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        <title>deviantART: by:Che-Gue-Petey</title>
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        <pubDate>Sun, 06 Dec 2009 02:11:42 PST</pubDate>        
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                  <item>
                <title>food</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/28587408/</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:28:45 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ well y'all, its that time of year again when the turkey and stuffing and football rules the world.  dang it, the Vikings aren't playing today.  Anyway, i just thought i'd brag about the turkey I'm making.  it soaked in a peppercorn, sage and chardonnay marinade overnight.  then it was stuffed with apples, celery, cilantro, parsley and green onions.the meat will be so tender and juicy the meat falls off the bone.  you dont realize it, but you all want to be in Marietta, GA right now<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Priceless II</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/27573704/</link>
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                <pubDate>Sun, 04 Oct 2009 08:29:02 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ok, so I'm sitting here, listening to Social D, having a slow starting Sunday morning.  I've posted the photo "Priceless II" on a couple of websites, and have received a flood of emails/notes asking how I lit the shot.  Some people have been curious for the purpose of learning more, and ohers have been bored pros guessing at the lights.  <br /><br /><a href="http://che-gue-petey.deviantart.com/art/Priceless-II-138980411">[link]</a><br /><br />This shot was complete natural light. It was a serious challenge, but I am rather satisfied with the results.  the only photoshopping was the 8X10 crop requested by the customer, the sepia toning, and the scratches and stains.  the image itself is untweaked in terms of exposure, contrast etc.<br /><br />I abhor artificial lighting.  at most I might use a scrim, and maybe a single speedlight...maybe, but probably not.  I find that working with only the light which nature provides is a demanding and rewarding philosophy.  I don't always get it right, but when I do, the results are good.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>who am I listening to?</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/27231997/</link>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 15 Sep 2009 17:02:29 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Flipper, Bad Brains, S.O.A., Dead Kennedys, JFA, Battalion of Saints, Minor Threat, Black Flag, Meat Puppets, 7 Seconds, the Minutemen, GG Allin, Husker Du, MDC, Pere Ubu, Reagan Youth, Sham 69, Social Distortion, SS Decontrol, Suicidal Tendencies, The Circle Jerks, The Adverts, The Clash, The Exploited, TSOL, and Tom Waits.  what a mood I'm in.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>depressed</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/25992299/</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:56:33 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Yeah, so here is something to avoid: your brother getting murdered in front of you.  It is worse when he's saving your ass.  It never really leaves you.  After that, you are stuck with it for life.  For years now, I have been able to have a happy and fairly well adjusted life, in spite of the fact that one of my brothers was murdered in front of me, and I had to testify against the guy who did it (not a highly recommended activity.)  Occasionally it comes back though.  Everything is fine in your life, then suddenly, BLAM, its like a wave crashing on you.  You get flooded with memories and emotions as strong as the day they were put in your head.  You want to scream, to tear your hair, to weep like some grandmother.  The memory pushes you under and holds you there with your heart burning with pain like Dresden.  You eventually get angry.  Everything you missed suddenly becomes clearly defined in your life.  I never had the opportunity to get one of my brothers drunk for their 21st birthday.  I never got to be the best man at Paul's wedding.  I never got the chance to meet one of my brothers after work, at a bar, and bitch about work.  I'll never have real nieces or nephews unless I get married.  I guess you get the picture.  <br />It isn't so bad when I'm angry about it.  The anger keeps me warm.  I don't focus on the memories when I'm angry.  Depression is simply anger without enthusiasm.  When the heat of the anger burns itself out, you are left with the ashes of a soul.  There is no way to stop the memories when the anger is gone.  There is no way to remember that those memories were from good times.  You swim in the memories and all you know is that you will never make new memories with this person.  Those memories are over.  With the depression, that is all you see in the end: no new memories.  <br />I hate this feeling.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>On the Application of Murphy's Law to Photography</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23569643/</link>
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                <pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:04:16 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ We are all familiar with Murphy's Law and its logical extensions (my favorite is "dont force it, get a bigger hammer,") so it is only natural that with research, I have compiled a list of applied murphyisms relating to photographers. <br /><br />You are not Ansel Adams<br /><br />Neither are you Herb Ritz<br /><br />Automatic Cameras - Aren't<br /><br />Auto Focus - won't<br /><br />No photo assignment remains unchanged after the first day of shooting<br /><br />If a photo shoot goes too smoothly, then the data will be corrupted<br /><br />If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid<br /><br />Success occurs when no one is looking, failure occurs when everyone is watching<br /><br />The most critical memory card gets magnetized<br /><br />Photo Assistants are essential, they give photographers someone to yell at<br /><br />The one item (batteries, film, electrical outlets and etc.) you need is always in short supply<br /><br />Interchangeable parts aren't<br /><br />Weather never cooperates<br /><br />Everything always works in your home, everything always fails on location<br /><br />For every action, there is an equal and opposite criticism<br /><br />The newest and least experienced photographer will usually win the Pulitzer<br /><br />There is always a way, and it usually doesn't work<br /><br />Things which must be shipped together as a set, aren't<br /><br />No photojournalist is well dressed<br /><br />No well dressed photographer is a photojournalist<br /><br />Professional photographers are predictable; the world is full of dangerous amateurs<br /><br />shots of children only happen at two times:<br />-when the kids are ready<br />-when you aren't ready<br /><br />client Intelligence is a contradiction<br /><br />There is no such thing as a perfect shoot<br /><br />The important things are always simple<br /><br />The simple things are always hard<br /><br />Flashes will fail as soon as you need them<br /><br />A clean (and dry) camera is a magnet for dust, mud and moisture<br /><br />Photo experience is something you never get until just after you need it<br /><br />The self-importance of a client is inversely proportional to his position in the hierarchy <br /><br />The lens that falls is always the most expensive.<br /><br />when you drop a lens cap, the inside part always lands face down in the mud.<br /><br />Your batteries will always go dead or you will need to swap memory cards at the least opportune moment.<br /><br />Lenses are attracted back to their source - hard rocks.<br />Corollary:<br />The more expensive the lens, the greater the attraction.<br /><br />Safelights - aren't.<br /><br />The greater a photographer's excitement, the greater its chance of fogging film, scratching prints, and deleting files.<br /><br />The success of an assignment is inversely proportional to the product of its importance and the number of people watching.<br /><br />Strobes only explode when lots of people are watching.<br />Corollary:<br />Strobes only work when there is nobody else to see.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Bravo Mr. Mallya.</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23543309/</link>
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                <pubDate>Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:59:50 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7925686.stm">[link]</a><br /><br />Speaking of repatriation of cultural icons to their cultural homes, here is a great story of how the system can and should work.  While the government whined and moaned at the auction house, a private citizen steps up and buys the artifacts with the intention of repatriation.  See, SEE...IM NOT CRAZY!  Hey, China, ya know those bronzes getting auctioned that  ya'll want so badly?  THIS is how you get them back.  If a government representative can't buy 'em with "company money," then one of your new wealthy class individuals should step up and buy them to repatriate them.  you need to learn to PLAY WELL WITH OTHERS!<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Sometimes I worry</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23529520/</link>
