don't know...'

 

What's Up, Doc?


Boris, Natasha & 'Fearless Leader' : 'Ver Is Squirell?'


Here is Squirrel with Moose


Here is 'new Squirrel'...


...and his 'Half-Brother'


'IraqoToons': USA Gains the Respect of the World/The 'Ace of Spades'


'ZioToons' : Flag of Ashkenazistan


Talmudic Jurisprudence at Work


EduKation Today


More EduKation: Children's Book Author now PolitiKally KorreKt


AfroToons : HomesKooling


NetToons: 'Virtual Love'


EuroToons : Spain's Prince Filipe & Wife Letizia Having Sex: Prince Felipe says: 'Do you realize if I get you pregnant, it will be the closest thing to work that I have ever done in my life?'


Serb EuroToon: 'Welcome to the EU...Wipe Your Feet on the Doormat!'


ZioTunes: Esther Teaches Judith to make matzo!


'Enough of These Goyim!' : The Jew Fights Back,,,


IslamoToons


MexiToons


One must have a sense of humour...Let's bring it out into the open!

 

Below: Television: 21st Century.........................Television: Circa 1978

 Marquee Moon/Television

Television were one of the pioneering groups of rock and roll’s ‘punk & new wave’ movement which started with the Ramones in 1976…Curiously, Televison were neither ‘punk’ nor ‘new wave’ but rather a completely new mix of many classic elements of Guitar rock & roll, mixed with lyrics/poetry loosely connected to the ‘beat movement’ and it’s rock & roll offshoots…There sound was based in the tradition of American guitar rock, incorporating elements of 50s Fender guitar twang, surf-guitar, Chicago blues, and Link Wray-Dick Dale style guitar sound…This as opposed to the then emerging heavy metal guitar sound…But they also mixed Hendrix-like psychedelic elements with open ended improvisations…The result was a rock sound that was completely unique, and like many truly individual creations, has a quality of timelessness that has transcended trends and still sounds fresh today, 30 years later.


Television along with bands like the Ramones, Blondie, the Patti Smith Group and others were there at the beginning of the Punk/New Wave movement that had it’s germination at the NYC bar CBGBs in the middle 1970s…In fact, Television were there first, and actually helped build the stage at the NY Bowery bar.

Formed in 1973 by Guitarist/vocalist/composer Tom Verlaine (real name Miller/Seklavy) , Television went through a number of changes before settling on their classic lineup of Verlaine (Wilmington DE), bassist Fred Smith (NY), drummer Billy Ficca (Wilmington) and guitarist Richard Lloyd (Pittsburg PA)…This was the lineup that epitomized their ‘wheels within wheels’ guitar style over a rock and roll rythmn section that had the subtlety and imagination of a good jazz band.

Television honed their style during this period, and after a number of abortive attempts at landing record deals, the first one through a demo tape produced by Brian Eno, finally got the notice of a number of records with a demo they did with Blue Oyster Cult member Alan Lanier. They finally signed a record contract with Elektra Records, circa 1976. Their first album ‘Marquee Moon’, a highly original offering that is still considered a rock and roll classic was released in 1977.

Although usually lumped in with the Punk and New Wave genres, Television are more accurately described as an ‘Art Rock’ group…Now, when we think of ‘Art Rock’ what usually comes to mind are British groups like Yes, King Crimson, Emerson, Lake & Palmer and that school….Television were Art but on a street level as opposed to a more pompous or academic level…They had much more in common with the Velvet Underground; Television’s ‘stripped down’ style/sound/POV had much more in common with this NYC ‘existential’ viewpoint than with the more elaborate and showy ‘Prog Rock’ sensibilities of the British bands I mentioned…Television had American roots,

‘Marquee Moon' was quite an album....At the time it came out, I worked at probably the leading independent record store on the East Coast of the US, 'Third Street Jazz & Rock' in Philadelphia PA...We specialized in Jazz of all types, but with an emphasis on free jazz and hard to get items, including a large selection of imported vinyl...We also had a 'basement section' that was entirely devoted to the newly emerging punk & new wave genre, again with an emphasis on imports, primarily from the UK...Every Saturday we always had a line down the street of folks coming from NY, NJ and other points waiting to get in the door...

'Marquee Moon' was quite popular, and played frequently on turntables in the store...I liked what I heard, but I must admit that at that time I was primarily into jazz (I am also a musician/composer), and didn't quite get it's full impact...But it was a very good seller, along with albums by The Ramones, The Clash, Buzzcocks, Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, Patti Smith and the like…But as I said, since I was involved in my own musical pursuits that were slightly different and not oriented to rock and roll, I didn’t really get the chance to get into their music deeply at that point in time…But, curiously, there were some personal connections…A friend of mine worked with Televison’s Richard Lloyd after the band broke up in 1978 following the release of their second record ‘Adventure’ (also excellent) and an American tour…Like many of the new generation of rock artists, Television could not get their records played on the radio in the US: the record companies didn’t quite know how to promote them…And, of course, even if a group has a record deal, without proper promotion a record won’t sell, and a group cannot make a living.

