I Never Will Marry

Here is to West Virginia:
The Carter Family - I Never Will Marry

side note #1:
This is an inside reference joke that stems from some dude whom we met while going out last night and whom all my accompanyists (two gay, one female) considered cute, forcing me to form an opinion as well.

side note #2:
West Virginia initially is the only state that was created during the Civil War as it seceded from Virginia because it did not want to fight for secession with the rich folks from the coastal part of that state. The mountainous regions in the West were much poorer and had no slaves, leaving them to make good music (see above) and fight with the Union.

Apparently Ahmadinejad had some time on his hands and wrote an 18 page letter to President Bush. The first time since 1979 that the Iranian head of state and the American one have communicated with each other directly.

"Those with insight can already hear the sounds of the shattering and fall of the ideology and thoughts of the liberal democratic systems," Mr. Ahmadinejad wrote.

I seriously do not hear the death knell for the liberal democratic system, actually it might be the most successfull export product of the Western world ever (but then maybe not considering bullshit like mcdonalds, coca cola and the such). Seems like most every country is clamoring to get to where we are actually (see: the revolution in Nepal, demonstrations in China, less elitist leaders getting elected in Bolivia and Venezuela, the peaceful rebellion in Thailand). Democracy might not be sweeping the world, but it is definitly crawling along and yes, you might call me the perpetual optimist.

"We increasingly see that people around the world are flocking towards a main focal point that is the Almighty God," he wrote. "Undoubtedly through faith in God and the teaching of the prophets, the people will conquer their problems. My question to you is: 'Do you want to join them?'"

The funny thing of course that Bush already has joined them and that the two are a lot more similar than they probably would care to know. Yet, Marx was right, religion is opium for the people and truth to be told it has been replaced by consumerism. In Europe religion is dying out (und das ist auch gut so), I am hopeful other parts of the world will follow. Not that consumerim is great (I will surely write about that at some point), but religion is definitly more dangerous. Considering the facts I would argue that religion loses its importance virtually all over the place which is why these fundamentals start screaming louder and clamoring all the harder. But you know what? It won't change anything, if you offer ever every person in the world a nice car, a big TV and good health insurance, who would take some random possible redemption after one is dead instead? We are all rallying around the golden calf not the almighty god or one of his many prophets.

For a couple of smiles check out this now, I'm off to the gymn.