From You
On The Bus
originally published December 13, 2006
Thanks to E.J. Smith for the interesting read and sympathetic portrait of public transit in Athens ["On The Bus", Dec. 6]. I’ve been relying on Athens Transit nearly every day for four years. There are plenty of Flagpoles I never would have read - and a lot of amiable neighbors I never would have met - were it not for the pleasant bus commute.
I certainly notice, as well, the irreplaceable role transit plays in many riders’ lives. Transit use is a potent mitigator of road rage, traffic congestion and poor air quality, but, more importantly, it’s an immediate social and economic necessity for many folks in Athens. Here’s to readers of Smith’s article being inspired to try transit more often. Cheers from the #8.
In The News
originally published December 13, 2006
This is in the news the same day 10 American troops were killed in Iraq: “Keeping us up here eats away at families,” said Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA), who typically flies home on Thursdays and returns to Washington on Tuesdays. “Marriages suffer. The Democrats could care less about families - that’s what this says.”
What schedule do you figure they are on, Congressman?
Progressive Athens?
originally published December 13, 2006
The United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors is just another part of what made Athens a great progressive community. The city allowed them to design their strikingly beautiful temple on Broad Street which serves to enhance the ever-increasing beauty of downtown Athens. Utilizing the equalizing force for all Nuwaubians called Nuwaubu, Athens had a chance to achieve what many thought we never would: five Nuwaubian law enforcement professionals.
I recently read about the five gentlemen who were terminated because of their Nuwaubian religious beliefs. Athens-Clarke was blessed to have such high quality professionals that care enough about their inmates in need of rehabilitation to provide them with some spiritual guidance. Since when has handing out literature to one’s fellow brothers been an act that would cause one to lose their livelihood? As a progressive community, Athens needs to stand up for black supremacist organizations that will help fight against the racist institutions that govern us in Athens. Our prominent feminist leader Heidi can hopefully provide some safe harbor to these freedom-seeking gentlemen. It is time for the progressives in this community to stand up against the racism and injustice. It was comforting to consider that law enforcement professionals of this caliber could be monitoring the cameras to protect me from white fascist businessmen like the Chamber, Wal-Mart executives and the developers. I would like the Nuwaubian law enforcement and our peace-loving mayor to protect me from them when I buy my fair-trade products or eat my torture-free meals downtown.
Where are the progressive periodicals such as the Flagpole? For years, the Flagpole has been getting us to realize who and what we are using Right Knowledge, Right Wisdom and Right Overstanding which leads to Right Thinking on to Right Actions breaking the hypnotic spell of ignorance that the Chamber of Commerce Republicans use to oppress us. The Flagpole is the colorbearer of free-thought and peaceful revolution. I see the Flagpole mainly focusing on advertisements and revenue generation from Elations, Chelsea’s and other mediums that empower women through the use of their sexuality and sexual liberation. This helps our young daughters to see that they are free to use their sexuality to increase their economic welfare from redneck misogynists that frequent these fine establishments. This is not raunch but true empowerment. Even 20 years ago, any young sister that would flash their supple breasts on “Girls Gone Wild” would be considered a simple, dumb slut. Thank goodness we are now enlightened and women are liberated from this oppression. Although these are critically important messages for our young women to see and understand, Athens also needs the Flagpole to stand up for those on the forefront of the black freedom movement. We have started to come to enlightenment in the last several years by realizing that African civilizations were superior in egalitarianism and justice. We need to learn from these amazing cultures. Our culture serves only to oppress.
Think Doors
originally published December 13, 2006
Here’s something most people don’t think about every day: the width of a bathroom door. To most of us, it rarely if ever crosses our minds. For my friend in a wheelchair, it’s an issue he bumps into (literally) every day. For some reason, bathroom doors in apartments in Athens are more narrow than regular doors leading into the apartment or into any other room in the house. To me, it’s no big deal. To my friend, it’s a quality of life issue and often an embarrassing one at that. It determines whether or not he can go to someone’s house to visit and how long he can stay there. The size of the actual bathroom in my old apartment in Athens was big enough to handle his wheelchair… if his wheelchair could fit through the door. Because it didn’t, he didn’t feel comfortable coming to my house for longer than an hour or two. This problem extended to his own apartment. There, the bathroom door and part of the door frame had to be removed and part of the wall had to be filed away so he could get into his own bathroom. When his wheelchair was replaced with a newer, lighter model which happened to be about an inch wider he literally got stuck in the doorway.
I don’t get it. If the rest of the doors in his apartment and my old place are wide enough for his wheelchair to pass through, why aren’t the bathroom doors? These are arguably the most important doors within a house. In the grand scheme of things, what is gained by cheating a few inches on a bathroom? To my friend, however, it makes all the difference in the world. If any architects or developers are reading this, would you please keep folks like my friend in mind next time you look at plans for a new apartment building or are re-working an old place? We’d both appreciate it. Then he’d have to admit it was my cooking that kept him away and not some lame excuse like access to the boys’ room.
Slippery Slope
originally published December 13, 2006
I am tired of writing to our U.S. Senators for Georgia and getting canned responses saying they are supporting the policies of George W. Bush. That is not what an independent legislative branch is supposed to do. They are OUR representatives and should be looking out for OUR interests instead of just following the party line. Please join me in letting them know what we think of kowtowing to power and disregarding the wishes of their constituency. It is time the government served the interests of its citizens and laid off handing everything over to rich special interests and international corporations. We, our children and our grandchildren will end up paying for their generosity with OUR money.
