Sunday, October 31, 2004
It's Your Choice
Saturday, October 30, 2004
Nobody Revisited
Just in time for the Really Big Election, we take a look back from the lofty heights of the Anokoblog Global HQ at the champion of the last campaign, and the momentous events that lead to his victory. We refer not to the Pretender in Chief Bush, he lost the vote. Neither do we refer to his Repocratic challenger, Al Gore. After all, he is clearly not in the White House. We are talking about the true winner of Campaign 2000, Nobody.
Our dear friends at the Baltimore Washington Psychogeography Association toiled long and hard on the Campaign for Nobody, yet all were astounded by his stunning victory. While your fearless Anokoblogger respects the rights of all citizens to vote against the candidate of his or her choice, please consider the Ten Point Program of Nobody, put forth four years ago:
TEN POINT PROGRAM OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR NOBODY
1.Nobody will cancel all debt
For the lending class rules those in debt
2.Nobody will establish the ten-hour work week
For we must run like clocks
3.Nobody will destroy the prison-industrial complex
For prisons form the perfect industry
4.Nobody will abolish positions such as prison guard, banker, stockbroker, and so on
For bankrupt work pays best
5.Nobody will abolish the wage system
For wages amount to less than their illusions
6.Nobody will abolish currency
For we think in the language of money
7.Nobody will put an end to polluting Mother Earth
For she is our to dominate and destroy
8.Nobody will turn off the military-entertainment complex
For war completely infiltrates daily life
9.Nobody will replace all pharmaceuticals with botanicals
For the pharmaceutical industry is second nature
10.Nobody will legalize revolution
For laws govern civil war
To read the entire mind bending saga of the Campaign For Nobody, leading to the stealing of the Inauguration of Nobody by the Pretender in Chief Bush, go here .
Our dear friends at the Baltimore Washington Psychogeography Association toiled long and hard on the Campaign for Nobody, yet all were astounded by his stunning victory. While your fearless Anokoblogger respects the rights of all citizens to vote against the candidate of his or her choice, please consider the Ten Point Program of Nobody, put forth four years ago:
TEN POINT PROGRAM OF THE CAMPAIGN FOR NOBODY
1.Nobody will cancel all debt
For the lending class rules those in debt
2.Nobody will establish the ten-hour work week
For we must run like clocks
3.Nobody will destroy the prison-industrial complex
For prisons form the perfect industry
4.Nobody will abolish positions such as prison guard, banker, stockbroker, and so on
For bankrupt work pays best
5.Nobody will abolish the wage system
For wages amount to less than their illusions
6.Nobody will abolish currency
For we think in the language of money
7.Nobody will put an end to polluting Mother Earth
For she is our to dominate and destroy
8.Nobody will turn off the military-entertainment complex
For war completely infiltrates daily life
9.Nobody will replace all pharmaceuticals with botanicals
For the pharmaceutical industry is second nature
10.Nobody will legalize revolution
For laws govern civil war
To read the entire mind bending saga of the Campaign For Nobody, leading to the stealing of the Inauguration of Nobody by the Pretender in Chief Bush, go here .
Friday, October 29, 2004
Your Security is Not in the Hands of Kerry or Bush or al-Quaeda
Just in time to spook you on Halloween, Osama (the Lion) bin Laden reappears on our TV screens, glowing like a jack o' lantern. His latest missive is apparently addressed directly to the American people, a new twist in the saga of the would be warrrior philosopher, who until now concerned himself more with speaking to the Muslim community. Is he trying to sway the election? No. He knows it matters not a whit to Allah whether Kerry or Bush is the head of the snake that is the Great Satan. As all who know the Koran understand, Allah is concerned with the family of the faithful, and even Osama has some faith in the American people to control their own destiny. "Your security is not in the hands of Kerry or Bush or al-Quaeda," he says.
I think the Lion must be a fan of Michael Moore, however. He took some time out of his rare video appearance to mock Bush for sitting, reading from a children's book, while the jihadis were flying jetplanes into the World Trade Center. Bush's indifference, Osama said, made the attacks of September 11 more successful than he anticipated. How many bootleg copies of "Farenheit 9 11" dubbed in Arabic are floating around the Muslim world?
