The End?

"God help us, we're in the hands of engineers."

Friendly Atom Coming to Utah?

Like ignorant children tugging at a loose thread on daddy's favorite sweater, atomic profiteers are recklessly forging forward with plans to build yet another nuclear power plant, this time in what is quickly becoming known as America's radioactive garbage dump, Utah.

This is the Place?

The persuasive PR and marketing campaigns of the powerful nuclear industry have been effective at convincing politician$ and a naive public that Utah needs a nuclear power plant. Even after the overwhelming evidence from epic events in Chernobyl and most recently Fukkashima, the industry continues to push it's product on unsuspecting citizens.

Safe Clean and Inexpensive?

The Chernobyl disaster can be blamed on outdated technology, but what happened in Fukkashima proved that engineers can't plan for an incredible event. The Fukkashima nuclear power plant was designed to withstand a, so called, credible event. Well, we know what happened there. So much for credible event credibility. Ask the folks in the Ukraine and Japan about the safety of the friendly atom.
Nuclear energy promised to be clean. The fact is, thanks to nuclear disasters in the past, life on Earth has been permanently downgraded everywhere on the planet because radiation does not discriminate or respect national and state boundaries.

Nuclear power promised to be inexpensive. The fact is, no nuclear power project has ever been completed on budget, and this has resulted in citizens paying much higher taxes than promised in order to fund the building and operation of these facilities. Even if nuclear energy could be delivered more inexpensively, the true cost of the industry's permanent impact on the planet is incalculable. And as more accidents occur, radiation levels will increase and our quality of life in Utah and and the rest of the world will decrease.

Is it worth the price?

Have a nice meltdown!

Countdown to 2012 and a Prediction

Today marks the one year countdown to what some fear may be the end of our world, and since so many people are bewildered about the meaning of the end of an ancient calendar, I want to make a serious prediction regarding December 21, 2012.

I doubt that anything supernatural will occur one year from today. However, if something seemingly supernatural does occur, it is Rhetro Zenberg's opinion that it will be a manufactured event designed by social engineers to manipulate the masses into adopting extreme police state conditions under the guise of security.

Happy Solstice!

My Question to the Presidential Candidates

Last year, in a surprising ruling, the United States Supreme Court announced that corporations are equal to, and considered to be, persons. Earlier this year, the same court declared that since it is considered to be a person, a corporation can contribute unlimited funds to campaigns and political organizations.

Here's my question to the candidates:

Do you think that corporate personhood is a good idea, and would you consider selecting a corporation as your vice-presidential running mate?

Boeing - Coke 2012

Extra Extra - Important Announcement Coming on Tax Day

In the media world, announcements that are made on Fridays, are in some measure, expected to go unnoticed. It's a good day to hide unfavorable news, and that is why the United States has selected Friday, April 15, 2011, to make a major announcement that will effect everyone in America who is capable of reading this message.

We'll be told that the new, five letter acronym bureaucracy is a good guy reaction and an innovation. Congress is positioned to be an advocate for this public-private partnership that promises to have a positive effect on human behavior.

Get ready to be someone, and tune in to zenberg.blogspot.com on Friday, April 15 at 11:30 Eastern (8:30 Pacific), for a semi-exclusive announcement regarding what bigger brother has planned for all of us in the United States.

What is the Difference Between a Duck?

While all of us are busily distracted and scrambling to perform our super-human holiday tasks, our government is hard at work sterilizing free speech in America.

A few months back, I proposed that measures would soon be taken to cleanse the internet of sites that expose the real agenda of our government. We're seeing the beginnings of that cleansing now. We all witnessed how last week the Obama Administration decided to punish WikiLeaks for telling the truth, meanwhile, Google has informed Alex Jones that his Prison Planet YouTube channel will be suspended because one of his videos features a portion of a WikiLeaked video that documents a US helicopter firing on civilians in Iraq. Looks like they're going after the big mouths first... and eventually they'll come for the rest of us who have anything to say that is contrary to the official position.

It'll be interesting to see if WikiLeaks and PrisonPlanet.com will be around for the next election season. Remember what happened to the Bunny Boy!!!

Look out! Quack! and this session, Lame.

