I try to steer c l e a r from this subject (especially in a public forum) but after seeing the latest *as she gags* speech… Bush seems determined to surpass the story of Nero, who supposedly fiddled while Rome burned. While it is historically unlikely Nero did any such thing, we are seeing our own President try for the "real thing." I see now that Bush wants another 42 billion for HIS war in Iraq. Meanwhile, New Orleans still largely lies in ruins and jobs in America are falling faster than the dollar. Starbucks is closing 500 stores, dropping 7% of its workforce, American airlines is trimming 7,000 employees, not to mention the fact that airlines in general are dropping like flies as it is… and so on and so on…

I think it's time Congress step up to the plate and FINALLY do what needs to be done. Since they don't have the moral courage to impeach this criminal, they need to say NO to more war funding and use that 42 billion towards restoring the damaged infrastructure of this country. Killing more Iraqis will have to be put on the back burner (fun though it is to our oil robber barons). We can get our army home before it gets "burned up" too, and maybe use some of the troops (and resources) to protect the people of America.

I have never seen a more skewed set of values than those displayed by this Administration (and I’m a history buff). It is incomprehensible to me that a government can care so little about the citizens that support it. If our current government won't do the job it is supposed to do - that it is OBLIGATED to do, then perhaps it's time for something new, better yet SOMEONE new. In lieu of a constitutional convention, we can elect someone who will put these incompetents and criminals in jail where they belong and improve things not only for the American people, but for those people in other lands who resent and oppose this new wave of religiously misguided and ideologically inspired American imperialism. Richard Horsley, in his book Jesus and Empire  has argued that America is the new Rome. It certainly seems to be, and our imperium is more oppressive than that of many a past empire.

I simply cannot believe there is not more outrage. Not so long ago everybody got up in arms because Clinton got a blow job. Big deal. Did it ruin the country? Did it kill thousands, even millions? No. Bush and his administration are not only regularly violating the law but have violated the Constitution that holds this country together, attacked the system of checks and balances, the judiciary (which in the absence of a functioning Congress seems to be our last line of defense against tyranny), suspended habeas corpus, endorsed torture, and claims the right to attack anybody and everybody it wants to, even though we continue to condemn Hitler and other warmongers or tyrants for doing just about the same thing.

We have our own tyranny now, and things are different when you're the guilty party. I'm quite sure almost none of the defeated nations in the world have ever seen themselves as the "bad guys," be it Soviet Russia, Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, etc... Now we're going the same direction and we're finding justification for it.  How proper. People wonder why the Germans let Hitler into power, why they condoned his actions; but the American people are currently being taught the answer to that, since we've been doing the same thing for the past seven years for a new dictator wannabe, George W. Bush.

Where is the rule of law? Where is sanity? Buried beneath tons of fear, I'm afraid, and by a criminally incompetent and uncaring representative branch as much by a criminally self-aggrandizing executive branch. The American people should be outraged, as I am OUTRAGED. Shame on us for not showing it. A few people demonstrate, it barely makes the news. If you speak up, you're accused to being a traitor, of betraying our troops. You’re unpatriotic! HELLO, we're betraying nothing. All the betraying has been done by this Administration and the Congress that is supposed to provide a check against a naked power grab. We can support our troops while opposing the war and the government that began it. Our troops should be brought home and America should start to look for itself, and after itself, and forget the lure of imperialism and with it the supposed right to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries.

This is not the United States we were all brought up to believe we lived in. And it won't ever be so long as we continue to condone and support the kind of government we've been getting. Yes, the system is corrupt in many ways. The Electoral College permits a majority popular vote to be meaningless, and with it, your own vote. But the only thing that can change the system as it exists is the outrage of we, the American people. We need to send a clear, strong message to those in power that we will not tolerate it anymore. This is our country, and we want it back! Join me and Vote Obama this November!

Have you ever lived in a trailer?
No

What is your favorite talk show?
Oprah!