Osama is, perhaps, a narcissist, a wealthy but relatively unlearned man who fancies himself a philosopher but depends upon spectacular violence to promote his ideas and those of his comrade, the more learned doctor al-Zawahri. But for once he has told the truth, to an audience that cannot hear, "Your security is in your own hands"
I think the Lion must be a fan of Michael Moore, however. He took some time out of his rare video appearance to mock Bush for sitting, reading from a children's book, while the jihadis were flying jetplanes into the World Trade Center. Bush's indifference, Osama said, made the attacks of September 11 more successful than he anticipated. How many bootleg copies of "Farenheit 9 11" dubbed in Arabic are floating around the Muslim world?
Osama is, perhaps, a narcissist, a wealthy but relatively unlearned man who fancies himself a philosopher but depends upon spectacular violence to promote his ideas and those of his comrade, the more learned doctor al-Zawahri. But for once he has told the truth, to an audience that cannot hear, "Your security is in your own hands"
Tuesday, October 26, 2004
Over 1/3rd of Ex-Soldiers Fail to Report for Duty
CNN reports that at least 843 members of the Individual Ready Reserve have failed to report to duty after being called up to serve in Iraq. This represents about 37 percent of those who have received the call up. The IRR consists of people who were honorably discharged after finishing their active duty tours, but still are on call for the remaining years of their eight year commitment to the Army. CNN reports:
"That the Army has had to reach so deeply into its store of reserve soldiers is a measure of the strain the Iraq and Afghanistan campaigns have put on the active-duty Army. When the American invading force toppled Baghdad in April 2003, the Army thought it would be sending most of its soldiers home within months. Instead, it has kept 100,000 or more there ever since."
The last time members of the IRR were called to duty was in 1990, when nearly 20,000 were called
In addition to those who have failed to report, at least 1498 have asked for delays or exemptions from duty. This represents an ever more increasing number of those refusing to work amongst military members who, for whatever reason, do not feel their initial committment entails their participation in this particular war.
The military has stated repeatedly that they do not want to prosecute those who fail to appear, and that they are trying to resolve these cases as quietly as possible. It is surprising that they have even allowed these numbers to be made public.
Here at Anokoblog World HQ, we endorse the refusal of work as the most effective resistance to injustice, whether on the shop floor or the battlefield. As we also believe the current war in Iraq is unjust and illegal, we applaud these soldiers for risking their freedom to resist the war, and encourage all those who feel able to take that risk to do so. We support our troops, those who stay home, and those who need our collective action to bring them home.
Friday, October 22, 2004
Boston's Killer Cops
21-year-old Victoria Snelgrove, a journalism major at Emerson College, was killed by Boston cops attempting to control a crowd of revellers near Fenway Park after the Boston Red Sox historic victory over the New York Yankees early Thursday. She had been hit in the head by what the police call a "non-lethal projectile." These particular bullets are filled with pepper spray.
Authorities need to stop referring to these weapons as "non-lethal." Studies have shown that police are more willing to use force when they have been trained to believe that the weaponry they are employing is "non-lethal." Reports from Boston indicate that while the crowd near Fenway was large, and many of its' members drunken, it was mostly peaceful, merely celebrating a victory that was celebrated across the country. Throughout the city there was a total of eight arrests, mostly for disorderly conduct. Snelgrove has been described as an innocent bystander engaging in no unlawful behavior. Imagine what these police would do if confronted with a truly angry crowd engaging in politically motivated civil disobedience?
There have been many instances of "non-lethal" weaponry killing people. Some types of tear gas employed by local and federal police departments in the United States, such as CS, are prohibeted weaponry under the Geneva Convention. Yet they are routinely used upon our own citizens. I imagine getting shot in the eye with a projectile full of pepper spray is a particularly painful way to die. It is time to stop training police to engage in military tactics against domestic disturbances. And stop playing semantic games with "non-lethal" weapons.
Authorities need to stop referring to these weapons as "non-lethal." Studies have shown that police are more willing to use force when they have been trained to believe that the weaponry they are employing is "non-lethal." Reports from Boston indicate that while the crowd near Fenway was large, and many of its' members drunken, it was mostly peaceful, merely celebrating a victory that was celebrated across the country. Throughout the city there was a total of eight arrests, mostly for disorderly conduct. Snelgrove has been described as an innocent bystander engaging in no unlawful behavior. Imagine what these police would do if confronted with a truly angry crowd engaging in politically motivated civil disobedience?
