Artsy- The Grouch

Love this song.

Letter to CNN

Here's a letter I wrote to CNN sometime a while back after getting disgusted with their bullshit reports.

Hello,

I decided to write this today after trying to swallow a few minutes of CNN's televised newscast. There is such a dearth of news coverage in this country that's actually conducive or (god forbid) complementary to an informed citizenry.

There's the old adage that 'It's not what the news reports; it's what they don't report'. And I find it truer now than ever. I wish that CNN would throw out its trivialities, and entertainment-riddled 'news' reports, and tell it like it is. In order to keep honest people honest, there must be a vociferous press, willing to dig into dirty laundry.

MOST importantly, the distinction must be made between entertainment, and news. News is not something to be predisposed by inflammatory speech, sensational rhetoric, or half-truths. (Left, or Right) Instead of looping your anesthetized garble for hours on end every day, go deep into a subject and tell the citizens what they need to know, and what they can do to make it better. YOU as citizens, with the position of influencing an entire nation, have the burden of promoting a participatory democracy. News is not, something to make you feel warm and fuzzy about. It is a tool to inform, in order to improve the world we all live in.

I so heartily wish, that CNN would take the model of PBS, NPR news, or Democracy Now, & report the facts. We need the facts. It is not the job of the reporter to be the judge, jury, & gavel, or to impose personal judgment on the masses. Report the news. Stop leaning toward the sensationalism so sensationalized by Fox news. We don't want it. Let the ones who need a nice feeling watch Oprah. Give us the truth. The ugly truth.

Thank you,
Joshua Shepherd
US Navy 2002 - 2008

Letter to Congressman George Miller - 11AUG2010

Here's a letter I sent to Congressman George Miller regarding the US' recent abstention in a vote at the UN regarding drinking water as a fundamental human right.

Hello Mr. Miller,

I’m writing a short note today as one of your newer constituents. I recently relocated from San Luis Obispo to Concord, and will continue schooling up here this fall.

What I’m writing about is the United States’ recent abstention from the UN vote saying that drinkable water should be a fundamental human right. I find anything short of a hearty ‘hell yes’ vote to be astounding & altogether wrong.

I’m not sure what would prompt such a back-seat approach to such a pressing global matter, but I’ve got a sneaking suspicion that certain companies may well have a significant financial stake in water.

Perhaps the UN vote is well outside your purview, but I believe it’s a vitally important matter. I’m sure time will tell that the United States is drifting to the wrong side of history. This is yet another marginalization of the thing that makes this planet so incredible- people.

Thanks for your time & thanks for your service to our country.

Sincerely,

Joshua L. Shepherd
US Navy 2002-2008

Here's a tangible example of why "Fox News" isn't news.

Vice Magazine takes us to Liberia. Intense.

Movie: "Orwell Rolls in His Grave"

Here's a great & highly informative documentary on the nature of political and media systems.  Learn what you can and then do your own homework.

Done moving the parents south...

My Mom & Stepdad finally made the last trip of moving from Corning to Concord.  I've been helping them move their things gradually for a month or so now, and am happy to see them in the bay.  It's going to be great having them close nowadays & I'm glad to have been able to help them.

-Bedtime

Collateral Murder?

Raid on Turkish Floatilla Video

I have been somewhat suspicious of Israeli military actions for quite some time, and even more suspicious of American support of Israel even when they're wrong.  I'm no expert in Israeli-Palestinian relations, but this recent attack on the Turkish floatilla was incredibly heinous; whether the ship was carrying cargo violating the Gaza embargo or not. Almost all of the photography & video equipment was seized by Israeli military forces & the ship's communications were jammed during the assault.  9 humanitarians were killed in the raid, and another 40-something were wounded.

A few individuals were able to smuggle images & videos off of the ship & out of Israel.  This video was just released today and includes images of the wounded & dying.

(The embargo of the Gaza strip seems to be a slow torturous process anyway.  Of course nobody wants mortars being shot into Israel, but a prolonged punishment of Palestinians as a whole seems grossly inhumane to me.)

Take a look at the video and make your own assessment.


Israeli Attack on the Mavi Marmara, May 31st 2010 // 15 min. from Cultures of Resistance on Vimeo.

Wedding Bells for Lonnie & Maria

It's Friday, & I'm in North Carolina now...  It was quite a trip- I was visiting Mom up in Corning, and my flight was from San Luis Obispo (A 6 + change hour drive).  I missed my flight by a couple minutes, which proved to be the least of my troubles...  There was another flight going to SF then DC, so it was ok.  Well the flight in SF was delayed over 2 hours & didn't take off till 12:30am- and didn't get to DC till after my flight to NC had left, so I waited till 12:30pm to catch the next one. 

Finally got here though.  Lonnie drove up from Goldsboro in his new Tundra.  Nice truck.  He picked me up off a street corner in downtown Raleigh (Hey a guy's gotta make some money) and we went to 'The Big Easy' for lunch.  We then headed back for Goldsboro, and stopped by to meet his hombre Charlie, then got to his casa.  I hadn't met Maria's kids before, so that was cool.  Ashlyn is the youngest (7), Justin is in the middle (11), and Daniel is eldest at 13.

Well as soon as we got to Lonnie's we got down to business. We took his '74 Caddy for a spin through the neighborhood (which is really nice btw).  The thing is a beast, & a boat.  Has a 478 engine in it, which is about big enough to run a semi.  I get to drive it around while I'm over here.  Should be sweet (except for the no ac part).  I'll just roll down the windows & cruise.

After the ride we came back and Lonnie worked on mowing the back lawn.  It's huge.  At the same time I got to work on the back of the house with the pressure washer.  Looks real good.

Enough blabbing.  I need to hop in the water closet, go get a haircut, and get back to work on the pressure washing & finishing Lonnie's mowing.  Theyve both got tons to do in the next week so hopefully I can help out a bit.