Podcasting since 2004; Conversations, conflicts, adventures and monologues from around the world.
The Kitschification of 911. The words of Phillip Roth as quoted on a recent episode of radio open source. In this program I discuss how the events of that day have been used and abused in the poorest of taste for the most shameful of activities. I also remember and asess numbers, in terms of cost of lives and resources.
On Point Episode with Howard Zinn on the Utility of War
Open Source on 9-11 literature
They’re coming.
They’re using planes as their method of transportation.
They leave from various US cities, often travelling alone or in groups of 2 or 3.
They travel with a great deal of electronics, mostly ipods, laptops, and other personal devices.
They are very well financed, with enough money to run their operations in Europe for at least 5 months.
They tend to look suspicious, easily identified by speaking loudly in their distinct accent.
And they will stop at nothing, until they can move into our neighborhoods, put up some posters of the icons their worship, and infiltrate our higher education system, posing as students.
… They are the American exchange students. And they arrive in T-Minus 9 hours.
My mission, which few would be brave enough to accept (I need the money and I’m mentally unbalanced), is to assist in this process. I must not show signs of weakness if they complain or make demands of me. I must be stoic and in control. Although they may be determined to disrupt my freedom and way of life, I must meet them head on, for my mission is noble and I will not give in to their desctructive, my-closet-isn’t-big-enough ideology.
Dear US and UK, please keep your terrorism paranoia to yourselves. We have quite enough of our own here in the Nertherlands.
Like a media sucker, I’m watching the news reports from the BBC. Amazing that they have news reports even though the have no information. They even tell the viewer they have no information. They then proceed to show you video footage of airplanes behind a fence and they invite experts to talk about how they don’t know anything either. Go to commercial, back to our wall street analyst in New York.
They arrested a bunch of people. I can already tell you why. The reason is: if you turn around a plane and scramble f16’s to guide it back to Amsterdam, then someone’s at least gotta get arrested. It’s the least they can do.
One of the girls on the plane was describing what she noticed on the flight, she said
“we were in the air, and some people noticed that a group of south asians were not paying attention to the flight attendants guidelines.”
If being uninterested and ignoring the flight attentant with the useless seatbelt overview is terrorism, than I’ve been terrorizing the skies since I was 12 years old.
Just arrived from France and I had a chance to read lots of newspapers on the way. ..
Finally, someone besides a blogger said it. Not just someone, an airline exec, namely the CEO of Ryanair, has threatened to sue British Aviation if they don’t stop with the excessively useless restrictions.
Obviously I’ve expressed my feelings on this issue enough in the past, but I’m a radical, so you should expect nothing less. This, on the other hand, is a very mainstream guy who’s airline I don’t even care for very much. But to read his quotes that say things like “Toiletries are not going to destroy the world” .. can’t remember where I read that one. But at the end of that particular article, he also says the classic line which I think holds alot of value: “The best way to make a statement against terrorism, is to go about your life and do things as you would normally”. It may sound lame to some, but I very much believe in that statement.
So Michael O’Leary, I don’t know much about you, but in a world full of alarmists and yes-men, here’s to you!
I rode the Thalys train from Amsterdam to PAris today… WITH a bottle of WATER.
Nobody cared.
Know why?
Cause it’s water.
———-
Seriously friends, greetings from the city of lights. I’m here all weekend visiting the John of the Americablog. I should also mention I’m not his only visitor this weekend as a podcasting-blogging-software developer by the name of Kyle is sitting just across from me.
As I rode the train over, I was loving the magic of high speed european train travel. So smooth. So quiet. Warm yet not too warm. Quiet yet not too quiet. And best of all: no one cares to see your ID nor do they give you a second look for carrying liquids. Or should we call them, tools for potential terror attacks!
As you know from reading this blog, I have little regard for high security. I scoff at metal detectors, manuel searches, and pre-travel interview screening. I’m the guy you shake your fist at and proclaim “if we did it your way, the terrorists would destroy the world.”
All that aside. I recommend people stop getting on planes if they can avoid it. See what the other options are. Check if there’s a train, bus, or even a boat. It could be a wonderful relief from all the ignorant paranoid stupidty taking place at airports and on planes these days. Plus you can bring your gels, creams, foams, and water liquid compounds you want. Live FREE, Don’t Fly!
The government tells you they stopped an attack. The media reports what the government announces. You watch, you listen, you take it in, and you believe. Flights are cancelled, panic, fear, and anger ensue. But do we really know what, if anything has happened?
Links:
Madge’s Last Leg of The European Summer of Lesbian 2006 Tour
The GayExpat is in town, go listen and watch his reports.