If you could be another race would you?
WTF? NO…

What did you last color with a crayon?
I can’t memmer

What is on your bed?
Pillows, Sheets and a comforter… Isn’t that pretty much universal?

What is your favorite thing to drink when you first wake up?
AGUA!!! WATER!!!

What is your favorite brand of shoes?
Asics (gym)

Have you ever been to jail?
Yep

Have you ever caught some one in a lie?
many times.. (Damn Liars)

Have you ever flirted with a cop just to get out of a ticket?
HELL No, I'm not exactly their biggest fan nor do I trust them… They're so corrupted!

What do you think about clothes with polka-dots?
I don’t and/or try not to…

When you see a WAY overweight person does it gross you out?
No, and if it is THAT bad you can always look the other way, right?

Who do you love?
Mi Familia y Mi Amigos!

What kind of purses do you have?
as long as they’re fairly aesthetic & carry my shite I could care less about BRAND names!

Ever broken your cell phone?
*EviL GriN* Haven’t we all? LOL *as she recalls each time*

What are you thinking about right now?
My poor wittle Kobe having *certs*

Do you rather write with a pen or pencil?
Who writes anymore??? I type… *EyE RoLL*

If you could have 1 thing for free right now what would it be?
A car... but we all know that EVERYTHING has a price... nothing is free...

Are you currently in a romantic relationship?
Si

When is your birthday?
The day before St Patrick’s Day…

What is your favorite color?
don’t really have ONE, I like earthy tones…

What do you do for a living?
W-O-R-K!

Have you ever been to Europe?
Yep

Where are you from?
Los Angeles, CA (Wesside!)

What's your favorite food?
Mexican *DeR*

Do you like snowy weather?
Not especially

How often do you watch the news?
Here and There

What was your best subject in school?
English

Do you prefer coffee or cappuccino?
Starbucks is killing ME!!! Must… Resist…

Have you ever cheated on a test?
No comment – pretty much sums it up…

Are you on a diet?
No, a work-out Nazi! LOL Gotta rid of my chubs.

How many meals a day do you eat?
MEALS… once, rarely twice… I try to eat little bits all day to rev the metabolism

Have you ever had braces?
No, but I was always convinced that I needed them!

Have you ever had a root canal?
NO thank u god, sounds S-C-A-R-Y!!!

Do you have a good memory?
Yes and No… Mostly yes…

Have you ever been to the museum of natural history?
Yep

What is your biggest wish?
Imagine…

What is your worst fear?
Loss

Do you like rainbows?
YES, we got some good ones here in paradise!

Where is your favorite shopping place?
Shopping on THIS island is mundane

Are you scared of the wilderness?
No, because I am smart enough to stay out of it!

Have you ever been fired?
Yes

How old were you when you shared your very first kiss?
grade school I think, just a peck…

Do you like Astrology?
It’s interesting…

Are you scared of airplanes?
No, crashing YES

Do you fear heights or the dark more?
Heights, there is something very unnatural about being up too high…

Are you a heavy sleeper or a light sleeper?
HEAVY, I like to sleep but I ALWAYS wake up around the same time, even on my days off! It is so bloody annoying…
Do you like junk food?
No, well ice cream if I am sad or stressed

What was the worst nightmare that you had?
Yipe, don’t really wanna go there again, but if you were ever a Fri-Fiver… you read all about it… 

Do you believe in God?
Yes

What's your religion?
Christian NON-Fundamentalist

Are you scared of death?
I try not to be but sometimes there is a fear there...

Are you anemic?
No

Are you scared of needles?
Scared, no, but they don’t exactly bring me joy either!

Did you ever believe that monsters existed when you were a child?
Closet Monsters

Are you good in math?
LMFAO! Ummm, NO…

Have you ever been bullied?
Yeah, when I was in 1^st grade, new school, big bitch, scared me, cried home, learned to fight!

Are you paranoid of the police?
Eff them!