Gentlemen Broncos Pleases Santa Cruz Midnight Movie Goers

Applause erupted in the old art-deco Del Mar Theater in downtown Santa Cruz late Friday night (actually early Saturday morning), as the final credits began to roll for Gentlemen Broncos, a movie that only a few lucky folks have had the opportunity to view.

More than half of the audience members in the Del Mar weren't even aware that there would be a final scene after the credits had run, but they stayed anyway, and again, expressed their approval with more applause as the house lights were turned on, and the movie was officially over. A midnight movie is tough for an old-phart like me to endure, but I decided to attend the following night too, because who knows when I'll get the opportunity to see Gentlemen Broncos again? The Saturday night crowd was equally as enthusiastic about the movie.

When I saw this movie for the first time last Thanksgiving, I assumed that it would become as commonplace as Napoleon Dynamite and Nacho Libre, but that didn't happen. Gentlemen Broncos should have been a mainstream hit, but bad reviews and poor earnings in the first days of its release, caused Searchlight Pictures to panic, and they hastily reacted by canceling national distribution of the film that I and so many had been looking forward to seeing again or for the first time. Those coming soon posters and trailers suddenly became sad and empty promises, and it seems that now only a handful of people will see Gentlemen Broncos in a theater.

The reaction of the Santa Cruz crowd last weekend gives me hope that Gentlemen Broncos will catch on as an underground midnight movie sensation. Everyone I spoke with after the show liked Gentlemen Broncos very much. Everyone seemed surprised at its obscurity, and lack of attention. Gentlemen Broncos has all the makings of a cult-classic - great acting, intentionally awkward, ridiculous, & quirky scenes, and some really intriguing cinematography too. There's even a theater cry room in one of the scenes. Popcorn balls appear throughout the film, therefore if Gentlemen Broncos does become a midnight movie sensation, popcorn balls should surely become part of the pageantry of the attendees. That would be fun to clean up.

Unfortunately, what should be, isn't always what is, and Gentlemen Broncos may disappear forever. Hopefully, there will be a DVD release of Gentlemen Broncos in the the near future, otherwise, this pseudo science fiction oddity may become another Whiffs* (1974), and dissipate like a cloud of Hollywood Smoke... forever.

So if Gentlemen Broncos comes to your local midnight movie house, be sure to don your grandmother's nightgown, grab a pink cape, fake moustache, and long blond haired wig, then mount your battle stag and head over to the cinematic yeast mine. Don't forget the popcorn balls... two in a bag. And beware Younglings donning mammary cannons intent on probing the mysteries of the Human mind. I hate those.

*Like Gentlemen Broncos, much of Whiffs was filmed in Tooele, UT and it also should have become a mainstream hit. Whiffs featured big names like Elliot Gould, (his role following M*A*S*H), Eddie Albert, Jenifer O'Neil, etc. Whiffs even received an Academy Award nomination for its title song, but only a few folks actually got to see Whiffs before it was swept under the rug. There was a limited VHS release of Whiffs, but the film has never been released on DVD, and probably never will be.

Whiffs Trailer from 1975 - sorry about the commercial!!!

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47 - 58

47

58

$wine Flu Over the Cuckoo'$ Ne$t - Post #300

When the polio vaccine wa$ introduced in the middle of the twentieth century, it wa$ touted as the an$wer to a terrible debilitating disea$e that had crippled thousand$ of innocent$. At that time, it seemed like $cience could an$wer all of our $ocial and medical problem$, and quickly took the role of me$$iah of the atomic age. $cience had overthrown tyrant$, and now, promi$ed to defeat di$ea$e... or $o it appeared to the ignorant tru$ting ma$$e$ who rolled up their $leeves to receive the magical injection$.

Unfortunately, the reality of the matter i$n't a$ gloriou$ as pharmaceutical marketer$ would have you believe. Like all di$ea$e$, polio is cyclical, and it had already been waning for some time when the fir$t inoculation$ were being admini$tered. There hadn't been a new ca$e of the di$ea$e in the U$ for $everal month$, and ironically, $ince it'$ introduction, the only people who contract polio are tho$e who have received the vaccination. But people aren't generally intere$ted in reality. It'$ more convenient and comfortable to believe that almighty $cience is in control of our de$tiny, and defeating di$ease through vaccination$ and pharmaceutical drug$, all of which cau$e seriou$ $ide effect$. Unfortunately, vaccination$ kill and maim more people than they $ave, and are $etting up the population with compromi$ed immune $ystem$ that will lead to more $ickne$$.