There have been many instances of "non-lethal" weaponry killing people. Some types of tear gas employed by local and federal police departments in the United States, such as CS, are prohibeted weaponry under the Geneva Convention. Yet they are routinely used upon our own citizens. I imagine getting shot in the eye with a projectile full of pepper spray is a particularly painful way to die. It is time to stop training police to engage in military tactics against domestic disturbances. And stop playing semantic games with "non-lethal" weapons.
Thursday, October 21, 2004
Historic Upset - Bush White House Next
The evil empire has been laid low by the Boston Red Sox, led in the seventh game by hirsute giant slayer Johnny Damon. Next comes the Bush White House, with Karl Rove taking the part of a mournful Joe Torre lamenting that his boys just couldn't get the job done. Onward through the fog!
Tuesday, October 19, 2004
Honest Journalist Takes Fall For The Truth
As your fearless Anokoblogger predicted, Jon Leiberman was fired for telling the truth about his bosses craven attempt to sway the election by broadcasting Republican propaganda on the eve of what will be the closest election in modern times. From today's Baltimore Sun:
"Sinclair Broadcast Group fired its Washington bureau chief yesterday after the reporter criticized plans for an hourlong program on 60 stations that will include incendiary charges against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
'I just think it's a shame that a journalist gets fired for telling the truth,' said Jon Leiberman, who had been the Maryland-based media firm's chief political correspondent for more than a year."
I just hope that Anokoblogger's other prediction from yesterday - that there is an outfit with the integrity to hire this courageous young man (with an increase in salary) - will come true. Full story here.
"Sinclair Broadcast Group fired its Washington bureau chief yesterday after the reporter criticized plans for an hourlong program on 60 stations that will include incendiary charges against Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry.
'I just think it's a shame that a journalist gets fired for telling the truth,' said Jon Leiberman, who had been the Maryland-based media firm's chief political correspondent for more than a year."
I just hope that Anokoblogger's other prediction from yesterday - that there is an outfit with the integrity to hire this courageous young man (with an increase in salary) - will come true. Full story here.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Sinclair Journalist Stands Tall
A journalist working for the satanic media overloads of Sinclair Broadcast Group put his career on the line to tell the truth to his bosses. From today's Baltimore Sun:
"The Washington bureau chief for Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group's news division angrily denounced his employer last night for plans to air an hourlong program that is to include incendiary allegations against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry for his anti-war activism three decades ago.
'It's biased political propaganda, with clear intentions to sway this election,' said Jon Leiberman, Sinclair's lead political reporter for more than a year. 'For me, it's not about right or left -- it's about what's right or wrong in news coverage this close to an election.'"
The 29 year old Leiberman might lose his job after going public with his sentiments, but I would bet that some larger and more respectable organization that actually values integrity - unlike those reactionary corporate weasals at Sinclair - will snap him up in a heartbeat. If there is any justice in the immoral self-serving moarass of the modern media the job offers should be clogging his inbox even as I write.
Full story here.
"The Washington bureau chief for Maryland-based Sinclair Broadcast Group's news division angrily denounced his employer last night for plans to air an hourlong program that is to include incendiary allegations against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry for his anti-war activism three decades ago.
'It's biased political propaganda, with clear intentions to sway this election,' said Jon Leiberman, Sinclair's lead political reporter for more than a year. 'For me, it's not about right or left -- it's about what's right or wrong in news coverage this close to an election.'"
The 29 year old Leiberman might lose his job after going public with his sentiments, but I would bet that some larger and more respectable organization that actually values integrity - unlike those reactionary corporate weasals at Sinclair - will snap him up in a heartbeat. If there is any justice in the immoral self-serving moarass of the modern media the job offers should be clogging his inbox even as I write.
Full story here.
I think I'll try a pint of that
Beer is good. Good beer is a reason to live. and, as Mark Dorber says, "The best thing about beer is that because it is half as strong as wine, you can drink twice as much." For an engaging look at pairing tasty brews with fine food, go here.
Sunday, October 17, 2004
Save the Freetown of Christiania
Long Live the Freetown of Christiania!
