Honesty.

Force? Say what?

Samantha Bee is a correspondent on the Daily Show. She displays a lovely grasp of irony and I enjoy many of her interview segments - despite the occasionally "gotcha," highly edited, out-of-context sound bitteyness of them.

To celebrate the 2012 RNC Samantha moved about the convention hall chatting people up and getting their comments on the platform and specifically on the parties stance on abortion and rape.  On it's own that was interesting enough...

And the then she ran into this badge wearing asshole.

Dude declared all jokey like "I don't think it's ever really forced on anybody."

 She's saying Yes!

It being sex? As in there is no forced sex? As in there is no rape?

This had to be a setup. We don't actually hear her ask a question. Maybe it was about forced pregnancies to term and not forced sex. Right? Maybe it was about no one ever being forced to attend a political rally? Or to eat liver sandwiches.

Or maybe this guy has to be a media lure to embarrass the RNC? He's not really a representative of the people there, right? He's one of those fringe loons that the media loves to track down and interview due to their flashing neon signs of "Talk to me! I'm carayzee!"

...Right?

Maybe.  Could be. It's the media so nothing is ever really certain...

But I watched the clip a few times. It sure looks like the guy, and I would love to find out who he is, doesn't think rape exists. Ok then.

Most of the delegates caught on camera were happy enough to declare that they don't think pregnancy after rape really exits, or that if it does it's still not a reason for exceptions. That is scary enough.

But this guy leap frogs over everyone else and lands so far off base that even Samantha drops her cheeky face and interrupts him, "Don't go there. Just don't go there."

And the guy just laughs.

Can I be any clearer?

And you know what? I'm sure he's "being honest" as they say. What we have here is an honest, vital, participating, politically active young man who is obviously not embarrassed to say such a statement in public or on camera, let alone in private.

Since when is "at least he's honest" the defense of such iffy(!) statements? But really, think about it, WTF kind of defense is that? "At least he's honest?"

Mother of god people. Honesty isn't always "The Good Thing" in these equations. Sometimes we really need to think about what that person is being honest about.

I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. [...]  - Abe

I'm not disparaging honesty as a value or as an action. Honest interaction is vital to a mostly functioning society. Honest hearts and minds keep us on the right track. Honest men and women allow us to see reality. And as we know, they can even show us theirs.

But honesty is called a policy and a tactic for a reason. In the hands of many it's a strategy used and abused as any other.

Burn. Baby. Burn.

 Look, from that above quote, what if ol' Abe's light had in fact been a destructive fire? (Not that it was!) But what if it had been?

Or let's use a term that many at the RNC might appreciate.

What if that light had been "hell fire" itself. A vicious, brutal, deadly, uncontrolled, burning, punishing hell fire out to destroy anything good in it's path.

Can we all agree on needing to take a long hard look at that light and maybe finding the off switch before whatever is generating it burns our damned house down?

Light, like honesty, isn't necessarily good in itself. It's a thing. Light is a fancy and helpful trick of physics. One that, occasionally, prevents us from bumping into shit and breaking our toes. This toe thing is a benefit of the light. It isn't the light itself jumping in between our toe and the nightstand and preventing harm. It just makes it easier to use our senses and avoid harm.

Prevent broken toes! With light!

Animistic beliefs aside, poetic license and disney have made it easy to forget that material things don't actually radiate moral characteristics or emotions. These characteristics are assigned to the things based on our own experiences and the stories told to us as we live. The idea of light as comforting thing is because deep down we instinctively know that it keeps the dangers of the dark night at bay. It's probably deep in our genetic code at this point.

Our hunkering fireside brains still embrace the ancient feeling of reassurance that a circle of light brings us. We associate light with positive aspects of character, with protection, with revelation and clarity - even with spirits and god and faith.

But thanks to our modern day separation we've also forgotten that it can easily be associated with things that have violent, burning, cleansing characteristics.

Light is always generated by something else. It never just Is. Honesty helps expose what generates that light. Yet some people hold the characteristic of being honest above all other values, no matter and sometimes even despite, what that honesty is revealing.

It seems that you can be a high functioning sociopath with no concept of other beings as separate from your own will and mind. And yet still be A-OK.

Because you know, you're being honest about it.

[...] I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong. - Abe.

In that theme I actually feel a little bad for old news Akin now...

Oops.

 He took the "honesty is the best policy" mantra to heart a little too soon and a little too nationally. He's not the one who's supposed to be honest right now and not about "those things." Akin was called out because he's a little too high profile and a little too important. Oh, and it's an inconvenient time what with the presidential election thing.

Yet our anonymous delegate from before I started ranting about light is a nobody. He will likely get an uncommented pass on his unrestrained honesty. He'll likely joke about Samantha's reaction and being on the Daily Show. and his grand adventures at the RNC.