Here we are $ixty years later, and there is ample evidence that vaccination$ are carcinogenic and harmful to the human$ who receive them... especially to infant$ who'$ vaccination mortality rate$ are so high that the Japane$e government ha$ been prompted to adopt policie$ preventing inoculation$ before the age of two.

Now we're being $poon fed more marketing propaganda de$igned to $care the ma$$e$ into receiving the new, barely te$ted, $wine flu vaccine. How many will die from thi$ new vaccine that i$ $uppo$ed to prevent H1N1, a di$ea$e that ha$ killed fewer people than die from a$pirin or lawn mower accident$?

People are $o gullible. They'll believe anything a doctor tell$ them.

Roll up your $leeve... this i$ going to hurt you more than it's going to hurt me. Cha ching $$$

Got Gumption?

Gumption. That's one thing I don't have an abundance of at the moment... at least when it comes to writing for my blog. Sure, I've already begun writing many of the upcoming posts including, but certainly not limited to:

When in Morm - Do's and don'ts and insightful tips for visitors to Utah

Mighty Mo names the spiders that live in our house

My simple answer to the gang problem, (and it isn't dynamite)

Phrases and terms I have coined

A walk down rememory lane to the old Blue Mouse Theater in Salt Lake City

A recollection of the Bucket of Bernie Brains show at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz

A book review of Paula Phelan's 1919

Examples of literary structures in ancient texts

Hale Bopp

Plus many more Xtra Files

But I'm going to take a nap right now instead of writing. I'll listen to some Lawrence Welk for inspiration later on. Meanwhile, take a gander at this pretty bottle brush that Mighty Mo photographed last week.

Keeping it Real

Inauguration Day

Last year I purchased one of those George Bush countdown clocks for my father who has been one of President Bush's biggest critics. In fact, Dad's been looking forward to this day since President Bush took office eight years ago. Today was supposed to be the big day when the clock would terminate with some sort of electronic fanfare, but instead of playing an electronic version of a Sousa classic, the countdown clock anticlimactically stopped two months ago.

It was fun while it lasted though.

Dad's George Bush countdown clock stopped prematurely, but the wars President Bush initiated are still going strong, and now that President Obama has been inaugurated as the Commander and Chief of the Armed Forces, these wars, and the deaths that will result from them, are now his responsibility.

Thousands of American soldiers and countless enemy combatants and civilians have been killed in President Bush's wars.

How many more thousands will pay the ultimate price in President Obama's wars?

Can you say body bags? Have a Nice War!

Prop 8 Opponents Boycott Utah

Too much of the post Prop 8 drama has been emotion driven.

One of the most misdirected attempts of vengeance against Prop 8 supporters, is the call to boycott the State of Utah, headquarters of the LDS Church whose members donated millions of dollars to help pass Prop 8 in California last year.

This boycott situation needs to be viewed in perspective, detached from the kind of emotionalism that can disable rational thinking.

There are lots of folks jumping on the boycott bandwagon, but will a boycott of Utah really hurt the LDS Church?

There are approximately twelve million Mormons worldwide, with only about a million of them living in Utah. Most Mormons don't even live in Utah, and believe it or not, Spanish is the most common language in Mormondom, yet the LDS are almost always stereotyped as short-haired, pasty white males wearing the familiar cultic uniform - white shirt and tie. Utah is simply where the LDS Church headquarters resides, while the majority of Mormons live outside of the Beehive State.

It is a big mistake to assume that Utah is an all-Mormon state. There are many areas in Utah where less than half of the population is practicing Mormonism, and not everyone in Utah is in favor of Proposition 8 either. Many Utahans opposed Prop 8, and financially supported the "No On 8" lobby. Yes, out of state money influencing a California election... ironically the same thing the NO on 8 people are angry about.