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                <pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:17:43 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Sometimes in my daily perusal of the news I find things that just make me worry.  While true, much of this news is funny, when you finish laughing, it kind of scares you, because this shit actually happens.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=132706&amp">[link]</a><img src="http://e.deviantart.com/emoticons/w/winkrazz.gif" width="15" height="15" alt=";p" title="Wink/Razz" />rovider=rss<br />ok, robbing the elderly is low to begin with.  What kind of pathetic wuss robs geriatrics.  seriously.  Now what I really want to know about is, why did the dude steal the toilet paper?<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090303/NEWS11/90303001/-1/NEWSMAP#">[link]</a><br />Um...okay...I guess the tooth fairy may be real.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/113770/#">[link]</a><br />ok, rule 1: DO NOT TAUNT THE POLICE.  you are not being brave or macho or anything like that.  you are being a total fucktard, because if you piss the cops off before they even catch you, they arent gonna be to gentle when they do catch you.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://baycrime.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/02/531/531/#">[link]</a><br />What really really worries me about this one is actually the title of the article.  Please, dont try to be witty.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.kutv.com/content/news/local/story/Senate-Panel-Approves-Hiding-Restaurant-Bartenders/c_MbGVuqMk-_XhBmnOkYsg.cspx#">[link]</a><br />Anything, and I mean just about anything that happens in Utah is bound to leave even those only marginally mentally stable scratching their heads.  <br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/mar/03/told-mcnuggets-ran-out-fort-pierce-woman-calls-911/#">[link]</a><br />Some things would only happen in the united states.  This, sadly, is one of them.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7923407.stm#">[link]</a><br />ok, I have always wondered why the hell they cant easily exclude people who are exempt from jury duty.  You know, I testified in a capital murder trial.  Face it, I am not someone who winds up in a jury.  You'd think that they would be able to make a note or something.  Same with 108 year old women.  Granted, I think it might be entertaining to see a 108 year old woman in a jury, especially when she screams out "Off With His Head!"<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>more news and views</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23510736/</link>
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                <pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:21:00 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I just cant help myself loyal readers. The news is a passionate passtime of mine. I love knowing what is going on in the world. Its an addiction. I start my days of withe Der Spiegel, The BBC, Pravda and the New York Times. I have too many RSS feeds to count. I also love asking the obvious questions that are never asked, and making the snarky comments that no one else seems to have the testicular fortitude to express. I know I just wrote you all yesterday, but today has had a bumper crop of oddities and et ceteras.<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/us/01preach.html?_r=2&scp=2&sq=adolfo%20flores&st=cse#">[link]</a><br />Far be it from me to deride other people's beliefs, and doctrinal applications of their cute little superstitions. That isn't my game. I do have to wonder when people are accepting the theology of 11 year olds with 20 seat churches. Who the hell is doing these ordinations? Face it, if you're 11 and a preacher...you're one step away from a kid with a cheesy magic kit doing shows for a quarter in his garage.<br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=101521#">[link]</a><br />Many of us received the admonition that guns aren't toys when we were growing up. That is a good thing to learn. Guns are tools, not toys; and much like a chop saw or an axe or a chainsaw, a gun can be damned dangerous if you play with it like a toy. Well hete is a couple of F-staters who have also shown us that stupid people shouldn't be allowed around dangerous tools either. To bad he only shot himself in the foot, if he had shot himself in the crotch then he wouldn't have been able to pollute the gene pool.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1158651/Bullying-victim-sues-leading-public-school-figure-claim-mental-scarring.html##">[link]</a><br />Wow...I am honestly speechless on this one. Not really, but almost. I am praying that this is a joke, because if it isn't then the world has been officially over run by pussies.<br /><br />4) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/italy/4861889/Galileos-finger-goes-on-display-in-Italy.html#">[link]</a><br />Ok, I don't know if this should be marked as news that should have a punchline or if this should be marked in the category of "oh the irony."<br /><br />5) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_030109WAB-drill-team-peeper-SW.1780b647.html#">[link]</a><br />I guess if you are a perv, honesty is not the best policy. serves him right.<br /><br />6) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7920656.stm#">[link]</a><br />OK, for anyone paying attention there WERE riots in Sichuan province. Remember kids, if its in the news, it stands a 50/50 chance of being utter BS. If that media is state controlled, there is a 100% chance of what you are reading being BS.<br /><br />7) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7914265.stm#">[link]</a><br />Ok, i love the simpsons as much as anyone else. They have provided an insightful mirror of american society since the days of Reagan. This article, though makes me wonder what we have to look forward as a culture.<br /><br />8) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE5224SJ20090303#">[link]</a><br />Finally we have this. At least the Brits aren't far behind the US when it comes to a vapid obsession with pop culture. Yes, the Beatles were an amazing band who caused music to grow in new ways, and who enriched the world's cultural heritage. A masters degree in the Beatles, though, may be a little bit much. what is next, a PhD in Black Sabbath?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>News and Views</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23490621/</link>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:23:49 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Once again loyal readers, I bring you another edition of Uncle Pete's highly opinionated and rather hyperbolic note/blog/journal (depending on where you're reading this.) OK, this time we are drawing from the BBC. I love the BBC, they have the best overall global coverage.<br /><br />1) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7919429.stm#">[link]</a><br />Apparently neither cricket nor golf originated in the UK. No, the national pasttimes of the UK are actually...Belgian! Anyone who has watched any amount of British comedy know that to them, "Belgium" is a one word joke. Seriously. Britain views Belgium as where they fight when the Germans are showing their arses. I guess they may have to rethink this view.<br /><br />More pressingly...why are people wasting money researching the history of things like cricket and golf? Aren't these games? What, exactly is the academic value of knowing the history of cricket? Isn't there anything of greater value you could be researching?<br /><br />2) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7919579.stm#">[link]</a><br />The CIA destroyed 92 interview tapes. Wow. No kidding? You know what folks, these guys are OUR thugs, spies, and analysts. I'm not condoning their behaviour, but if they are OUR thugs, I'm actually kind of relieved to know that they would destroy damning evidence. It shows that they are starting to think again. Who knows, maybe in a few years we may actually have a decent intelligence agency again. after that we can worry about ethics. Lets just work on getting their brains going again.<br /><br />3) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7918128.stm#">[link]</a><br />So Christie's is auctioning off two bronzes taken from the Chinese emperor's palace in Beijing during the Opium Wars. OK, a lil' history lesson here: the Opium Wars weren't really wars, sort of in the same way that the Operation Desert Storm wasn't really a war. You see, a "war" implies that two armies are fighting. The Opium Wars were more like one army slaughtering the other. They should have been called the Opium Ass Kickings. Add to this the fact that these wars were in the same era as the American Civil War, and you start to realize that the rules we now have on war weren't in place. That is just history. The way I see it, those bronzes are spoils of war, no more, no less. Too bad. That's history. Now I'm all for repatriating cultural objets d'arte which were illegally acquired. But when they were legally acquired (we'll grandfather in spoils of war,) if you, as a government want'em, do like anyone else, and buy them. It's called free market, and as long as people want things, the free market economy will always survive in some way shape or form.<br /><br />Anyway, some Chinese guy figures that the most effective protest he can manage, is to drive the bidding up, win the bid, and then say he cant pay. This is not to many steps up from putting dog crap in a bag, setting it on fire, and ringing the bell. A+ for intention, F for execution.<br /><br />Moving on from the international news, lets head on to some local news,<br /><br />4) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2009/02/27/ddn022709breastfeedweb.html#">[link]</a><br />I really dont know what to say about this, except that I am never, ever going back to Ohio.<br /><br />5) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090302/ap_on_fe_st/odd_no_cussing#">[link]</a><br />A cuss free week in Calfornia? Wow, talk about a 15 year old with delusions of grandeur. I wonder how this will go over in South Central, or Long Beach, or Watts?<br /><br />6) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.wmur.com/cnn-news/18803151/detail.html#">[link]</a><br />Have you ever wondered how smart the employees at KFC are? This is how smart.<br /><br />Finally, I bring you the one that is not for the faint hearted. I warned you, this one is sick.<br />7) <a href="http://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?http://www.wtol.com/global/story.asp?s=9911155#">[link]</a><br />Now, the truly funny thing about this is that I did some research, and discovered that Mr. Douglas' "proclivities" were discovered when he was accused of murder after he had violated a corpse at the morgue before it was autopsied.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />ON A LIGHTER NOTE<br /><br />I finally got around to filtering my gallery down to just 8 pages.  it all now broken up into topical collections.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>More Top Gear</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23368519/</link>
