J. Ojanpera

If I were to approach you and insist that the key to our survival depended on burning your city to the ground, would you start a few fires? While the flames are destroying businesses, transportation hubs and parks, you would surely feel like you had done something horribly wrong; even if you refused to speak against it. When I began to see the horde turning their gaze toward me, and I felt my popularity waning, I would have two options. I could either abandon my post or come up with a new strategy. The best political option would be to repeal the burn order, and create a patriotic fire swamping party. Now, even though the fire was my idea, I would become an American hero for putting it out. That scenario has been played out in Washington many times. Why not capitalize on a crisis of their own making? The term "repeal" is generally reserved for lawmakers, but it seems the time has come for the citizenry to put this philosophy into practice. I am a firm believer in operating

"The FBI either "missed a lot of things" in its investigation of one of the Boston bombing suspects, or federal laws did not allow the FBI to "follow up in a sound, solid way," Sen. Lindsey Graham said Sunday." - Exerpt from an article on CNN.com Did anyone catch that? It sounds like he was telling us that he, a government cog, thinks that the FBI might be under oppressive laws. He seems to think these laws could potentially be the cause of the bombs. Well Lindsey, so far in human history, there have been people who purposely avoid the consequences of breaking the law. Your law farm is producing nothing but paperwork and none of you have enough paper to catch everything before it happens; though you have a suspiciously good record of showing up before-hand. Why don't you come out again and be honest with us. I'll even tell you what to say: "I am voting 'yes' on CISPA." That's it.  You have 24 hours to think about it, then I&

Mirrors are indispensable. They show us what we look like, and more importantly, they are a tool for us to inspect who we want to be. When I look in the mirror, I usually observe how quickly my boyhood is fading. I wonder why time is out-pacing me, and all of the events that have taken me to this point. I have always wanted to be older, simply because the older you are, the more people listen. Wisdom should come with age, and since I was a little boy I have yearned for the respect that comes with it. I know now that wishing my childhood away, and cursing my youth wasn't a true reflection of who I have become. My childhood was extraordinary, but there was always something in the back of my mind telling me that something had to be said. The conflict between being a child and knowing that no one would give any credence to my words was tough. It's funny though; I had no idea what I needed to say. It took thirty years for me to even begin to force my mouth open to speak. My voic

One day I wondered what it would be like to be a journalist. It was a Wednesday. I met my obligations that day despite entertaining my wonderings. By the end of the day, I added up how much media, created by "professionals", that I had taken in. I listened to forty-five minutes of news/talk radio, which consists of weather, traffic, local news, national news, commercials, and two local hosts making tongue-in-cheek cracks at the headlines. I listen to this program in the morning while taking two of my girls to school; but only when they are too tired to talk, and excluding the days when they want to listen to REM. It is my way of ensuring myself of being "informed". Only forty-five minutes? Yeah, that's it. It has proven to be sufficient to date. I realized that if you want to know something, your options should not include great quantities of mass media. There is always a message being solicited whether you are conscious of it or not. This media has followed th

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (H.R. 624) has many Americans worried. Probably not enough though. Because of our vast freedom and seemingly unlimited rights, this bill could easily be passed over. I hear people asking, "How did they pass something like this ?" Well first, bills are passed constantly because that is what Congress does. They are referred to as "The Legislative Branch". (In the US we learn this before high school) "CISPA", as it is being called is simply a provision that enables our great protectors to protect us against all sorts of evil. Here is what I found to be the crux, or the implied crux of what the bill is trying to say: Page 10 - line 5-24 "Federal Government in accordance with subsection (b)- (A) for cyber security purposes; (B) for the investigation and prosecution of cyber security crimes (C) for the protection of individuals from the danger of death or serious bodily harm and the investigation and p

I'm sure this story is well covered, but I have to weigh in anyway. My motivation is to demonstrate how stupidity and activism do not mix. I will even throw some do's and dont's in for the would be activist. From the stories that are now yesterday's news, I garnered a few clues as to why this man's plan of sending poisoned letters to the President, and a (this was a clue for the FBI) Senator from Curtis' home state of Mississippi was thwarted. First, we have to address the fact that we do not live in Mayberry anymore. A short trip outside of Mississippi's borders will prove that to be true. There have been multiple attempts at poisoning the elected, dating back to 2001. First it was anthrax, then ricin -circa 2004. Our perp made his first mistake when he thought letters sent to the White House, or Congress went straight to the recipient. There are thousands of worker bees screening mail from hicks like you Paul. So far, since 2001, anthrax has killed five,