The Danish government is once again trying to destroy the Freetown of Christiania, and it looks like time could be running out. But first, a little history....
The Freetown of Christiania is currently the world's longest lived contemporary anarchist community, now in its' thirty fourth year. It is an area of Copenhagen in Denmark that is home to around 1000 people, and is the second most visited tourist destination in Denmark. It is a community with a remarkable history and an uncertain future.
Christiania began in 1970, when a group of citizens looking for a playground and green space for their kids knocked down the fence of an abandoned military base in Copenhagen. Soon it filled with squatters, hippies, artists, anarchists and the like. They created art, served food, published a newspaper, and before long declared themselves an autonomous zone, a "Freetown." Before long they had their own flag, a form of "money", and the anger of the state to contend with.
Throughout the next thirty four years, Christiania grew. All forms of housing were created. Institutions such as theatres, childcare facilities, restaurants, sporting areas, parks, concert halls, beergardens and the like were established. People moved out, others moved in. Hippies were joined by punks and every other subculture known to Europe. It became a self-governing autonomous area, the highest governing board being a council in which all could participate, making decisions by consensus.
Needless to say, the authorities were not amused. From the beginning the Parliament and the police attempted to shut Christiania down. Their ire was drawn by everything from the appropriation of land abandoned by the State to the open use and sale of hashish. Over the years repeated, often violent confrontations with the authorities were endured by the citizens of Christiania. Yet the citizens resisted, negotiating with Parliament, giving some tactical concessions in order to retain as much autonomy as possible. Today they pay a token rent and tax for the land, and pay for the use of water and electricity provided by the State.
Even with these concessions, periodically reactionaries within Parliament and the Defense Ministry would insist that Christiania become "normalized." This year, Christiania faces the greatest threat it has seen in quite some time. The new government, an ally of the Bush administration in Washington, wants to regain a war footing, although with Europe in the most peaceful period of its entire history it is hard to see why. The Defense Ministry wants its' land back. The citizens of Christiania fear the bulldozers will soon be at the gates. Negotiations continue, but if conditions do not change it seems that Christiania will meet the same fate as all of the modern anarchist communities, from the Paris Commune on: death under the boot of the State.
Christiania is a fascinating story, a community with the good and the ills of any other, excepting perhaps the chokehold of authority on the creativity of its' citizens. For more information about the Freetown of Christiania go to Christiania. The site is in Danish, but if you click on the little English flag, there is a lot of information for English speakers as well.
The Danish government is once again trying to destroy the Freetown of Christiania, and it looks like time could be running out. But first, a little history....
The Freetown of Christiania is currently the world's longest lived contemporary anarchist community, now in its' thirty fourth year. It is an area of Copenhagen in Denmark that is home to around 1000 people, and is the second most visited tourist destination in Denmark. It is a community with a remarkable history and an uncertain future.
Christiania began in 1970, when a group of citizens looking for a playground and green space for their kids knocked down the fence of an abandoned military base in Copenhagen. Soon it filled with squatters, hippies, artists, anarchists and the like. They created art, served food, published a newspaper, and before long declared themselves an autonomous zone, a "Freetown." Before long they had their own flag, a form of "money", and the anger of the state to contend with.
Throughout the next thirty four years, Christiania grew. All forms of housing were created. Institutions such as theatres, childcare facilities, restaurants, sporting areas, parks, concert halls, beergardens and the like were established. People moved out, others moved in. Hippies were joined by punks and every other subculture known to Europe. It became a self-governing autonomous area, the highest governing board being a council in which all could participate, making decisions by consensus.
Needless to say, the authorities were not amused. From the beginning the Parliament and the police attempted to shut Christiania down. Their ire was drawn by everything from the appropriation of land abandoned by the State to the open use and sale of hashish. Over the years repeated, often violent confrontations with the authorities were endured by the citizens of Christiania. Yet the citizens resisted, negotiating with Parliament, giving some tactical concessions in order to retain as much autonomy as possible. Today they pay a token rent and tax for the land, and pay for the use of water and electricity provided by the State.