It also may come as a surprise that Salt Lake City is home to the oldest established gay bar west of the Mississippi River. Sorry SFO, like Brigham said, SLC is the place. The homosexual community thrives there and has been part of Salt Lake society for more than a century. The tour and service industry in Utah, especially in Salt Lake, is among the best, thanks to the professionalism of talented hard workers, and yes, many of them are gay. A boycott of Utah would likely hurt the tour and service industries most because they are dependent on out of state money.

So, who does the boycott really hurt?

A boycott would end up hurting individuals opposed to Prop 8 and wouldn't significantly effect the Mormon Church, their intended target.

A boycott directed at one twelfth of the Mormon Church's population is primarily symbolic. The church won't even notice. "The caravan rolls on."

A boycott of Utah is misdirected and will hurt some of the homosexuals who live behind the Zion Curtain.

Ski Utah!
or
Have a nice boycott!

It's the Ecomony* Stupid!

Wow! Crash goes the stock market. Ouch.

Our borrow and spend leaders in the US have sold out our future generations to China, but I had a really good idea how to get out from under our international debts, and become a strong viable nation again. The answer is surprisingly simple, too.

Here in the good old US of A we have lots of states that we don't really need. One of them could be sold off to the Chinese to cancel our debts. Better yet, create a bidding war between China, Japan and maybe even Saudi Arabia. We could probably even turn a profit.

The most obvious state to sell would, of course, be Texas.

With the exceptions of the City of Austin, and Ron Paul, there's really nothing worth hanging on to in the Lone Star State.

With this plan, we'd not only be out from under our debts, we'd have a new neighbor too. It's good to be neighborly. Howdy neighbor!

* Intentionally spelled incorrectly for your amusement.

The Ron Paul Revolution Will NOT be Televised

Thank You For Voting
You Have Selected
WAR

America's broken two-party system has spoken, and selected two pro-war candidates who will pretend to go eyeball to eyeball for the winner takes all title, President of the United States of America.

There were two truth tellers early on in the presidential primaries, but both were quickly silenced as the media machine distracted the frenzied onlookers. Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul both attempted to inform their respective parties, but most Americans were hypnotized by the flickering light box in their living rooms, and robotically performed their programmed voting task, "Must vote for war."

Signs of Support

One thing I found interesting about this election was visible support through bumper stickers and yard signs. Strangely, I've seen very little visible support for Republican candidate John McCain, yet there are still lots of signs and stickers endorsing Ron Paul. In fact, until recently, there was more signage for Ron Paul than everyone else combined. Now that the primaries are over, and both parties have had their conventions, the visible support for Obama is in the majority. Hillary signs and stickers started popping up a few weeks before Super Tuesday, and there were a handful of Kucinich stickers on cars around town too. I saw a total of five Romney yard signs, and a couple of bumper stickers, but Mr. Plastic was nearly as invisible as Huckabee, for whom I saw zero signage.

The Huckabee factor was incredibly successful with the give them wool, and they''ll pull it over their own eyes tactic. As the republic-con running in second place post Super Tuesday, Huckabee successfully diverted attention away from Ron Paul... and that Mormon.

Isolation and Insulation

Americans have a Team X vs Team Y mentality, which the media exploits to make it easy to ignore everyone else. This kind of narrow thinking allows the major parties to maintain control, and prevents viable third parties from receiving equal time. It also serves to isolate the anointed candidates from the truth-telling Pauls and Kucinichs within the Republicrat stronghold, effectively insulating the American citizens from the truth.

Water Fight

The remainder of this presidential campaign will be kind of like floating down a river on rafts. The Democrats are in their raft, the Republicans in theirs, distracted, and engaging in a water fight. They're having such a good time splashing each other that they've forgotten about the waterfall ahead. I'm attempting to paddle to shore, but the distracted party goers won't heed my warnings and won't get out of my way.

Here we go!

Man's Best Fiend - Tether of Terror

Lately I've been paying special attention to a segment of our society who lives by rules above the rest of us. A class who's abhorrent behavior is actually encouraged and rewarded in our culture. I'm speaking, of course, about dogs.