Now that journalists and filmakers aren't the only lens through which we view the world; conspiracies abound. I believe it to be simple enough to spin a semi-believable tale, write it down, and throw it out into the world for people to think on. It really amounts to no more than a television show. The subtle difference is that it might be true. It will be forever debated, and we should practice caution when considering activism. There are stories that I have been told, and have been sucked into, that seem plausible enough to spend a few minutes rationalizing a way to make it true. A rational approach doesn't always reap the truth, and that is where we must rely on our imaginations. Our imaginations are what fill in the blanks when the "real" elements of a conspiracy are exhausted. Once this happens, we find ourselves in a world of fiction. There is a huge market for fiction, so not all is lost. I used to wonder why the DC auctioneers were so tight-lipped about certa

Apparently, the hacktivists around the world are easily bought. It isn't hard when your other option is prison. America's cornerstone spy agency has some very effective recruiting techniques. Military recruiters look like snake oil salesmen next to the bureau's tactics. Hopefully our armed forces will not begin recruiting with threats like this. Recruiters of branch military use criminals every day, because they line up with the ancient philosophy of the lowest, most uneducated class of society being the most easily marched into certain death as a condition of "opportunity" and free college. It is really a genius plan, as uneducated soldiers seldom use the G.I. bill to better themselves for the red tape. If education was never encouraged in the home, there really is no incentive to take in knowledge. I heard today that 25% of "Anons" are in cahoots with the FBI. I have had mixed suspicions and concerns about the group since I first heard of them. They h

Can violence hold hands with sensitivity? Historically, violence has to proceed sensitivity. It usually turns to sensitivity when the violent realize the fruit of their efforts. The problem with sensitivity, is that it breeds sympathy; often mis-placed. This is not a political issue, as the government has maintained a perfect record where violence is concerned. They never return with any semblance of sensitivity; from the early days of the white man in North America, to our current war efforts in any country who still has un-tapped natural resources. This is an issue of the citizenry. Some of us are "warring for peace", fighting for the oppressed, and the silenced. Fortunately, for the activists, the violence has not gone beyond words very often. It is impossible to kill or maim on the internet, unless your words themselves are violent, and kill another's character. There has to be a way to avoid killing through cool-headed discourse and sensitivity. Our sensitivity must

"Birdie in the hand for life's rich demand The insurgency began and you missed it I looked for it and I found it Miles Standish proud congratulate me A philanderer's tithe a murderer's shoe Life's rich demand creates supply in the hand Of the powers the only vote that matters Silence means security silence means approval On Zenith on the TV tiger run around the tree Follow the leader run and turn into butter Let's begin again, begin the begin Let's begin again like Martin Luther Zen The mythology begins the begin Answer me a question I can't itemize I can't think clear, you look to me for reason It's not there, I can't even rhyme here in the begin A philanderer's tie, a murderer's shoe Example: the finest example is you Birdie in the hand for life's rich demand The insurgency began and you missed it I looked for it and I found it Miles Standish proud, congratulate me A philanderer's tie, a murderer's

It's Friday, so I decided to keep it light* and stray from the norm, which is terribly erratic, and talk about belief. I am tired of belief. It is the most subjective and relative force driving people to think stupid shit. If you believe someone is going to perform magic and fix all of the problems you believe in, please stop. No one really cares what you believe. While you are telling them what you believe, they are busy thinking about what they believe. Most of us lack the ability to listen and observe, so I will sit in disbelief until something changes. Humans fit in to many categories where belief is concerned. We have the scourge of pastoral puppet masters dictating millions of peoples' beliefs from behind pulpits. The best part is that you have to buy your beliefs from that person. Next we have the fox news drones. This is a great propagator of fear and slant; yet they garner the best ratings. I can't think of a network that has more blind followers than they do. Peo