What happened to three equal branches of government that keep each other in check? We are on the slippery slope of dictatorship, and most don’t have the sense to know it.
Big Brother
originally published December 13, 2006
A drive through Athens will reveal an interesting phenomena appearing all over the “free” world. Surveillance cameras are being placed in public places to monitor our comings and goings. Big Brother is here, and he wants to know if you are naughty or nice, but do not expect Big Brother to bring you any Christmas presents, Virginia.
Some people will argue that if you have nothing to hide then you should not mind such surveillance. That does not hold water; there is a dangerous precedent being set in our land, and we are submitting without a fight.
Today, most if not at least a lot of the people in Athens are Christian, and anyone monitoring us on camera would probably be a Christian too. Right? Now, what if it was mostly a Muslim base, or Hindi, or something other than Christian, and the people of that other faith would be monitoring us. We could easily end up losing a hand for taking a newspaper from a machine without paying for it. Or, suppose we are publicly drinking or drunk? We could just as easily be severely punished for violating the law of another faith. What if you had a funny walk and they thought you might be “funny?” Would it then be okay for them to punish you by throwing you off the top of a building or hanging you? Extreme examples? If you think so, you are not keeping up with the world news today.
Many of those cameras, possibly the ones seen on poles all around town, have super-sensitive, omnidirectional microphones also. If not here, then definitely in other settings. Which means that our private conversations with friends while walking down the street are possibly being listened to. What’s the old saying regarding paranoia? If people are really out to get you then you are not paranoid.
What if you were discussing some intimate details with a girlfriend while walking down the street, and they overheard you, and using a built-in speaker, they yelled out “That couple [with description] is discussing their upcoming fornication. Shame! Shame! let them know your displeasure, now…”
Are you beginning to get the picture? All one has to do is read George Orwell’s 1984 or any of several other books about totalitarian regimes to understand where this is taking us. It is down the slippery slope of total control.
By the way, do you know that the cable box, or modem in your home or office may have a built-in microphone? Or, that your PC may have a built-in microphone?
Not to belabor this, but what has happened to the protections of our Bill of Rights and the Constitution? Are we being scared into surrendering our rights? Will they (our government) be coming to collect our weapons, instead of just knocking down our doors and shooting us? How can anyone justify this behavior of a police state? Have we really come to a point where the government may bomb Iran if it is going to make some political supporters billions of dollars? Or do anything else they damn well please?
There is much, ad nauseam, to read these days in defense of torture by this country. I scratch my head and ask myself, what fools would support torture as legal by the state? Don’t they know that the next ones to be tortured may be themselves, their children, their grandchildren, the couple next-door, etc.? It is enough to make a true patriot want to vomit. There is NO justification for being inhumane, particularly when you claim to be a free and democratic country, when you claim to be in a loving Creator. How can any Christian, or anyone of any faith, condone what is happening to the “least of us?”
Sun Domingo
originally published December 13, 2006
Okay, I’ve been listening to these guys since they started, and I’ll tell you what, these guys are anything but typical [Record Reviews, Sun Domingo, Nov. 22]. Now, I think that you, Mr. Barthel, probably don’t have anywhere near the range that can be found in the vocal chords of Jason, nor could you play a steering wheel, let alone a five-string bass while using said range. Your stereotypical review has appalled and severely frustrated me. Now, here’s my opinion on your reviewing style. Not only do you throw your opinions into this review like a bad chef throws heaps of spices into a half-baked meal, but you barely mention the musical aspect of things at all, and when you do, it’s as if it’s a passing glance. When have you ever broken a snare drum playing, and then walked over to your fellow bandmember’s stand-up drums, laid down, and continued playing upside down, as he plays on the top? Didn’t think so. When have you ever taken the time to arrange a second instrument to be played in the middle of a song, just as well as the main instrument? Not recently, I bet. And when have you done a review that has been about what people should really hear, like the musical side of things, how well they play, how amazingly well they synchronize their playing and play styles, how they’re almost always perfectly equalized and ready to go, playing up to four encores in a single gig, and by encore, I mean about four songs each encore. These guys have more talent than any band I’ve heard in a long time, and just because you like your techno keyboard disco stuff, you shouldn’t throw good musicians down who are, and I say this with the utmost confidence, better than you’ll ever be at the instruments they play. My name’s Dane Macaulay, and I’m proud to say that the new Sun Domingo CD Go To Bed Grinning is an artistic work straight from the minds, fingers, fretboards, vocal chords and drumsticks of Jason Pomar, Aaron Simpson, Nathan Lathouse and Edgel Groves. Their music is a light rock style, with a twang of classic rock thrown in. Their music is both catchy and musically solid. The members of the band are appreciative of their fans, and play both for the fact that their music is an expression of themselves, and for the hundreds of screaming fans that come to each concert. After opening for REO Speedwagon and Edwin McCain, this band has done nothing but play incredibly deep and powerful music that will make you wish that your second cousin out in California could pick up one of their CDs at the local Plan 9, just so you can both say at the same time, “How freakin’ awesome is that!” These are the kinds of musicians who aren’t in it for the money, aren’t in it for the fame, and aren’t in it to get crappy CD reviews like this one. These guys are here to rock, plain and simple. If you like the Police, if you like Blue Oyster Cult, if you like Yes, I seriously suggest checking these guys out. You’ll be glad you did.
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