Even with these concessions, periodically reactionaries within Parliament and the Defense Ministry would insist that Christiania become "normalized." This year, Christiania faces the greatest threat it has seen in quite some time. The new government, an ally of the Bush administration in Washington, wants to regain a war footing, although with Europe in the most peaceful period of its entire history it is hard to see why. The Defense Ministry wants its' land back. The citizens of Christiania fear the bulldozers will soon be at the gates. Negotiations continue, but if conditions do not change it seems that Christiania will meet the same fate as all of the modern anarchist communities, from the Paris Commune on: death under the boot of the State.
Christiania is a fascinating story, a community with the good and the ills of any other, excepting perhaps the chokehold of authority on the creativity of its' citizens. For more information about the Freetown of Christiania go to Christiania. The site is in Danish, but if you click on the little English flag, there is a lot of information for English speakers as well.
Saturday, October 16, 2004
Iraq: Update
Just in case, gentle readers, any of you doubted my earlier comment about American troops being ordered to fire upon civilians, just go here .
Soldiers Think For Themselves
News From the Work Resistance Front:
Jeremy Hudson, reporting for the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Missippi, broke the news yesterday of an entire platoon of soldiers in Iraq engaging in an act of work resistance, or what the military calls a mutiny.
"A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday."
While this is big news, it is only part of growing resistance inside the ranks that started even before the invasion. The military is doing its best to cover up the level of resistance, but it has admitted, for instance, that there have been numerous instance of stateside soldiers failing to show up for deployment, and in the current issue of Mother Jones there is even an article about soldiers who have fled to Canada to avoid going to Iraq. There are several organizations of returning veterans protesting the war, including the Iraq Veterans Against the War. As more troops return home (if they can avoid being sent right back into the fray) we can expect more of these kind of reports. From further in the Clarion-Ledger article we read:
"Aviation regiments have complained of being forced to fly dangerous missions over Iraq with outdated night-vision goggles and old missile-avoidance systems. Stories of troops' families purchasing body armor because the military didn't provide them with adequate equipment have been included in recent presidential debates."
More and more we read not just of soldiers being unhappy with their own conditions, but also being horrified at being ordered to kill civillians. Increasingly, they are responding with desperate measures. The military reports a 40% increase in the rate of suicide since the war began. They will not admit just what the rate of AWOLs are, but they admit to it being on the increase.
It is to be expected that the military leadership would exhibit a callow disregard for loss of life. Their job, after all, is to kill people. And, as conditions inevitably deteriorate in this poorly planned adventure, that loss of life will include more and more of their own men and women. Men and women who are coming to the realization that they are fighting a war in the interests of only the corporate elites, not to defend the country they love. That they are being blown to hell for a pack of lies.
The more widespread these mutinies become - and we have no way of knowing how widespread they already are - the more untenable the war becomes. Whether it's the battfield or the shop floor, the witholding of labor is the greatest weapon of resistance we have in our struggle against the bosses. Spread the word: put down your tools and take a vacation for liberation!
Jeremy Hudson, reporting for the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Missippi, broke the news yesterday of an entire platoon of soldiers in Iraq engaging in an act of work resistance, or what the military calls a mutiny.
"A 17-member Army Reserve platoon with troops from Jackson and around the Southeast deployed to Iraq is under arrest for refusing a "suicide mission" to deliver fuel, the troops' relatives said Thursday."
While this is big news, it is only part of growing resistance inside the ranks that started even before the invasion. The military is doing its best to cover up the level of resistance, but it has admitted, for instance, that there have been numerous instance of stateside soldiers failing to show up for deployment, and in the current issue of Mother Jones there is even an article about soldiers who have fled to Canada to avoid going to Iraq. There are several organizations of returning veterans protesting the war, including the Iraq Veterans Against the War. As more troops return home (if they can avoid being sent right back into the fray) we can expect more of these kind of reports. From further in the Clarion-Ledger article we read:
"Aviation regiments have complained of being forced to fly dangerous missions over Iraq with outdated night-vision goggles and old missile-avoidance systems. Stories of troops' families purchasing body armor because the military didn't provide them with adequate equipment have been included in recent presidential debates."
More and more we read not just of soldiers being unhappy with their own conditions, but also being horrified at being ordered to kill civillians. Increasingly, they are responding with desperate measures. The military reports a 40% increase in the rate of suicide since the war began. They will not admit just what the rate of AWOLs are, but they admit to it being on the increase.