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                <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 17:28:53 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ All apologies to my British readers, BBC America is a season or five behind the UK.) Top Gear has finally done it! The've moved into home appliances, and man, do I want one! 6.2 litre V-8 powered blender. I shit you not my loyal readers, a corvette powered blender. I want one so badly.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>state dept. wasting time with Top Gear</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23240828/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23240828/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2009 17:46:03 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I love Top Gear. It is the greatest car show of all time. I would love to make an american version. Back in 2006, the Top Gear boys (Jeremy Clarkson, Richard "the Hamster" Hammonds, and James "Capt. Slow" May) came to the US, bought cars for $1500 or less in Miami, and then road tripped to New Orleans. During the course of said road trip, a dead cow wound up on the roof of a late 80's camaro. You just have to watch the show to get the back story on that one. Well, because of this, the U.S. State Dept. decided that Top Gear is not a documentary show, they are an entertainment show. Whoever it is in the State Dept. (I think it may be the secretary of state (they made a disparaging comment about hillary last time they were here,) who doesnt like a little entertainment in their documentaries really needs an enema. So this season, the boys came back for an american muscle car romp from San Francisco to Bonneville. Unfortunately their visas were for documentary filming, not entertainment. So the state department said they could come to the US and film their show only if (wait for it,)............they werent entertaining. I swear I am not making this up. I am a creative person, but even I couldnt come up with that. It is our tax dollars at work. you can come here and film...but only if you arent entertaining.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Well, it's official</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23222045/</link>
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                <pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2009 18:34:29 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Hugo is a dictator!  With his questionable victory in his latest referendum, Comrade Chavez has taken the second to last step towards dictatorship.  Now all he needs is to admit that he is a dictator.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>odd religious behaviour</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23153897/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23153897/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2009 10:38:16 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ok, I'm all about religious freedom.  I dont think religion and faith have much to do with each other.  So all the quaint myths and superstitions really make me grin.  Go ahead, join whichever fan club you like.  Follow the odd rituals attendant to the superstitions and myths.  As long as you don't hurt anyone, go for it!  There are some things that really make me wonder about religions though, especially when the name of the religion is preceded by such words as "fundamentalist," "hard-line," or "extremist."  Usually this is a source of great laughter and exasperation and frustration with our species.  Now, I can add nausea to the list of emotions. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/oddlyEnoughNews/idUSTRE51B3Z720090212?feedType=nl&feedName=usoddlyenough">[link]</a><br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>out of the American East</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23106570/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23106570/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:32:27 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I so hate this place.  Atlanta is an ugly city.  there is no other way to say it.  90% of the Atlanta Metro Area (hence to called "the ATL,") is just plain ugly.  The ATL is, in my opinion, the ugliest metropolitan area in the United States.  Hell, I'll even stretch it to include all of North America.  It drives me nuts.  In Fort Worth, I could find a photogenic vista in 5 minutes.  Here, everything is so cramped, or so unappealingly ugly or dull that this place is absolute hell for a photographer who prefers to work in natural light with natural settings.  I like the reality, screw the flat pull down drop backgrounds.  challenge your talent, creativity and skills, work without the crutches.  That is so hard here.  Living in the burbs is hard enough, but even when I hit downtown, it doesnt get any better.  It seems that every truly good angle on anything here, is in the middle of a highway or main road.  oh yeah, pine trees are not photogenic when they are growing like weeds.  even the urban decay, which is a favorite subject of mine, is visually unappealing here.  God help me, I cant wait to go somewhere prettier.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>An Ode to Atlanta</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23084548/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/23084548/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2009 14:27:40 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Oh Atlanta, how you hurt me.  You hide your photogenic vistas in secluded nooks and crannies.  Atlanta, you suck.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Devious Journal Entry</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22937272/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22937272/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 01 Feb 2009 07:14:14 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ It has finally arrived, my 5D MkII, and I have now had some time to play with it.  This thing is awesome!  I do have a few issues with it, but they are minor.  First, I'm going to have to drop a serious load o cash to effectively use the video function.  yeah, you can transcode, sure, but being able to work the h.264 hd files is best. So I need some serious computer upgrading to do a lot of video. Also, it needs an offboard mic.  the inboard mic is useless unless you want to hear IS gyros and AF motors.  also, a gyro stabilizer would be a nice thing...but thats another 2 grand.  In other words issue one is really the fact that it is a gateway drug to a far more expensive addiction.  My other issue is a minor one.  a very minor one.  the view screen on the back of the camera, while bright and large and crisp, picks up fingerprints like a magnet.  funny thing is, canon's pocket cameras seem to have smudge repellent screens.  Beyond that, I have absolutely 0 complaints.  this is a great camera.  One word of warning: be prepared to start saving for L series glass.  The 17-40/4.0 EF-L is a great choice.  Well under 1000USD, L series quality, and it takes advantage of the full frame image sensor.  I'm saving my money.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Yayyyyyyyyyy!!!!!</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22889162/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22889162/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 29 Jan 2009 16:25:54 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ My 5D MKII is here!!!!!!!!  Finally my new toy has arrived.  Muahahahahaha.  Stay tuned for new stuff soon, if I can find anything worth shooting in this god forsaken place.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>So Long John</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22844749/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22844749/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2009 14:15:07 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Harold Angstrom, everyman, the average american, and a man whose life the more literate among us became enduringly familiar with.  His life, his job, his small triumphs and minor defeats, and his death are well known and well loved by all of us.  