Some animals are created more equal than others.*
If I chose to urinate on a fire hydrant or defecate in a public park, I would surely be sited for a public indecency crime. Yet man's best friend can urinate on anything he wants to, and is free to defecate anywhere said creature feels the urge. When he does, the master says, "Good doggy," pulls out a plastic baggy,** scoops up the warm fecal matter, ties the vile baggy to the leash, and strolls away with the full fecal baggy dangling and bouncing on the taut tether. Sexy! Sure, 99% of the matter is collected, and disposed of, by the good master, (at least here in our area.***) However, a residue of bacteria still remains in the area where the dastardly deed was done. In public places, this is a real danger to young children who unsuspectingly roll, crawl and play in grassy areas where dogs defecate.

A Future Thinker's Solution

If dogs are as smart as their Humans claim, they could easily be trained to use a sanitary doggy lavatory. Special taxes could be levied against dog owners, and the funds could be used to construct doggy potties where pooches could poop & pee in privacy, away from view of the public. Additionally, bad doggies who illegally poop in public places would be sited with a hefty fine. An alternative would be the doggy diaper which would prevent potentially dangerous bacteriological substances from coming in contact with the populous. One thing is sure, something needs to be done about this powerful out of control fecal fraternity who live by the anthem, "I Like Dogs and I Vote."

* Animal Farm by George Orwell
** Occasionally provided via tax payer$, many of whom don't have pets, (steal from the rich and give to the pooch).

*** Santa Cruz dog owners are pretty good about picking up after their pets. However, in some places, the mess is left behind to be discovered by unsuspecting passers by. Squish! Bad doggy!

"What's brown and sounds like a bell? Dung." Monty Python

Portrait of a Future Thinker

Set the controls for the heart of Soquel.
A sketch portrait of Rhetro Zenberg by Ronaldo.
Thursday afternoon, July 24th, 2008.
Last day.

Presidential Primary - A Prognosticative Prediction

Now that there have been a couple of caucuses and primary elections here in the good old US of A, I am prepared to make my presidential primary predictions for 2008.

Democratique Nominee

It was easy to figure out who the Democrats will choose. In fact... fifteen years ago I predicted that Hilary Rodham-Clinton would become America's first woman president... 2008 could be her year, (otherwise she may have to wait til 2016). All the anti-Republican children are tired and want an indefatigable mother-figure to fix a snack, and clean up the play room while the kids take a nap... so to speak. To her credit, she'd be a better president than the majority of the men contending for the top position in her party. I hope* that John Edwards will be chosen to be her running mate so that I can once again use a red marker to highlight the war in his name on my bumper-sticker and yard sign... a reminder that this administration represents the industrial military complex, which means prolonged war in Iraq... and who knows where next? You can't spell Edwards without war.

Republic Con Nominee

It took longer than usual for me to figure out who will become the Republican nominee. The spin in news reports, photo selections in printed media and vote fraud in New Hampshire lead me to believe that John McCain is the straw-man the party has chosen to be knocked down and defeated... the Bob Dole of 2008. My first clue was that a nobody, like McCain, was regularly mentioned in the news reports, no matter how insignificant the information, whereas other candidates with legitimate news seem to get squelched. Another big clue was the discovery of numerous uncounted votes for Romney and Ron Paul in New Hampshire. In upcoming primaries, the fraudulent vote counters will have to be careful to under-report Paul and others, rather than leave a suspicious zero tally like occurred in NH. Media misquotes subtly demonstrate bias against Romney who's win in Wyoming was downplayed and ignored.** I suppose it is no surprise that long-time career politician John McCain is the one the Republican National Committee will anoint and appoint to perpetuate the party platform. He's been a loyal and obedient servant to the power elite for decades, and will gladly play the puppet in the public drama, where Hee Haw meets Passion Play.

*Not a prediction. Rather, a selfish wish. I love to mess with bumper stickers.

** Romney, using an Olympic metaphor said, "We have a gold and two silvers, we would have liked another gold..." FOX News reported that Romney said, "We have two silvers... we would have liked a gold" a considerable reconstruction that perceptively strips Romney of his victory in the Cowboy State.