Do you follow or break rules?
I’m over it all really...

Cupcakes or soft baked cookies?
CUP CAKES!!! Anyone have a good recipe?

Mr. H. Lee Scott Jr., President & CEO
Wal-Mart
702 SW 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
 
Dear Mr. Scott:
 

My family and I will not purchase products made by children or in sweatshops where teenaged girls are forced to work 12-hour shifts under armed guard or by exploited workers paid just pennies an hour and whose families are forced to live in misery.  I am especially concerned by serious human and worker rights violations at a Wal-Mart contractor's factory in Bangladesh.

I urge Wal-Mart to be a true industry leader in taking a stand for human rights by releasing to the American people the names and addresses of the factories around the world that make the products sold in Wal-Mart’s stores.  This would set a clear standard of accountability, demonstrating that Wal-Mart has nothing to hide from the American people.  It would show the world that Wal-Mart does not, and will not, manufacture its goods in factories hidden behind locked metal gates, barbed wire and armed guards.

For the American people to shop with a conscience it is our right to know in which countries and factories, under what human rights conditions, and at what wages, the products you sell and we purchase are being made.

There is no reason that this could not be done immediately.  It is relatively common for Kmart, May Co., J.C. Penney and other retailers' private label goods to be made side by side in the same factories.  In fact, just a handful of the same manufacturers dominate production for all retailers.  Unless of course, Wal-Mart has exclusive contracts with specific factories…  In any case, it is common sense that we are not speaking about National Security here, but rather women's undergarments, t-shirts, stuffed animals, sneakers and jeans.  Surely Wal-Mart can trust the American people with a list of these factories.

I intend to share this information in my community with religious, labor, student and other interested organizations, including the media, local and national politicians.  I am anxious to hear from you, so that together with Wal-Mart we can begin to finally eradicate the scourge of child labor and sweatshop abuses.  Thank you.

Sincerely,

Amber Parra

THE GAY FLIGHT ATTENDANT

My flight was being served by a gay flight attendant, who seemed peppy and put everyone in a good mood as he served us food and drinks.

As the plane prepared to descend, he came swishing down the aisle and said, “Captain Marvey has asked me to announce that he'll be landing the big  scary plane shortly, so lovely people, if you could just put your trays up, that would be super.”

On his trip back up the aisle, he noticed a well-dressed Arabic woman who hadn't moved a muscle.

”Perhaps you didn't hear me over those big brute engines, but I asked you to raise your trazy-poo, so the main man can pitty-pat us on the ground.”

She calmly turned her head and said, “In my country, I am called a Princess and I take orders from no one.”

To which (I swear) the flight attendant replied, without missing a beat,

“Well, sweet-cheeks, in my country I'm called a Queen, so I outrank you… Tray-up, Bitch.”

I can't believe I'm actually writing this or even that my family is dealing with this. This is something no one ever really wants to think about and it feels like I am living someone else's story!  I can’t seem to wrap my mind, thoughts and feelings around the fact that this is happening when it feels like a really bad dream.

That said, about 2 hours ago I found out my step-father Byron Walker has a brain tumor. To say it came as a shock would be a staggering understatement, and I'm just feeling numb and really, *really* unsettled right now. And I am miles away unable to comfort either Byron or my Mom and I don't know how this is going to turn out because they just found it from a brain scan taken minutes ago and the details are getting to me from the mainland as my Mom gets them.  Mr. Petty wasn’t kidding when he said, “The waiting is the hardest part.”

He (Byron) basically went in to the hospital this morning to check out a few “issues” he has had over the past week with time loss and general confusion… Next thing my Mom gets a call from the E.R. saying they’re admitting him to run some testing which progressed to pin-pointing him needing a brain scan, then minutes later they tell us he has a tumor in his brain!  So here we wait for the next course of action... I honestly have no other information than that.