Rabbit was certainly a more engaging character than most in the world of literature, mainly because in some way or another, he was us.  John updike had that touch to his writing, he wrote about people who are us.  That is why this son of a schoolmaster will be missed. If you want to know why it is so sad that Mr. Updike is dead, go read "Rabbit, Run," "Rabbit Redux," "Rabbit is Rich," and "Rabbit at Rest."<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Neer thought I'd read these words</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22830219/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22830219/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:12:09 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ For those less initiated in the ways of the Pete, I enjoy strangeness.  Not made up weirdness, ok, well i love that too, but not only that.  The world we live in, and especially western culture can come up with occasional occurances that are not only stranger than we imagine, but stranger than we can imagine.  I know that is a bold statement on DA, but it is true.  Here is a bit of plushie weirdness which almost made me wet my pants in disbelief and then from laughter.  Ok, plushies do take talent and skill to create.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing bad to say about expression through plushies.  They always kinda creeped me out though.  Sorta like some people get creeped out by clowns, mimes, rednecks, or any other seemingly innocuous thing, I get creeped out by plushies.  This is a plushie recall that includes at least two sentences I never ever thought I'd read in anything serious.  "Ovaries may be pulled off and become a choking hazard," and "If your uterus is NOT accessible to young children, and you wish to keep your beloved uterus, you may opt-out via email."  I WARN YOU, THIS MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO PEOPLE SERIOUSLY IN NEED OF A SENSE OF HUMOR.  IF YOU HAVE NO SENSE OF HUMOR DO NOT FOLLOW THE LINK.  RATHER, I SUGGEST YOU BUGGER OFF, AND THEN TAKE LARGE QUANTITIES OF PRESCRIPTION LAXATIVES.  <a href="http://iheartguts.com/recall/index.htm">[link]</a><br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>the Last Leg begins.</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22800760/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22800760/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2009 10:44:12 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ So I have a decent collection of lenses, and I love my 20D.  It is a good, solid camera which has served me well.  I have no intention of getting rid of it.  The other dslr's and dmf cams ive had and used have had one problem.  weight.  my creative method doesnt lend itself well to the weight of a 1Ds MKIII or an H3DII usually.  I prefer lighter weight cameras.  I've been itching for a new camera for about a year now.  My sights were set on the Canon 5D.  It has almost 13 MP, and a full frame sensor.  what isn't to love.  I'd been saving my cash to get one, then my parents (awesome people that they are,) asked if i wanted to upgrade my camera body.  Jokingly I replied "sure, I'd love a 5D, but those are damned pricey."  I never really expected them to take me seriously.  As it turns out, the 5D was no longer available.  The 5D MkII, though, was available.  Same great Canon quality and familiarity, but with a full frame 21.1MP sensor (not the same one as the big daddy 1Ds MkIII, a better one according to canon,) environmental seals, 1080p 30 HD Video (!), more powerful battery...I'm not gonna complain.  Now, it is almost here.  I should have it at some point this week.  the 4 hours charging the battery is gonna be painful.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Devious Journal Entry</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22622237/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22622237/</guid>
                <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:15:20 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Wow, the march into history continues.  Wyeth joins the parade right after Fraf.  Most of you dont know Fraf.  You should have, and you really did miss out if you didnt.  You've all heard the litany of the past 12 months: Newman, Solzhenitsyn, Mac, Hayes, Rauschenberg, Kitt.  Now Wyeth.  Granted, I'm not a huge fan of Wyeth's (either one,) still Andy was an integral and important part of the fabric of American art in the 20th century.  He was a great artist, maintaining tradition in a time when tradition was no longer in vogue.  He just wasnt to my taste.  Here's your homework: go spend some time checking out wyeth's landscapes and his Helga (?) series.  I'm not sure on that name,, but I do remember that it was portraits of a German woman who worked for his neighbor.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Brit-coms, the A-Team and Hubris</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22620091/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22620091/</guid>
                <pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2009 18:15:57 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I love the BBC. First, they have the best news of the world next to telemundo. Second, they have Monty Python's Flying Circus (letting the nerd flag fly,) and Top Gear. Third, they have Little Britain. Its like Monty Python, The Next Generation. Litle Britain is my new favorite Brit strangeness. There really is no analogue in American television. This is sad. American television is so bland and generic. There is no strangeness and oddity like there used to be. No Smothers Brothers, no Martin and Rowan, no SNL worth watching, no SCTV. What happened to us? When the hell did America become such a boring, homogenous, and timid place? I'm probably romanticizing the past, but we didnt used to be so worried about offending people in the name of humor I dont think, and we used to indulge in the occasional random oddity just because it was funny, I think. It is enough to make you cry. Also, Little Britain had a whole sketch that was a running Mr. T/A-Team joke! How often have you seen Mad TV, or SNL or any other American "variety show' make a Dr. Who or Gordon Ramsay joke? Why is it that everyone else knows our culture, but we dont know anyone else's? what hubris. An A-Team gag for god's sake! How cool is that?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Racists really annoy me</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22437987/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22437987/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 16:40:20 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ok, so I work with a gentleman who is Afrocentric, shall we say. Today his topic of conversation was about white people having no rhythm. Ok, now people who know me know that I am misanthropic, elitist scum (I only like smart people.) I'm not racist at all. humanity is a virus with shoes, and skin color doesnt change that. People who are even subversively racist really annoy me. So to be fed a line of racist stereotyping crap like that set me on edge. Now I will be the first to admit that most white people cant dance to hip hop music. there seems to be some essential disconnect there. Maybe it's a matter of physiology. I dont know. To say that white people have no rhythm, though is one of the dumbest things I've heard this year (give it time though, the year is still young.) Aren't most of the most famous and critically acclaimed drummers and bass players white? Now, when I delivered this rebuttal, the guy I work with told me that drums and bass don't require rhythm to play. WTF? I tell you all, I work with a real special individual. Other nuggets of...wisdom, which have dropped out of this guys mouth are such lumps as "black people arent gay," (wow, I didn't know that homosexuality followed racial lines,) "black people can't be racist," (explain Louis Farrakhan then,) and "racing, hockey, rugby and soccer aren't sports," (ok, whatever, dont even get me started.) Yes, it is nice to have a job in these troubled economic times, but at what cost?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>A Note to the Israelis</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22436855/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22436855/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 06 Jan 2009 15:46:48 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Hi guys, shalom.  This is a little note to Israel.  OK, I understand that Palestinian rockets fired from Gaza are killing your civilians.  I understand that you guys need to nedd to protect yourselves and your nation.  Believe me, im not gonna complain if you do what you have to do.  I do have a few little...observations.  Israel, you have one of the most technologically advanced armies in the world.  I know you have precision munitions.  PRECISION MUNITIONS.  Now, ethically speaking, if you are trying to stop your innocent civilians from dying, you shouldnt go killing palestinian children.  If you have precision guided munitions, why the hell did you blow the hell out of a school?  If I may dip into the American vernacular: not cool dudes. <br />While I'm on the subject of innocent civilians, doesn't Israel have mandatory conscription?  So, if you wanna get technical, the only innocents in Israel are children.  Whether active duty or reserve, if you are military personel, then you are a target.  face it, at the end of the day, you are a paid target.  <br />So, in closing I'd like to say to the country of Israel:  Stop being fuckheads.  Dont kill children.  Also, dont exaggerate how innocent civilians are being killed by palestinian rockets.