After Television broke up in 1978, the band members pursued various and sundry projects...Tom Verlaine released a series of solo albums during the 80s, and Richard Lloyd released a few of his own...But aside from Verlaine's first solo project 'Tom Verlaine' the records, although quite good in varying degrees, lacked the magic that was produced by the Television partnership...There is something special about a BAND...Bassist Smith and drummer Ficca worked with an assortment of artists, and on different recordings..



Television reformed in 1993, signed a new record deal with Capitol, and put out an extraordinary album, the eponomously titled ‘Television’…I first heard it while walking to catch a trolley on a summer evening…There was something about the sound that I recognized, but it was so unique I had to just stop and listen…When the DJ came on, he said ‘That’s the new album from the reformed Television’…Wow...This was a the dawning of the CD era, and I rushed out to get the record…It was only available on cassette…But I bought it, and still have the cassette…The album is no longer available in any format...But ‘Television’ might be their best album…The group had updated their sound, but the growth was organic and didn’t sound artificial…It just sounded like they had seamlessly incorporated everything they had heard or been influenced by in the last ten years, and blended it into the classic Television style…A beautiful record…But, as before, their new label, Capitol, didn’t seem to understand them or be willing to give them support…After a change in management at the label, with the individuals who signed them having departed, Capitol Records never released a follow up…This at the height of the ‘alternative rock’ period (with groups like Nirvana) when it seemed to be a ripe time for the kind of intelligent/individualistic rock that a band like Television played to finally reach a wider and younger audience.

Around the year 2000, somehow I stumbled onto Television again, and this time around I was ready to really listen, closely...I bought the CD of 'Marquee Moon' and was quite amazed...Being a guitarist, the first thing that jumped out was the interplay of the guitars, and the sheer imagination of the guitar lines and parts...Verlaine, with his more fragmented and dissonant style, and Lloyd with his more straight ahead rock sensibility and fluidity made for a great combination...Plus, the great rythmn section of Fred Smith and Billy Ficca held everything in check, but with great subtlety and imagination, like a jazz rythmn section, but playing a rock beat...And the songs?...tremendous, every last one...All unique...'White Boy' rythmn taken to the limit...'See No Evil', ''Venus de Milo', 'Friction', 'Elevation' all great and unique in structure and performance: Swirling guitars that wouldn’t quit, some of the most interesting and imaginative drumming from Ficca, and bass-extrodinaire from Smith…All this, with Verlaine’s cryptic lyrical symbolism ...Then you had more 'epic' rock opuses like 'Marquee Moon' and 'Torn Curtain', along with a bit of doo-woppy American 50s style rock on 'Guiding Light' and 'Prove It'...Quite a unique rock and roll experience...And always, the guitars played like the rock and roll equivalent of a classical string quartet, but with funk, slash and resonance.

I saw the reformed Televison in 2003 in Philadelphia, and even shared some conversation over dinner with Richard Lloyd at a local eatery before the show...The concert was fantastic...While the group could still rock out, they had developed the sensitivity of a jazz chamber ensemble, al la the Modern Jazz Quartet, and integrated elements of jazz, Middle Eastern modality and other elements seamlesly into their set...Every member stood out as individuals, but the sum of it all was greater than the parts...Mr. Verlaine had a few problems with his guitar and amp, but eventually straightened things out...Richard Lloyd was at a peak, and his playing was top notch rock, again with other elements mixed in...Verlaine's unique voice was in good stead, and they mixed old material from the 'Marquee Moon' era with new songs, and great material from their 1993 comeback album 'Television'.

I last saw Television at Central Park in NYC in 2007...Richard Lloyd was hosptalized with pneumonia, so Tom Verlaine's musical compatriot Jimmy Ripp handled the other guitar chores...But, this was quite an amazing concert, as Verlaine got to really stretch out with his playing, fusing elements of surf-guitar, raga-rock, 50s style Fender sound, which have always been present in his playing, into a small rock symphony for lead guitar...Without Mr. Lloyd to lean on, Verlaine really stretched out and got into a whole different realm...But it was still Televison, with the redoubtable Mr. Smith and Ficca as the rythmn engine...As the sun went down, I just sat in Central Park and heard them turn their magnum opus 'Marquee Moon' into a Beethoven-like musical soundscape...I kid you not.

 
So, this is just a little word-up about a largely unknown but very amazing rock and roll group…History’s pioneers are often overlooked or pushed to the side during their own lifetimes…Others make the profits from their original inventions…But this is the way of the world, and with art or music, it is the work itself that transcends, and stands the test of time…Tom Verlaine’s original partner in the group, Richard Hell (Myers), was apparently the one who came up with the name ‘Television’ for the group…He picked it because, being the nihilist that he was then, he thought it fit the time perfectly : ‘So omnipresent, so NOTHING…’…But Tom Verlaine, who agreed to the name, apparently saw the word in a different light…’Television…I always looked at it like ‘tell-a=vision, you know, trying to communicate something you see, or a vision you have of something…’…Yes, ‘tell a vision’ indeed.


Some links:
Television 'The Wonder' : http://www.thewonder.co.uk
Richard Lloyd/Television Guitarist:
http://www.richardlloyd.com
Television Fan Site: 'Last Word Is the Lost Word'
http://tv.obbard.com/tvlinks.html

 

The music of Television can be listened to or downloaded at various sites on the Web...Some YouTube footage is also available.