"What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is it's natural manure." -Thomas Jefferson If the quotes from men like Jefferson hadn't been so terribly misunderstood, we might see that he was not talking from the standpoint of a government official. A popular army, nor any central government will ever be martyrs. Martyrdom is not reserved for the famous or the politician or the religious. It is also not reserved by death. There are many degrees of martyrdom; some are willing to die for what they believe to be true, and others believe they cannot die for believing lies. Still others throw themselves in the way of forces far too potent for their wit and intellect, without knowing what they are standing for. "While I do not suggest that humanity will ever be able to dispense with its martyrs, I cannot avoid the suspicion that with a little more thought and a li

There is a fable called "David and Goliath" in which a young boy named "David", a simple shepherd boy who goes up against a giant named "Goliath". Goliath belongs to a tribe of warmongers, and they pick on the tribe that Dave belongs to. David's tribe is scared shitless of Goliath's tribe. That is understandable given that Goliath was allegedly a giant. One day, Goliath was pissed off for some reason, and I think his lackey's were high-fiving him, filling him with pride and confidence. So he marches his big ass over to Dave's territory (somewhere around his sheep). When he gets there, everyone runs away like scaredy bitches. David is the only one left; remember, he's around 12 years old. Goliath is dressed in full armor, minus headgear, plus sword. He is babbling on and on, looking for someone to fight him. David, armed with a crude slingshot, presumably crafted from the finest hemp fiber, and some smooth stones is the only one to step

I have been following an organization named "Anarchadia" for some time now, and the information they are sharing is invaluable. Anarchism is generally not synonymous with cool heads, and I had my suspicions. I wanted to know more, so I was granted an interview with the intrepid leader who frequently steps over the line of what we are allowed to say. His words are censored, his facebook page disappears from time to time, and I think this is a problem. It is a blatant over-reach of the powers that be, as he is not saying anything that we shouldn't already know about our government. Somehow his insight is different from the conspiracy theorists... 1. What is Anarchadia, and where can it be found? Anarchadia is a non-profit which originally started as just unspinning mainstream misinformation (tailored by well paid spin doctors working for government and corporate interests, not the general public's), and was started originally just as a blog in Lyon, France, the birthp

I learned about the "Well-Being Index"  while going through my normal news selection process a couple of days ago. It was a story that I might not have read on a different day, but I dug in this day. I wish I hadn't now. It was unsettling, and so dissapointing. This index, compiled by Gallup-Healthways , uses factors such as education levels, general attitude toward life, and obesity -among others. The data is interesting, if not fully scientific, but isn't that the nature of a poll? The article also has a list of the most content cities, but by the time I reached number three on the most miserable list, I quit reading. I was born in Palm Beach, FL, moved to Cortez, CO where I spent my formative years, then wound up in Mobile, Al. My family is made up of Finnish immigrants, "yankees" (as they say in the South), and my dad is French. These things add up to someone who will never fit in down here, no matter how much time passes. I have been told as much by a

It is said that humans are the only creatures on this planet who destroy their own habitat. I think it's true. About once a week I see evidence of this in my city. The city is dense with trees. The ever-expanding fringes of Mobile were at one time wooded. As suburbia intrudes in every direction but South, the habitats of thousands of animals and bugs are sacrificed for the sake of a few people. I know you are probably thinking, "What about prarie dogs and woodpeckers?", so hear me out. Forget beavers; we are the only ones who think they are destructive. I have removed more brook trout from beaver ponds than I care to count. These ponds are usually teeming with water skippers and leeches too.  Prarie dogs can do a number on any field with their tunnels, but is that destruction effecting anyone but us? The only complaint against them has to do with us. They are capable of making land un-farmable. Animals in nature haven't figured out the whole farming thing yet, so ot

I quit using cliche' in my writing. Though it is always familiar to the reader, it is trite and easy to read over. Not to mention, it wreaks of a novice. I am a novice, but I love to pretend that I am some prolific writer, waiting to blow the world away with volumes of literature that will become classics while I am still alive. I don't know when I will unleash my greatness in real life. I am focused on the top, where the greats, and accidental greats sit. The world I am crawling into is crowded with boys and girls like me; we just want to be amazing. The problem with this is the writers that actually make it there are stingy and they would rather corral the kids within the kennels that are our notebooks and blogs. We all do the same thing; idea, outline, character profiles, free writing, deleting, re-writing, re-outlining, trashing it, then starting over -sometimes. I have quit on my novel many times because I lack the instinctual arrogance of a great writer. Some days I read