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>a note to the palestinians</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22388569/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22388569/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2009 07:18:21 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ok, I'm not saying the Isrealis are right. I'm not saying that the<br />Palestinians havent gotten the shaft big time. It really isnt my place to comment on who is right and who is wrong and to what degree. Maybe they could act alittle more adult about the whole Israel/palestine/my land/your landthing, but really, I'm not taking any sides here. One observation whichI cannot help making is this:<br /><br />have you ever seen a small kid picking on a big kid over and over and<br />over? No matter how patient the big kid is, eventually the big kid is<br />gonna snap, and pummel the living shit out of the little kid. after<br />this the little kid goes and cries to mommy and daddy, or any other<br />authority figure and blames the big kid while claiming innocence. Do<br />you see where I'm going? If you even tacitly condone the firing of<br />rockets (by definition, an UNGUIDED munition which stand a greater chance of killing innocent civilians than damaging military targets) into Israel, you have<br />only yourself to blame for what happens. Don't demand a UN enforced<br />ceasefire, unless you want a foreign coalition military policing your<br />streets and enforcing martial law. You shot the rockets, or didnt speak<br />out against them being shot, or provided support for the men firing the<br />rockets, or cheered the men firing the rockets. You're getting what<br />comes from screwing with a country with a more powerful military than<br />yours. It doesnt matter how justified your cause, you dont screw with<br />someone who has bigger guns than you do.  Also, hypocrisy isnt the best way to convince the world that you are in the right<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Petey's theme songs vol. II</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22371942/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22371942/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 03 Jan 2009 10:59:29 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ ok, so if ya'll read the mike ness, here is installment II of the lyrics of my theme songs:  <br /><br />Bastards on parade<br /><br />I've lost all the time that I have in this world<br />I spent it unwisely. Unwisely you see<br />And I can't get it back<br />And I can't move forward<br />I'm broken and I'm empty<br />It's over for me<br /><br />If I could undo all the wrongs that I've caused<br />Fall to my knees pray for swiftness and just<br />For I'm just a fool<br />A fool driven to dust<br />And the world ain't gonna change for me<br /><br />So give me one more chance to prove these problems and frustrations<br />aren't just manifest in memories we're destined to repeat<br />A second chance to prove I know right from wrong<br />I swear I'll do things different but can't promise to be strong<br /><br />[Chorus:]<br />So come on all you losers, you bastards and cheats<br />Vagrants and barflies down on the streets<br />Follow this path to salvation vindication awaits<br />We're marching on East Broadway streets tonight<br /><br />If you can look into this old face and try to see the young man<br />I swear I once was pretty, not the monster you now see<br />But I squandered all my chances<br />Lost my faith and took for granted<br />This life and precious one chance the whirlwind I'll reap<br /><br />If I could undo all the wrongs that I've caused<br />Fall to my knees pray for swiftness and just<br />For I'm just a fool<br />A fool driven to dust<br />And the world ain't gonna change for me<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Damn, Mike Ness is a genius</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22337185/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22337185/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 16:34:07 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Well it's been ten years and a thousand tears<br />And look at the mes I'm in-<br />A broken nose and a broken heart,<br />An empty bottle of gin<br />Well I sit and I pray<br />In my broken down Chevrolet-<br />While I'm singin' to myself<br />There's got to be another way<br />[Chorus:]<br />Take away, take away<br />Take away this ball and chain<br />I'm lonely and I'm tired<br />And I can't take any more pain<br />Take away, take away<br />Never to return again<br />Take away, take away<br />Take away this ball and chain<br />Well I've searched and I've searched<br />To find the perfect life-<br />A brand new car and a brand new suit<br />I even got me a little wife-<br />But wherever I have gone<br />I was sure to find myself there-<br />You can run all your life<br />But not go anywhere<br />[Chorus]<br />Well I'll pass the bar on the way<br />To my dingy hotel room-<br />I spent all my money<br />Been drinkin' since half past noon-<br />I'll wake there in the mornin'<br />Or maybe in the county jail-<br />Times are hard getting harder<br />I'm born to lose and destined to fail-<br />[Chorus]<br /><br />need i say more<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>More Music Ranting</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22265521/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22265521/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2008 17:26:40 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Welcome back to uncle Pete's house of current music bashing.  Ok, now that the salutations are over, we can begin.  From when I first began defining my own music tastes and migrating away from the Barry Manillow and Neil Sedaka I was tormented with a small child, I have had a deep love of punk rock music and the attendant counter-culture.  Black Flag gave voice to the anger i felt at the superficiality of the world around me.  Social Distortion gave voice to the loneliness i often felt growing up and still feel.  The Dead Kennedys gave voice to my anger at the growing corruption inherent in "the system."  Other great bands gave voice to the various emotions, both targeted and untargeted, which i felt.  I was kind of glad when I realized that punk was dead. I didnt see it as punk losing its relevance.  The rebellion, the anger, the need for individuality at all costs, the need to destroy the illusions created by our consumerist society never lose their relevance.  Punk went from movement to influence, and it made me happy, it made me proud to in some small way have been a part of it.  <br />Then came the Offsping.  now dont get me wrong, the offspring are all smart guys, and they had some seriously catchy music.  But they were the opening of a floodgate of bands which took a vibrant and valid counter culture and debased it for commercial success.  Green Day, Blink 182, Sum 41, Good Charlotte and their ilk are musical incubi, sent to suck all the life, soul and power out of punk rock.  I mean come on kids, punk was all about ANTI-COMMERCIALISM.  How in fuck's name can you maintain even the facade of punk rock legitimacy when your music can be heard on any clear channel radio station?  How can you claim to be anti-commercial when your albums are produced by a big name label and have all the slick production value of a hip hop album?  the simple answer is you can't.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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          <item>
                <title>A new year looms</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22222145/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/22222145/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:49:30 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Yup kids, we have somehow managed to make it around the sun again.  Every year it seems more and more miraculous that we manage this minor feat.  Yes, I am a little cynical about the human condition.  those of you who know me know that I have a...voluminous gallery.  it is something of an art journal of my life since I started on DA.  those who have been paying attention have also noticed that my rate of submission has slowed immensely.  I used to think that in some small way, art, journaling the world around us, music, literature and poetry in some small way could redeem humanity and provide us all a small salvation.  every year it gets harder and harder to believe that dream.  In the new year I am going to try to get back to answering my call to create which has been overwhelmed by a sense of pointlessness for the past two years.  Maybe, if we all work at it, the dream can become a small reality.<br /><br />Now, onto my rant: rap/hip hop.  Living in the Atlanta metro area I am unfortunately bombarded by rap and hip hop.  now, i am a fairly open minded guy.  I never bash anything outright without knowing that there is a reason for bashing.  Get ready you two (my loyal readers,) because here comes the BFH (Big Frickin Hammer.)  Now that I have listened to enough rap and hip hop, i have the following problems:<br />1) if youre gonna call it music...PLAY SOME REAL INSTRUMENTS!  currently hip hop is nothing more than a poorly disguised rip off of 1950's coffe house beat poetry.  i dont care how many vocal effects you throw in, or how many computer created beats and samples you throw in, it is still just poetry recited to a beat.  Call me a traditionalist, but music implies actual singing and the playing of instruments.<br /><br />2) I've spoken to a lot of hip hop musicians and rappers.  