It is to be expected that the military leadership would exhibit a callow disregard for loss of life. Their job, after all, is to kill people. And, as conditions inevitably deteriorate in this poorly planned adventure, that loss of life will include more and more of their own men and women. Men and women who are coming to the realization that they are fighting a war in the interests of only the corporate elites, not to defend the country they love. That they are being blown to hell for a pack of lies.
The more widespread these mutinies become - and we have no way of knowing how widespread they already are - the more untenable the war becomes. Whether it's the battfield or the shop floor, the witholding of labor is the greatest weapon of resistance we have in our struggle against the bosses. Spread the word: put down your tools and take a vacation for liberation!
Friday, October 15, 2004
It IS Something in the Water
I bet you thought I was joking when I said the whole asexuality/penile erectile dysfunction thing was in the water. And, gentle readers, when I promised to get to the bottom of it all you probably thought, "Just more empty promises from that scoundrel Anokoblogger." Oh ye of little faith! Sure, I never return your phone calls, but check out what I have uncovered in a matter of mere hours. This morning's Washington Post, in a story by David A. Fahrentold, reports that male bass in the Potomac river are producing eggs!
"Scientists believe this inversion of nature is being caused by pollution in the water. But they say the exact culprit is still unknown: It might be chicken estrogen left over in poultry manure, or perhaps human hormones dumped in the river with processed sewage."
And these bass are not swimming in that open sewer where the Potomac meets the Anacostia and most citizens fear to tread, lest they come across a politician or a National League baseball stadium built on the backs of the Nation's Capital's poor. No, these bass are swimming far upstream, in the relatively pure waters of West Virginia. OK, maybe not that pure. Don't care about bass? Consider this:
" 'Whatever's doing this to the fish may be the canary in the mineshaft,' said Margaret Janes, a West Virginia activist with the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment."
I know, those West Virginians think everything is in a mineshaft somewhere, but they're not as ignorant as is widely believed. This is not just some isolated thing. A stunning 79 percent of male bass surveyed had developed eggs inside their sex organs!
One of the contaminants that scientists are searching for is caffeine! Don't anyone dare tell me that coffee is bad for me. I'll have to go back to smoking crack on my morning commute. Other possible culprits include chemicals produced when a body breaks down nicotine, which pretty much kills two of the four basic food groups.
I can hear your wailing and gnashing of teeth, gentle readers, but there is more bad news from the wet set. In the same Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin reports that amphibians worldwide are experiencing a precipitous decline. As many as 122 species have disappeared since 1980, and 1900 others are in danger of becoming extinct. I don't know what mineshaft they're in, but I want out! Scientists say this is the equivalent of tens of thousands of years' worth of extinctions in less than a century. And it's not just frogs and their slimy friends. 32 percent of all amphibian species face extinction, but also 12 percent of bird and 23 percent of mammal species. Mammals! That's getting a little close to home.
"Surveys showed the amphibian population of Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest, for example, was stable until 1987. The next year it began to crash, and by 1989, 40 percent of its amphibian species had gone extinct, including the striking golden toad."
Not the golden toad! That's one of the noblest of all toads - except for that one that's really a prince - but I digress.
"Humans are responsible for amphibians' decline in other regions of the world, including China, where many are sought as a delicacy. The Chinese giant salamander -- at six feet the largest amphibian in the world -- sells for at least $300 on the street and makes for several meals, and it has now disappeared from nearly all its range"
Mmmmm.......salamander.....
All kidding aside, this is not good news. There is definately something in the water, and it's not frogs anymore. I'll leave the last word today to somone a bit wiser than I:
"Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford University ecologist, said the amphibian study is worrisome and shows that administration officials are 'destroying the working supports of our life system' by exploiting rather than conserving habitat. 'They're sawing off the limb that humanity is sitting on' Ehrlich said. 'Without biodiversity, we'd be dead.' "
"Scientists believe this inversion of nature is being caused by pollution in the water. But they say the exact culprit is still unknown: It might be chicken estrogen left over in poultry manure, or perhaps human hormones dumped in the river with processed sewage."
