Once again it’s the 4th of July, but this time I just don’t have the energy to say what I want to. Maybe it’s that just love the idea of living in a free country too much. So much, that I look at the government, corporations, social conflicts, and the amount of greed in general, and I no longer have any idea of what to do.
It’s kind of depressing, really. When your freedom of speech is slowly being taken away, the separation of class is growing by the day, and every other right you should have is becoming more and more corrupted by someone who decides it offends them, it kind of makes you wonder what the future really holds.
Every day, more and more people show up sleeping in doorways. I know, I see it directly. As one type of gang gets under control, another shows up to take their place, and as a result, random violence once again rises. So my question is, why can’t people learn? How long now have people been killing other people because of “respect”, when they have no idea what respect is? Gee, what about respect for life?
Huh, never thought of that.
I’m gonna stop now, because this isn’t going anywhere constructive. But speaking of constructive… as I tend to do when I get in these moods, or when I start thinking about politics, I put that energy into another piece. I based this one off a a pic I did waaaay back. I just digitized it, cleaned it up a bit, colored it, and am now presenting it for all y’all to see. Behold, I give you…
But on a cheerier note, I went down to Eugene last weekend. We actually had our bed and breakfast paid for us by this research group that has been interviewing me for like the last fifteen years or something. Pretty sweet deal. They even paid us on top of it all.
One of the reasons I went down, however, was to get some pictures of Malachi, the son of some old friends. AB, her mother, and I are working on a kid’s book for him, and I needed some face pics to model the boy in the story after. Most of the shoot was point and click, since I wasn’t giong for fine art, but just expressions. There were a couple that turned out really nice though. Thought I’d share this one with you.
Malachi
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7 comments
This post sounds like a Queensryche album I have laying around somewhere. 🙂
Y’know, I’m to the point where I almost just wanna sit back and see how bad it’ll get. I’m curious to see where and how this is all gonna spiral down into a big steaming pile of chaos. Or something.
Then again, I love the Fourth! The lovely and delectable Miss Phaedra said to me: “You know, they’re just setting off those fireworks to hear the noise, and see the colors. They’re not thinking about Independence or any of that…”
And it occurred to me: she’s right! About everyone! When I’m pulling the next cheapass piece of potential blow-your-finger-off out of the big bag o’fireworks, the Declaration of Independence is the last thing on my mind. All I’m thinking is: “What’s this one do?”
You know what? I’ll bet you The Forefathers would’ve wanted it that way. “Go on,” they’d say, “make a huge racket!”
It’s the American way to celebrate.
Now if we can all just get our shit together from July 5 until July 3 of the following year…that’d be just peachy.
Posted by Adam Black @ 07/05/04 01:20 PM
You know, I kind of came to that revelation last night too. I was riding around at work, watching all of the drunk people setting off explosives (good combo), and realized that really, it’s just anther excuse to drink and watch pretty, shiny things.
Of course, the cynic in me still wants to believe that they’re all completely delusional and misguided, but I know that at least some of them weren’t giving a shit about anything but fireworks.
Hell, some people even decided to use a sofa for their bonfire on the beach. Not to sit in… to burn.
Now that’s sheer, American determination to have fun.
Posted by haze @ 07/05/04 02:40 PM
Sweet.
Posted by Adam Black @ 07/06/04 05:37 PM
In light of the upcoming election i think you should revive “the king stands up”…
Posted by sensei sunshine @ 07/08/04 10:35 AM
It took me about eight hours to figure out first: what the hell you were talking about, which led to second: who the hell you were.
And that’s funny.
Be careful though, talk like that, and they might think you’re a terrorist. Oh… wait… that’s what the pseudonym is for. MY GOD!! You are a terrorist!!
Posted by haze @ 07/08/04 03:19 PM
Before Adam and Haze close the hatches on their survival shelters and start loading their guns, consider this:
The world is a better place now than it was 200 years ago.
Are we spiraling into a darker hole of suffering, or clawing our way out? Who has the better life, the “common man” of 2004 or of 1201 A.D.? 1650? 1860? 1979? I wouldn’t trade places with any of those times.
Do things suck? Yes. But they suck *less*.
Posted by John @ 07/15/04 12:42 PM
Oh, I’m not arguing that with you. We have absolutely made changes in the last 200 years that make this a better world. Women’s rights, the abolition of slavery… but all it takes is for someone like Bush to get elected, and we’re on the backslide.
There are definitely similar characteristics between taking away the rights of a black man to own a gun, and the rights of a gay couple to get married.
Posted by haze @ 07/15/04 02:53 PM