Akin was a sacrificial lamb in the media glare but this guy will do more damage in the shadows. He will likely get agreement and reinforcement in private conversations. The circles he moves in won't begrudge him his extremes because they likely agree with him

Brutal honesty. Get with it kids.

So back to wondering about honesty! I can't help it. I wonder where so much of it is going to lead us.

What happens when honesty, or at least the perception of honesty the impression of honesty, is valued as a thing in of itself? Over facts? Over respect? Over other people's humanity?

And what happens when the valued method of "being honest" means not showing or even experiencing shame, humility, or any empathy at all?

When honest communication means a complete obliviousness to and dismissal of other people? When it glorifies a lack of self awareness that could rival that of a brick?

When the very act of being honest is presented as a shield against criticism or debate and as a talisman  against reality itself?

What are we getting when we couple those types of honesty with rampant emotionalism, media manipulation, soundbites, shrinking attention spans, truthyness, righteousness, vitriol, celebrity culture, patriotism, power, echo chambers, and so much disgruntled anger and suppressed frustration?

And just because I hate to end on that note. Here's a picture of a galaxy:

It's the Sombrero Galaxy. Otherwise known as NGC 4594. It would take ~28 million years traveling at 670'616'629 mph to get there.
Get crackin'.

Yup the drug war is all about harm reduction. /sarcasm

The media seems to be a little confused. In fact, the media is down right flaccid in it's attempts to clarify their confusion. It seems to have forgotten that some terms can be fed to them from the bursting tit of a succulent propaganda machine.

I'll try to clear things up for them.

'K2', 'Spice', "Fire and Ice', 'What the hell they are calling it now in the papers' is not marijuana. It's not "synthetic" marijuana. It has nothing to DO with marijuana other then one similar mode of consumption. Smoking.  Oh and there are some dried plants of some kind involved. Maybe.

"You expect us journalists to actually follow up and find out what we are writing about? We don't get paid enough for that shit."

You know, calling this stuff synthetic marijuana is a bit like saying moonshine is synthetic water, or synthetic wine. Or hell, wine is synthetic grape juice. Or the other way around? Whatever.

The substances that are grouped under the misnomer of "synthetic marijuana" are a combination of unknown, varied, and unregulated drugs, herbs, and other ingredients. It's a bit like the wild west. In fact this situation reminds me of what the snake oil and traveling "medicine men" of old used to do and how they went about making their buck. And THAT reminds me of something important. And it's something that often gets lost in the noise of Drug War battles. It's the role of the FDA in this whole mess.

The FDA was created for real and beneficial reasons.While the FDA has many detractors these days it once had a job to do but now it has been hijacked

The FDA should go back to doing its job instead of towing the line of the absurd and society warping Drug War policies. The job is (was) to regulate the production of food and drug items with the safety of the consumer in mind. One of the aims was to provide the consumer with true information about products by way of testing, labeling, and standards. I think that information is one of the most important keys to harm reduction and consumer protection. We should be able to read helpful and lucid facts on a product, like, for example:

"K2 has X, Y, Z ingredients in N amounts. The possible effects are A, B, and C. Users with the following L, M, N, conditions and taking the following O, P medications shouldn't use it. It also tastes like puppies."

Why is this so difficult? Is it cost? Frankly it doesn't matter if it is. The FDA itself needs to be overhauled. I'll repeat myself, the FDA has been hijacked by political and social agendas. And also by corporate interests, but that's another post but they are not so separate of subjects.

Ask yourself, what is really beneficial to consumers? Information or fear and panic stories like the one I've linked to? Regulation or an ever expanding illicit black market soup? Why is true harm reduction and consumer protection such foreign concepts in the US? Why is it that when harm reduction is brought up it's coated in lip-service platitudes and insulting "won't somebody think of the children!?" triteness, instead of real action that would in fact reduce harm? Why does it always have to be the same pitchfork villager chant of "Ban Ban Ban!"

.... Is it because it's all worked so well, so far?

Carpets of grass

Today's quick lesson in economics and home ownership.

It is not OK to have nicely arranged planters growing food. You will be accused of bringing property values down. It also might get you some jail time.

It is OK to have chemically sustained lawns cut by teams of migrant workers. This will bring property values up and will probably win you some sort of "Best Yard of the Month" award. Yay!

Fund a mental fun

Recently one of the more entertaining scammer emails graced my in-box and I loved it to bits!

Why? It's in the details and it's a work of art! The copy pasted FBI address with missing office hours. The United Nations Organization "enhanced" Interpol. The "ATM CARD CENTRES" working with UPS and it's awesome shipping cost of 420 (ha). Discounted to only 135 if you pay by March 25th! "Enlightening" ATM handbooks and the promise that you will have to pay nothing less than 135 for the pleasure of this internet romp.

