My hopes for 2010

Well happy fucking new year! Really happy you and I made it through the first decade of the 21st century, because so many didn't.

I'd like to believe the idiocracy of the 2000s could be left behind but I know that won't happen just because the year changed.

So, as a child of the 21st century, I'd like to leave my readers with some impressions I have had of the world and America and life.

When I was a wee li'o second grader I witnessed angry religious kooks fly airplanes into civilian buildings and kill massive amounts of people. Then I saw one religious kook who was not chosen by our supposed democracy, bomb the living shit out of and then continually occupy a third-world nation which did not attack us.

When I was a wee li'o sixth grader, I was convinced that I was doing a better job educating myself than my public school was, and that angry religious kooks needed to be removed from office. I went door to door and campaigned for Kerry-Edwards, sometimes having doors slammed in my face with absurd comments like "fuckin' commies" and that sort of blather.

Now, at the venerable age of 17, I see religious kooks holding signs that say "bring down Obamacare" and "impeach the Kenyan".

And as an American, what do I know about the rest of the world? Well, honestly, not much. Although I know this not to be true, America could just as well be the only country in the world, because nothing I'm taught in school or at home suggests otherwise, other than the occasional reports of federal tax dollars being spent on bombing the living blubber out of countries that could just as well be figments of our imagination. However I know this not to be true.

What have I learned about America?

I've learned you can work hard to pursue your passions which you are presumeably free to choose and usually earn a descent living; I've also learned that you can do this every day you live and then have everything you knew dashed to pieces before your eyes because of someone else, and see them reap the rewards.

I've learned you're free to do what you want, unless it's naughty. You're free to ponzi thousands of people out of billions of dollars worth of wealth one way or another but can you snort an innocent little line of coke? NO! BAD!

I've also learned something about retribution. If someone robs a bank, are they forced to truely repent by perhaps not being paid to clean their lavatories for a few years? No, they sit in a small cramped tax-dollar provided space where they consume taxpayer resources and give nothing whatsoever back to society.

Ah, America!

Also, I've learned that kooks, of any political leaning, will NOT listen to the voice of reason. So therefore, I'm free to say,

RUSH LIMBAUGH, IF YOU LOVE THEOCRATIC TOTALITARIAN BRUTALITY SO FUCKING MUCH, GO LIVE IN THE ISLAMIC FUCKING REPUBLIC OF I-FUCKIN'-RAN!

See? Even to the untrained brain, that CLEARLY was no voice of reason, and as you, my loyal readers/assailants have probably pieced together, I am no voice of reason.

WHAT ASSHOLES? I'M SEVENTEEN! WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT?

Well as my readers know, I tend to have a miserable dystopic rant followed by something a bit more positive to lighten the mood and leave you at least slightly more uplifted than you were whilst reading through the preceding paragraphs, so here goes:

In 2011, I'll be able to vote, and you damn well know I will. I encourage my fellow youth to vote regardless of your political sway, because democracy is a participatory sport, it only really works if everyone raises their hand at some point, whether it be for one side or the other.

I enourage anyone and everyone who is willing and able to get involved with community service projects such as Oregon Food Bank and Free Geek (look them up on Google or a comprable search engine, I don't want to bother with links at the moment). Whether you lean left, right, or just don't give a shit, it's important to see where we ALL matter, in our communities.

Well one thing I've learned about our American society is what it's missing: love. Real love, not the shit you see on TV. Love your friends, they need you. Assuming the situation is reasonable, give a random person a nice hug. "Accidentally" drop a dollar or ten in a public place. Smile at people you don't know. Give someone a random compliment.

Well, I hope you've all enjoyed my various ranting, bitching and dreaming, I know it's been a while (aww, did you miss me?). As per usual, post your enamorance/hate below, or send me a message or comment on MySpace or Facebook.

Peace,
~Michael "Cow" Mullinax