This whole thing has just come completely out of the blue and my poor Mom is just falling to pieces.  I can literally hear her on the phone trying as best she can to “keep it together.”  I am trying my best to stay positive for him and her and that is why I am emailing all of you now… 

Please, keep Byron in your prayers.  Pray that he is sent great comfort and strength in the midst of all of this madness, for all of our family to remain optimistic, strong and prepared for whatever may come. 

I’d be lying if I did not admit that I myself am terrified. I don't know what is going to happen. I don't know if it will all change tomorrow, I don't know if my step-father is going to live through this....and that's not something I'm ready to deal with. I'm trying to remain positive, because we're not in a dead end situation, my faith reaffirms that ANYTHING is possible.  However, this is putting my Mom and Byron through hell. I hope and pray he comes through this intact but, wow...this is all beyond words, even for me.

I have heard this more times than I can remember (and sometimes would rather forget):

"You're so closed off... Why don't you communicate or show yr feelings...  When are you going to let down yr walls..." etcetera, etcetera... 

In my thirty-some years of living in this world I have come to know a few inalienable truths.  One of them being (in general) people would rather be heard.  A true listener is a rare find.  Sure, they may tell you they will listen or maybe even that they want to listen but only so in turn they can ultimately be heard; via their opinions, advice, beliefs and so on… 

So as far as I can remember, yes, I have been known to keep a rather prodigious inventory in my mind asylum.  After continuous deliberation on the issue, I can finally take comfort in the fact that this little peccadillo of mine is essentially an asset.  Well, for the most part anyway…  I do realize that there are times when I should open up, reciprocate feelings and maintain the lines of communications but more often than not I find the opposite to be more prevailing.

In the rare instance that I actually desire to open up, I’ve come to notice this look of confusion or disinterest on the face and/or in the mannerisms of the individual I am attempting to unveil upon.  It pretty much goes without saying this type of reaction does wonders for my existing proclivity.  So call me crazy but am I missing something here?  Why do people consistently feel the need to point out my wall building capabilities if they’re simply going to turn a blind eye to what I feel or deaf ear to what I have to say? 

Sounds cliché and almost disheartening to admit but I think this personality trait also birthed my writing predilection.  I’ve said before that writing is one of the purest forms of expression, unfiltered and without judgment your mind can spill out onto paper…  Blogging is adequate but pales in comparison to the mighty pen meeting paper!  And with every stroke of that pen, that is where my walls come crashing down...

 Copyright © 2008, Amber L. Parra

My horrifying reality,
A memory or nightmare?
This thing that you've done
and don't seem to care.
The serpent writhes and twists
wrapping around you so tight.
Freud's little message
that nothing's quite right.
Betrayer of one,
Compunction of none.
Your conception deceives you,
and now we are done.

~A.P. 2007 

Copyright © 2007, Amber L. Parra

They're not my definitions, but I think the dictionary sums it up well...  Here are the Websters dictionary definitions of Liberal and Conservative...  'nuff said...

Liberal – 

Broad Minded

Tolerant of different views and standards of behavior in others

Progressive Politically or Socially

POLITICS favoring gradual reform , especially political reforms that extend democracy, distribute wealth more evenly, and protect the personal freedom of the individual

Generous

                        Generous w/money, time, other asset

Generous in Quantity

                        Large in size or amount

Not Literal

LANGUAGE not limited to the literal meaning in translation or interpretation

Culturally Oriented

ARTS concerned with general cultural matters and broadening of the mind rather than professional or technical study

Liberal Person

                        Somebody who favors tolerance or reform

Conservative –

Reluctant to Accept Change

In favor of preserving the status quo and traditional values and customs, and against abrupt change

Cautious and on the Low Side

Cautiously moderate and therefore often less than the final outcome

Conventional in Appearance

Conventional or restrained in style and avoiding showiness

Traditionalist Person

Somebody who is reluctant to consider new ideas or accept change

Supporter of Conservatism

Somebody who supports the doctrine or beliefs of conservatism