Commemorative T-Shirts...

Not really a lot to talk about right now. Just a few little thoughts to share...

Still not really anything interesting out there on the job front. But, as I was searching today on oregonlive.com (the Oregonian's website) I noticed a flashing ad up in the right hand corner of the screen. It was for "Commemorative T-Shirts for Hurricane Katrina". They had a picture of Bourbon Street and the slogan was "The Spirit Lives On".

Now, not for nothing, but is this what we have become? I swear, it seems like every time there is a tragedy in this country (like Hurricane Katrina, September 11th, Bush's Re-election, etc.) or any other country (like the tsunami), all of a sudden there are t-shirts to "commemorate" them.

I can't think of a better way to trivialize, demoralize and desensitize a populace than turning thoughtless, senseless- and, in some cases, needless-tragedies into slogans and logos on a cotton/poly blend. Here you go, thoughtless person... wear it around, let more and more people see it and ignore it, wash it a hundred times and let the memories fade just like the glossy three color silk-screening.

Can you imagine if there were t-shirts about the Holocaust? "Six million and counting..." "German efficiency at its finest." And whatever other thoughtless, shitty things some asshole could think to write and stick on a shirt. Why do we allow this shit?

Janeanne Garofalo said it best when she said (and I am paraphrasing here) that there are people here in the world who just turn on the t.v. or the radio, or whatever, and don't think about and don't even care about the things that go in their ear-holes and eye-holes. They are just completely passive automatons, just letting the shit wash over them because they are too lazy to think about it, to process it and decide what they will or won't tolerate. Same thing with obesity in this country... we don't care much about what goes in our mouth-holes, either. Does it feel good, does it fill a temporary need to stave off boredom or serious thought or conflict? Then in it goes.

Sometimes I wonder if that is all we really are... just little thoughtless worms crawling our way through life between heaven and earth. Just trying to avoid pain and allow as much pleasure as possible... even if it is the kind of pleasure that will make us fat, give us an STD, rot our brains, or otherwise dull our spirits. If it is then it's no wonder the government is getting away with the shit it is. We can be counted on not to notice, not to think and not to care.

Maybe I will make some new shirts to "commemorate" some other tragedies... what do you think about these ideas?

"I was there at the beginning of the effort to overturn Roe vs. Wade! South Dakota 2006."

"Two extra conservative "right" justices can't be wrong. Supreme Court 2006."

"Don't blame me... I was one of the 30,000 wrongly disenfranchised Black Florida voters. Bush "Re"-Election 2004."

"I witnessed the downfall of the American right to privacy... and all I got was this stupid t-shirt. Bush's Illegal Wire Taps 2004-?"

"Weapons of Mass Destruction? We don't need no stinking Weapons of Mass Destruction! Bush-Iraq 2004."

"Crony-ism, Nepotism and Corporate Greed... oh my! Bush Presidencies 2000, 2004 and ?" (Please, is there anyone who doubts Jeb is going to get his turn at the trough?)



Okay, I guess I am going to stop ranting now. You know, it's funny... it doesn't make me feel better any more.

Love to all,

Sherry

P.S.- Franz did very well at his Scrabble tournament... he went 8 wins and 6 losses, which is fantastic for a first try. He also beat a significant number of players that were much more experienced than him. That's my amazing boy!! Kickin' ass and takin' names. :)

I'll post pics of Vancouver soon. I have to find the USB cable for my computer that works with that digital camera. I am pretty sure it is still in a box somewhere, though, so no promises as to **how** soon.