Not a single one says a thing about the insatiable drive to create, the need to communicate and share one's own experiences, or the joy of creation when asked about why they do what they do.  The universal answer is "to make money."  once again, you can call me a traditionalist mired in the past all you want, but if your highest aspiration is to become a corporate music whore, then you are off the artistic roll call...permanently. This is not a theory, its not a matter of opinion.  it is a fact and i can prove it in 5 minutes with some scrap paper and an etch-a-sketch. I prefer my music to be made by artists.<br /><br />3) I am something of an elitist.  Sorry, i prefer smart people.  So, when an aspiring rapper tried telling me that rap has cornered the market on word play, metaphor and figurative language, i had to pull up a chair.  its easier to not fall on your ass while laughing that way.  Have any of you read any rap or hip hop lyrics?  They are written on a 5th grade level by and large.  Put 90% of hip hop up against Pearl Jam or the Doors, or John Prine, or the Pixies, or the Toadies or any of a hundred other bands i can list, and the hip hop lyrics seem...primitive.  Guess im a snob for liking music which makes me think AND feel.<br /><br />4) This is my other BIG complaint about rap and hip hop.  STOP STEALING FROM OTHER PEOPLE.  I mean the simplistic lyrics and lack of real instruments I can somewhat overlook, or at least swallow down my bile.  The theft of others music is what really gets me along with the corporate whore aspirations.  Be original for feck's sake.  Come up with your own damned sounds.  dont go ripping off guitar riffs and song intros, etc. from the Clash, or Ozzy, or Zeppelin or anybody else, unless youre gonna give them credit.  Bet ya'll didnt know that there are no less than 3 rap or hip hop "songs" which have ripped off the intro to "Straight to Hell" by the Clash, on the radio right now. I wonder if the estate of Johnny Strummer is making any royalties.  Probably not.  Dont tell me your "music" is all about creativity and self expression when you cant even come up with your own music consistently.  and dont even give me crap about "what about cover songs?"  there is a huge difference between an homage to a band which influenced your life, and just blatantly taking something that sounds cool.<br /><br />5) My final problem with hip hop and rap "music" is the radio stations which play it.  Are they all owned by clear channel?  every single rap/hip hop station ive heard seems to have a one and one half to three hour playlist on repeat.  At least they provide me with irony to laugh at.  So many of these radio stations bill themselves as having the "best variety."  someone explain to me how a repeating playlist offers any variety.  ive turned the question over in my head for a while now, and all it does is make my head hurt.<br /><br />Oh, and I wonder...does the rapper Nelly realize that his showbiz name is also common derogatory slang for an effeminate homosexual?  How long till we have a rapper named "Nancy Boy"?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>what the hell</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21976980/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21976980/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2008 08:58:54 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ women are so damned confusing.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>new camera</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21960994/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21960994/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 09:28:18 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I have a Canon 5D MkII on the way!!!!  Yay!!!<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Jesus Wept.</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21803077/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21803077/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 16:40:38 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ What the hell is going on here?  Gunmen in Mumbai kill over 100 people, including 6 Americans, a 7 year old robbed a 6 year old at knife point in a school bathroom, teens in Minnesota were caught sexually assaulting residents at a nursing home, but Plaxico Burris is what is in all the headlines.  What in fuck's name is going on here?  News of real import, news which people should know about, news which should breed righteous indignation, has been given a back seat to what?  A football player who is too stupid for his own good; that is what.  When did we quit caring?  Did I sleep through a meeting or something?  Why is it that a football player shooting himself in the leg at a nightclub qualifies for more news coverage than real news?  Face it folks, Plaxico shooting himself isnt real news, its entertainment news of the same quality as the most recent doings of Paris Hilton.   H.L. Mencken was right, there really does come a time when good men must spit upon their hands, hoist the black flag, and begin slitting throats.  I think we should start with the media.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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          <item>
                <title>Story of My Life</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21693312/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21693312/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 27 Nov 2008 06:48:30 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ High school seemed like such a blur,<br />I didn't have much interest in sports or school elections.<br />And in class I dreamed all day,<br />Of a rock 'n' roll weekend<br /><br />And the girl in the front of the room,<br />So close yet so far y'know she never seemed to ntice<br />That this silly schoolboy crush<br />Wasn't just pretend.<br /><br />CHORUS<br />Life goes by so fast<br />You only want to do what you think is right.<br />Close your eyes and then it's past;<br />Story of my life<br /><br />And I went down my old neighborhood<br />The faces have all changed there's no one left to talk to<br />And the pool hall I loved as a kid<br />Is now a Seven Eleven<br /><br />I went downtown to look for a job<br />I had no training, no experience to speak of.<br />I looked at the holes in my jeans<br />And turned and headed back.<br /><br />CHORUS<br /><br />Good times come and good times go,<br />I only wish the good times would last a little longer.<br />I think about the good times we had<br />And why they had to end.<br /><br />So I sit at the edge of my bed<br />I strum my guitar and I sing an outlaw love song.<br />Wonerin' 'bout what you're doin' now<br />And when you're comin' back.<br /><br />CHORUS<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Absolut Warhola</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21059538/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/21059538/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 19 Oct 2008 08:26:19 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ ok, so Warhol's painting (compiled series of paintings/silk screens would be more apropos, but I digress,) "Skulls" just sold for 4.3 million pounds!  Jesus wept.  that is about 8.3 million USD. Im in no mood to do the math to convert to rubles, pesos, euros, bhat, yen or any other currency, and you probably get the picture.  for those of you unfamiliar with the piece (thank god for a well rounded art history knowledge or I wouldnt have anything to write about,) it is a series of 10 canvases each with a silkscreened skull in the center and a shaded area behind them bisecting the canvas which has the feel of a wall.  each canvas is different only in it's color composition.  the whole meaning of the piece is basically commentary on the multiplication of death.  I guess the whole zendikesque downer message has kept this piece from being as well known as some of warhol's more iconic work.  Still, it is good to see one of the less famous works of warhol getting some deserved attention.  wish I could sell one of my works for 4.3 million pounds<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>all the legends are dying</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/20700306/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/20700306/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 07:23:44 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Yet another luminary has passed and the world is a little darker for it.  Paul Newman died today from cancer.  He was an amazing actor, philanthropist, auto racer and human being.  2008 has seen too many legends pass away.  Rauschenberg, Solzhenitsyn, Hayes, and now Paul Newman.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Dasvedanya  Aleksandr</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/19803597/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/19803597/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 06:51:22 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ It is a said day for the world and almost no one recognizes the fact.  Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn died at the age of 89.  Most of you have no clue who Solzhenitsyn was although if you grew up in cold war america, you probably heard tales of the gulags, and the torture chambers at Lubyanka Prison.  You knew Solzhenitsyn without knowing it.  Aleksandr was a voice of truth fearlessly crying out that something was wrong in the country he loved. He was jailed, tortured, and exiled for his love of his people and the truth.  It is only fitting then that he is buried at Donskoi Monestary, the final resting place of many of Russia's poets, authors, artists and philosophers.  