I Like Bike

I'm certainly not a bike snob. I realize that its impossible for most people to survive without a car, but for the most part, I can. When we moved to midtown a couple of years ago, we had too many cars sitting around not being used. Work is only a half mile away... an easy three minute ride on my bike. I wouldn't be there any faster if I drove. Besides, with fuel prices getting so expensive, (especially for my ultra-luxurious Cadillac Fleetwood which only got 15.6 miles to the gallon under the most conservative driving conditions), it seems crazy to drive when I don't have to. My Mazda RX-7 was Motor Trend car of the year, and was a blast to drive, but both autos had to go. I gave up my favorite cars to ride a bike I had purchased at a yard sale for twenty-five bucks about nine years ago. After I had the bike for a couple of years, the front brake cable failed, so I performed a temporary repair with some heavy duty hemp string that ended up lasting through five winters. I finally replaced the string with a new cable before it had a chance to break. The guys in the bike shop were amazed, and said they had never seen anyone use hemp for a cable. I'm on my third set of tires, and my little Seabright Runner* is still going strong. In nine years, I've spent a total of $83 on my bike. Here's the breakdown:

Purchase price of bike - $25
6" hemp string - negligible
6" cable- $1
Rack at yard sale - $1
Metal basket - $30
Tires & tubes - $26

Total: $83

I'm not entirely without auto-motion however. Mighty Mo still has her Mazda 6 wagon, which I occasionally drive on weekends, but other than that, I bike everywhere. It is especially gratifying on those busy rush hour moments when I am not restricted by the traffic congestion, and can ride freely twixt the slowly lumbering auto-mos.

Although the cost of fuel is at an all-time high, the price of petrol isn't the only cost to consider. Most of our crude oil continues to come from areas of the world that are hostile to us, and don't want us there. The oil is placed on tanker ships which travel the oceans, dumping tons of sewage and trash en route. Occasionally these tankers break open and spill their poisonous oily contents. The result is death to thousands of birds and fish, polluted water and beaches. Once delivered, the substance is refined, then distributed by tanker trucks to your local gas station. Occasionally, a tanker truck will overturn, and spill poisonous fuel upon the earth which contaminates both the land and water. Consumers purchase the fuel and burn it in automobiles, contributing to smog and poisonous air conditions in our cities. Respiratory conditions are on the rise as more and more autos spew their toxic fumes. Bio-diesel is a good alternative to regular diesel, but most Americans are too dumb to pay an extra handful of cents per gallon, and continue to burn the vile diesel in their trucks and cars. Luckily I live in Santa Cruz where many of the major delivery companies have converted to clean burning bio-diesel. Lots of citizens are burning clean fuel here too. Occasionally I smell regular diesel and have to wonder why?

*The name I gave my bike.

Future Thinker: #1 Who Did The Electric Car Kill?

"The future isn't what it used to be." Yogi Berra

In the future, when all of the noisy pollution spewing automobiles are obsolete... and illegal, a goodly number of pets, children, and other innocent pedestrians (and bicyclists) will fall victim to electric cars, simply because the electric motor is so quiet and stealthy.

The time will come when all electric vehicles will be required to emit a safe decibel level of sound when in operation in order to protect the unsuspecting public. And, according to market trends, we'll have a choice of big brother approved sounds to personalize our fancy futuristic rides, in the same manner customized ringtones are available today... for a price, with hundreds of different audios available to satisfy our individual taste. Among the most popular will be jalopy, muscle car, galloping horses, Jetson's space car, Fred Flintstone's twinkle toes, and even Harley Davidson, (hopefully a toned down version of the latter).

"When everyone lives in the future, the present is au revoir." A Resident

Dictator Tots

Phil Hendrie* was talking about ridiculous TV shows, and I thought, "I have a ridiculous idea for a TV show."

Dictator Tots (sponsored by Orida)

The Premise

Although they deserve to be sentenced to Hell, God gives seven lucky dictators** a second chance by sending them back to Earth as young children who live together in an orphanage. By day, they are regular orphans, but when the lights go out at night, they transform into super heroes who spend the dark hours working together, fighting crime, righting wrongs, saving the world and atoning for their own misdeeds.

*The funniest man in the world

**Ade Hitler, Joey Stalin, Polly Pot, Benny Mussolini, Slobby Milosevic, Saddy Hussein, Mao Mao.