And these bass are not swimming in that open sewer where the Potomac meets the Anacostia and most citizens fear to tread, lest they come across a politician or a National League baseball stadium built on the backs of the Nation's Capital's poor. No, these bass are swimming far upstream, in the relatively pure waters of West Virginia. OK, maybe not that pure. Don't care about bass? Consider this:
" 'Whatever's doing this to the fish may be the canary in the mineshaft,' said Margaret Janes, a West Virginia activist with the Appalachian Center for the Economy and the Environment."
I know, those West Virginians think everything is in a mineshaft somewhere, but they're not as ignorant as is widely believed. This is not just some isolated thing. A stunning 79 percent of male bass surveyed had developed eggs inside their sex organs!
One of the contaminants that scientists are searching for is caffeine! Don't anyone dare tell me that coffee is bad for me. I'll have to go back to smoking crack on my morning commute. Other possible culprits include chemicals produced when a body breaks down nicotine, which pretty much kills two of the four basic food groups.
I can hear your wailing and gnashing of teeth, gentle readers, but there is more bad news from the wet set. In the same Washington Post, Juliet Eilperin reports that amphibians worldwide are experiencing a precipitous decline. As many as 122 species have disappeared since 1980, and 1900 others are in danger of becoming extinct. I don't know what mineshaft they're in, but I want out! Scientists say this is the equivalent of tens of thousands of years' worth of extinctions in less than a century. And it's not just frogs and their slimy friends. 32 percent of all amphibian species face extinction, but also 12 percent of bird and 23 percent of mammal species. Mammals! That's getting a little close to home.
"Surveys showed the amphibian population of Costa Rica's Monteverde Cloud Forest, for example, was stable until 1987. The next year it began to crash, and by 1989, 40 percent of its amphibian species had gone extinct, including the striking golden toad."
Not the golden toad! That's one of the noblest of all toads - except for that one that's really a prince - but I digress.
"Humans are responsible for amphibians' decline in other regions of the world, including China, where many are sought as a delicacy. The Chinese giant salamander -- at six feet the largest amphibian in the world -- sells for at least $300 on the street and makes for several meals, and it has now disappeared from nearly all its range"
Mmmmm.......salamander.....
All kidding aside, this is not good news. There is definately something in the water, and it's not frogs anymore. I'll leave the last word today to somone a bit wiser than I:
"Paul Ehrlich, a Stanford University ecologist, said the amphibian study is worrisome and shows that administration officials are 'destroying the working supports of our life system' by exploiting rather than conserving habitat. 'They're sawing off the limb that humanity is sitting on' Ehrlich said. 'Without biodiversity, we'd be dead.' "
Thursday, October 14, 2004
Asexual Pride
From New Scientist via CNN (with a tip of the Bunny ears to the lovely and talented Carla) we learn that about one percent of people have absolutely no interest in sex. Based on my experience with members of the opposite gender, that could be a low estimate.
"If asexuality is indeed a form of sexual orientation, perhaps it will not be long before the issue of 'A' pride starts attracting more attention," according to New Scientist. Already we have the Asexual Visibility and Education Network with an online store selling items promoting awareness and acceptance of asexuality, including a t-shirt proclaiming "Asexuality: it's not just for amoebas anymore" God bless capitalism.
According to the advertisements interrupting the nightly news, there is also an epidemic of penile erectile dysfunction. Not sure what the connection is - could be something in the water - but you can rest assured that your fearless Anokoblogger will get to the bottom of it soon.
"If asexuality is indeed a form of sexual orientation, perhaps it will not be long before the issue of 'A' pride starts attracting more attention," according to New Scientist. Already we have the Asexual Visibility and Education Network with an online store selling items promoting awareness and acceptance of asexuality, including a t-shirt proclaiming "Asexuality: it's not just for amoebas anymore" God bless capitalism.
According to the advertisements interrupting the nightly news, there is also an epidemic of penile erectile dysfunction. Not sure what the connection is - could be something in the water - but you can rest assured that your fearless Anokoblogger will get to the bottom of it soon.
Battle of the Rich White Guys
It's the morning after the last great Battle of the Rich White Guys...at least for now. The field of glory is strewn with the bodies of pundits great and small. At last we know how our future Commanders in Chief feel about the women in their lives. No surprise here. Bush's ladies tell him to shut up, stand straight and smile (elementary school politics), and Kerry's gal advises: remember that no matter how rich he is, there's always somebody with more money. Both very sage words for a future president. After all, isn't that what the White House is all about?
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