It's the classic use of glorious run on sentences that identifies this written treasure as genuine Nigerian lit. "Past corrupt Governmental Officials who almost held the fund to themselves for their selfish reason and some individuals who have taken advantage of your fund all in an attempt to swindle your fund which has led to so many losses from your end and unnecessary delay in the receipt of your fund."
Oh profundity, you are breathless.

The delicious icing is the note at the end, setting the mark up for another round. You know, for those lovelies that send in their discounted 135. Only to get a shocking email from *gasp* impostors claiming to be in possession of their "pin based ATM card" (and/or check, though I'm not sure if it is pin based).

This is pure internet love.

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Anti-Terrorist And Monitory Crime Division.
Federal Bureau Of Investigation.
J.Edgar.Hoover Building Washington Dc
Customers Service Hours / Monday To Saturday
Office Hours Monday to Saturday:
Dear Beneficiary,

Series of meetings have been held over the past 7 months with the secretary general of the United Nations Organization. This ended 3 days ago. It is obvious that you have not received your fund which is to the tune of $850,000.00 due to past corrupt Governmental Officials who almost held the fund to themselves for their selfish reason and some individuals who have taken advantage of your fund all in an attempt to swindle your fund which has led to so many losses from your end and unnecessary delay in the receipt of your fund.

The National Central Bureau of Interpol enhanced by the United Nations and Federal Bureau of Investigation have successfully passed a mandate to the current president of Nigeria his Excellency President Good luck Jonathan to boost the exercise of clearing all foreign debts owed to you and other individuals and organizations who have been found not to have receive their Contract Sum, Lottery/Gambling, Inheritance and the likes. Now how would you like to receive your payment? Because we have two method of payment which is by Check or by ATM card?

ATM Card: We will be issuing you a custom pin based ATM card which you will use to withdraw up to $3,000 per day from any ATM machine that has the Master Card Logo on it and the card have to be renewed in 4 years time which is 2014. Also with the ATM card you will be able to transfer your funds to your local bank account. The ATM card comes with a handbook or manual to enlighten you about how to use it. Even if you do not have a bank account.

Check: To be deposited in your bank for it to be cleared within three working days. Your payment would be sent to you via any of your preferred option and would be mailed to you via UPS. Because we have signed a contract with UPS which should expire by 25 March 2011 you will only need to pay $135 instead of $420 saving you $285 So if you pay before 25 March 2011 you save $285 Take note that anyone asking you for some kind of money above the usual fee is definitely a fraudsters and you will have to stop communication with every other person if you have been in contact with any. Also remember that all you will ever have to spend is $135.00 nothing more! Nothing less! And we guarantee the receipt of your fund to be successfully delivered to you within the next 24hrs after the receipt of payment has been confirmed.

Below are few list of tracking numbers you can track from UPS website to confirm people like you who have received their payment successfully.

Name: Donna L. Vargas: UPS Tracking Number: 1Z757F991598420403 (www.ups.com)
Name: Rovenda Elaine Clayton: UPS Tracking Number: 1Z757F991596606592 (www.ups.com)

Note: Everything has been taken care of by the Federal Government of Nigeria, The United Nation and also the FBI and including taxes, custom paper and clearance duty so all you will ever need to pay is $135.

DO NOT SEND MONEY TO ANYONE UNTIL YOU READ THIS: The actual fees for shipping your ATM card is $420 but because UPS have temporarily discontinued the C.O.D which gives you the chance to pay when package is delivered for international shipping We had to sign contract with them for bulk shipping which makes the fees reduce from the actual fee of $420 to $135 nothing more and no hidden fees of any sort!

To effect the release of your fund valued at $850,000.00 you are advised to contact our correspondent in Africa the delivery officer John Will with the information below,

Email: johnwill2011@yahoo.cn
Telephone: +234-702-921-6623
You are advised to contact him with the informations as stated below:

Your full Name..
Your Address:..............
Home/Cell Phone:..............
Preferred Payment Method (ATM / Cashier Check)

Upon receipt of payment the delivery officer will ensure that your package is sent within 24 working hours. Because we are so sure of everything we are giving you a 100% money back guarantee if you do not receive payment/package within the next 24hrs after you have made the payment for shipping.

Yours sincerely,
Miss Donna Story
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20535

Note: Do disregard any email you get from any impostors or offices claiming to be in possession of your ATM CARD, you are hereby advice only to be in contact with John Will of the ATM CARD CENTRE who is the rightful person to deal with in regards to your ATM CARD PAYMENT and forward any emails you get from impostors to this office so we could act upon and commence investigation.