He is in good company, the company of his true peers, the company of men and women who spoke out against an ethically and morally bankrupt system for the love of their fellow countrymen.  If you havent read anything by Solzhenitsyn, go out and buy "One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch."  It is a short book, but a powerful one.  The Iron Curtain may have fallen and the Soviet Empire crumbled, but truth and the heroism needed to speak that truth are enduring principles.<br /><br />"The truth? I will tell you of the truth, for the truth you must not stand, for the truth you must sit in jail and rot." - Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Francis Bacon</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/18332543/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/18332543/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 15 May 2008 07:37:53 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ So yesterday at Sotheby's it was a record setting day.  Francis Bacon's Triptych 1976 sold for 86 million dollars.  86 MILLION dollars!  For those of you unfamiliar with Francis Bacon, I recommend you go out and find a book of his work.  The man was a genius.  Lucien Freud set a record for sale of a living artists work at slightly over 33 million.  and Robert Rauschenberg had a piece go for 14.9million.  Why cant my art go for that much?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Robert, R.I.P</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/18315900/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/18315900/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 14 May 2008 05:46:08 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ For those of you in the know, the art world suffered a great loss yesterday.  Robert Rauschenberg passed away at the age of '82.  If you don't know who Robert was, then you should definitely find out.  After all, he was one of the driving forces in American art in the second half of the 20th century<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>Saw this on someone elses journal</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17827700/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17827700/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 13 Apr 2008 08:14:54 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Saw this on Konijntje's <a href="http://konijntje.deviantart.com/">[link]</a> journal and decided to fill in my own answers<br /><br />If I were a month I would be: September.<br /><br />If I were a day of the week I would be: Saturday <br /><br />If I were a time of day I would be: the magic hour<br /><br />If I were a planet I would be: undiscovered<br /><br />If I were an animal I would be: a wolverine<br /><br />If I were a direction I would be: West<br /><br />If I were a piece of furniture I would be: ecclectic<br /><br />If I were a liquid I would be: Guinness<br /><br />If I were a tree I would be: Japanese purple plum<br /><br />If I were a flower/plant I would be: clover<br /><br />If I were a kind of weather I would be: a North Sea squall<br /><br />If I were a musical instrument I would be: Bass<br /><br />If I were an emotion I would be: fulfillment<br /><br />If I were a color I would be: green<br /><br />If I were a vegetable I would be: bok choi<br /><br />If I were a sweet I would be: bailey's irish creme<br /><br />If I were a car I would be: 1971 Porsche 917-10<br /><br />If I were a song I would be: Adagio for Strings, Samuel Barber<br /><br />If I were a movie I would be directed by: Francis Ford Coppola<br /><br />If I were a book I would be written by : Henry Miller<br /><br />If I were a food/drink I would be: shawarma/Guinness<br /><br />If I were a place I would be: the mountains<br /><br />If I were a cartoon character I would be: Ren<br /><br />If I were a shape I would be: dodecahedron<br /><br />If I were a material I would be: Kevlar<br /><br />If I were a taste I would be: Bitter<br /><br />If I were a word I would be: Feck<br /><br />If I were an object I would be: Canon 1DS MKIII<br /><br />If I were a body part I would be the: Eyes<br /><br />If I were a facial expression I would be: Stone faced<br /><br />If I were a style I would be: renaissance punk rocker<br /><br />If I were a number I would be: 42...and remember "dont panic"<br /><br />If I were a Beatle I would be: John<br /><br />Now - Show me your answers!! Yes...I mean you...<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>IMSA vs. IRL</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17724309/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17724309/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 06 Apr 2008 23:28:53 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ I've just returned from a gig in Florida.  I was taking photos of the IMSA/ALMS (International Motor Sports Association/American Le Mans Series) and IRL (Indy Racing League) races in St. Petersburg, Florida.  I love racing.  It is infectious.  The smell of gas and burned rubber, the visceral quality of the noise and the amazing displays of athleticism can get inside you and captivate your mind.  I recommend everyone take the opportunity to attend a real race.  <br />This weekend though, I realized that not all racing is created equally.  The ALMS race was amazing.  4 classes of cars on the track at the same time.  For those of you unfamiliar with Le Mans style racing, that would be like putting Indy cars, Craftsman trucks, Nextel Cup cars and Busch Cup cars on the track at the same time.  The racing was amazing, especially the fight for first place.  Lucas Luhr in the turbodiesel Audi R-10 vs. Romain Dumas in the Porsche Spyder RS.  In the last half of the race these two battled each other for first place all the way down to the last lap of the race.  <br />The wrecks were good.  That means that the wreckage was mangled and everyone walked away unharmed.  it also means that the wrecks had a meaningful effect on the outcome of the race.  <br />Lastly the variety of the race was superb.  I've already mentioned the fact that there were four classes of cars on the track at the same time.  The variety of cars was even greater.  Audi turbodiesel prototype racecars, Lola/AER V-10 prototypes, Posrche prototypes (the spyders,) Acura prototypes, Porsche 911s, Ferrari F-430s, Corvettes, Aston Martins in two classes, even a Viper and a Ford GT.  The sounds were amazing.  the muffled roar of the Audis, barely audible over the whine of their turbos rattled your chest, while the high pitched scream of the Porsches tickled your ear drums, even through the hearing protection.  The dynamic range of the cars was also captivating.  From the long, low P1 cars, to the flowing lines of the ferraris, to the curvaceous flowing forms of the 911s and the Ferrari 430s it was a true feast for the eyes far surpassing the monotony of NASCAR.  There is a lot to love about the ALMS.<br />The IRL race today was on the exact same circuit.  As usual with IRL races, I was thoroughly underwhelmed (is there a middle ground as in "I was whelmed", but that is for another journal,) which surprised me.  I was expecting a lot more.  I've never been to an IRL street race or road race before.  They are a new twist to the IRL.  I have been to plenty of F! races though, and I guess I was expecting F1 type action.  I was wrong.  Yes, it was raining, but that isnt an excuse.  F1 has run in the driving rain (no pun intended,) plenty of times.  The same goes for the ALMS.  Neither series bunches up into a low speed car parade.  The IRL, on the other hand ran the first 22 out of 100 laps under yellow flag caution.  That doesn't lead to an exciting race.  There were no amazing passes, no incredible displays of driving skill, in short, no redeeming qualities to the race.  Combine that with the mind-numbing homogeny of the cars, and the IRL is just a racing series that leaves you flat.  It doesn't matter if they are racing on an oval, streets, or road track, the IRL is just boring.<br />In summation, I recommend everyone attend one real race in their life.  It is an experience you won't soon forget.  Just avoid NASCAR (a 180+ MPH billboard parade in a circle,) and the IRL (a 200+ MPH billboard parade.)<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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          <item>
                <title>Lenny Bruce where are you when we need you most?</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17672176/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17672176/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:07:44 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ For thirty years, many people, from journalists to musicians to artists, who are always quick to jump on the free speech bandwagon, have scrutinized, examined and praised the life of Lenny Bruce. More often than not, he is portrayed as the noble hero trapped in conservative America who is not afraid to speak the truth. This martyr-like quality often associated and adorned on Lenny and his life conveniently overshadows the flaws and imperfections of his personality, such as his unfair treatment of women or the fact that he would often turn his friends to police to free himself from drug charges. However, no amount of overzealous Free Speech rhetoric can silence two important facts: One, that Lenny was truly funny, even by today's standards; and two,  Lenny really did change the face of comedy. <br /><br />Before Lenny, comedy consisted of hacks who were doing "My girlfriend is so fat.." and "A Rabbi, a Polac, and a Greek walk into a bar..." type jokes. Lenny revolutionized the comedy scene by striping away the superficial banality and willingly standing naked before audiences exposing his thoughts and ideas. He paved the way for the Richard Pryor's, George Carlin's and Bill Hicks' of the world.<br /><br />The work of Lenny Bruce has stood the test of time and is waiting to be rediscovered by a new generation.  Lenny single handedly revived the tradition of comedy being an often times dark and tragic reflection of the attitudes of his society in his time.  This is a cycle which has begun again.  Every comedy movie is now a romantic comedy, and every sitcom is vacuous enough for an uneducated West Virginia inbred to understand.<br /><br />Go out and beg, borrow, steal or buy a copy of "How to Talk Dirty and Influence People."<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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          <item>
                <title>Calvin's dad answers all</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17665003/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17665003/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:14:35 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ ok, so some of you have no idea what Calvin and Hobbes was all about.  sad.  for those of you who remember, here are some of my favorite answers to Calvin's questions<br /><br />Calvin's dad answering questions, quoted from various Calvin and Hobbes books by Bill Watterson.<br /><br />Q. Why does the sun set?<br />A. It's because hot air rises. The sun's hot in the middle of the day, so it rises high in the sky. In the evening then, it cools down and sets.<br />Q. Why does it go from east to west?<br />A. Solar wind.<br /><br />Q. Why does the sky turn red as the sun sets?<br />A. That's all the oxygen in the atmosphere catching fire.<br />Q. Where does the sun go when it sets?<br />A. The sun sets in the west. In Arizona actually, near Flagstaff. That's why the rocks there are so red.<br />Q. Don't the people get burned up?<br />A. No, the sun goes out as it sets. That's why it's dark at night.<br />Q. Doesn't the sun crush the whole state as it lands?<br />A. Ha ha, of course not. Hold a quarter up. See, the sun's just about the same size.<br />Q. I thought I read that the sun was really big.<br />A. You can't believe everything you read, I'm afraid.<br /><br />Q. How come old photographs are always black and white? Didn't they have color film back then?<br />A. Sure they did. In fact, those old photographs are in color. It's just that the world was black and white then. The world didn't turn color until sometime in the 1930s, and it was pretty grainy color for a while, too.<br />Q. But then why are old paintings in color?! If the world was black and white, wouldn't artists have painted it that way?<br />A. Not necessarily. A lot of great artists were insane.<br />Q. But... But how could they have painted in color anyway? Wouldn't their paints have been shades of gray back then?<br />A. Of course, but they turned colors like everything else did in the '30s.<br />Q. So why didn't old black and white photos turn color too?<br />A. Because they were color pictures of black and white, remember?<br /><br />Q. Dad, will you explain the theory of relativity to me? I don't understand why time goes slower at great speed.<br />A. It's because you keep changing time zones. See, if you fly to California, you gain three hours on a five-hour flight, right? So if you go at the speed of light, you gain more time, because it doesn't take as long to get there. Of course, the theory of relativity only works if you're going west.<br /><br />Q. Why do my eyes shut when I sneeze?<br />A. If your lids weren't closed, the force of the explosion would blow your eyeballs out and stretch the optic nerve, so your eyes would flop around and you'd have to point them with your hands to see anything.<br /><br />Q. How do bank machines work?<br />A. Well, let's say you want 25 dollars. You punch in the amount and behind the machine there's a guy with a printing press who makes the money and sticks it out this slot.<br />Q. Sort of like the guy who lives up in our garage and opens the door?<br />A. Exactly.<br /><br />Q. What causes the wind?<br />A. Trees sneezing.<br /><br />Q. Why does ice float?<br />A. Because it's cold. Ice wants to get warm, so it goes to the top of liquids to be nearer to the sun.<br />Q. Is that true?<br />A. Look it up and find out.<br />Q. I should just look up stuff in the first place.<br /><br />Q. How come you know so much?<br />A. It's all in the book you get when you become a father.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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          <item>
                <title>Why God? Why?</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17641332/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17641332/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:55:19 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ "It seems less than half of the 1,200 American teens who were questioned in a phone survey knew when the American civil war was fought, and one in four said Columbus sailed to the New World some time after 1750, not in 1492. As the New York Times reported: "The group says President Bush's education law, No Child Left Behind, has impoverished public school curriculums by holding schools accountable for student scores on annual tests in reading and mathematics, but in no other subjects." In short, too much time on math and reading is dumbing down American students.<br /><br />Now, while curriculum narrowing under the unpopular NCLB has certainly been well-documented, I question whether the law is the reason that American 17-year-olds don't know the date of Columbus's voyage across the Atlantic. For one thing, I wonder how many American adults could answer the questions posed on that survey. After all, we live in an age when television quiz shows like Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? are smash hits, and President Bush's own press secretary readily admits that she's not familiar with the Cuban missile crisis."<br /><br />-Rachel Brown<br /><br />Ok, I'm just wondering who else is scared by this.  I'd like to offer my own pet theory.  The dumbing down of America is our fault.  Being literate, articulate, aware of the world around us and the events of the past which created the world we live in today just isnt "cool" any more.    We find it far more comfortable, and therefore socially acceptable, to show interest in pop (and I use this next word with great reservation) culture than it is to use one's brain for something other than hair fertilizer.  Thinking for ones self, and especially thinking deeply for ones self is the surest way to frighten people.  Wake up people.  We are living in a Nietzschean maxim: the surest way to disillusion youth is to teach them to hold in low esteem all who think differently.<br /><br />It is a sign of the decay of our culture.  Falling back on my favorite reference to the past, we are living in a new age of bread and circuses.  <br /><br /><br />Oh yeah, to continue playing off Wilhelm Friedrich Nietzsche, rigid fundamentalist religion is rapidly becoming the opiate and psychedelic of America.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Why did the chicken cross the road</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17605761/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17605761/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 12:41:40 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ And in the great tradition (which is at least two whole years old,) I found something funny, so I'm putting it up here.  From the internet.<br /><br />Why did the chicken cross the road? (As answered by historical figures.)<br /><br />Adolf Hitler: He needed lebensraum. <br /><br />Albert Einstein: It is a question about relativity. Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken? Whether the chicken crossed the road, or the road crossed the chicken, depends upon your frame of reference.<br /><br />Aristotle: To actualize its potential.<br /><br />Ayn Rand: Because as a thinking, independent being he had the will, the freedom and the ability to do so. <br /><br />B.F. Skinner: Because the external influences which had pervaded its sensorium from birth had caused it to develop in such a fashion that it would tend to cross roads, even while believing these actions to be of its own free will.<br /><br />Bill Clinton: He probably spotted a cute little hen. <br /><br />Buddha: If you ask this question, you deny your own chicken-nature.<br /><br />Carl Jung: The confluence of events in the cultural gestalt necessitated that individual chickens cross roads at this historical juncture, and therefore synchronicitously brought such occurrences into being.<br /><br />Darwin: It was the logical next step after coming down from the trees.<br /><br />David Hume: Out of custom and habit.<br /><br />Douglas Adams: Forty-two.<br /><br />Emily Dickinson: Because it could not stop for death.<br /><br />Epicurus: For fun.<br /><br />Ernest Hemingway: To die. In the rain.<br /><br />George W Bush: He selflessly faced the dangers of road crossing in order to liberate the less fortunate chickens on the other side of the road. <br />Grandpa: In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us. And that chicken would have had to walk barefoot five miles in the snow just to get to that road too! They just don't make them like that anymore!<br /><br />Jack Nicholson: 'Cause it (censored) wanted to. That's the (censored) reason.<br /><br />Jacques Derrida: Any number of contending discourses may be discovered within the act of the chicken crossing the road, and each interpretation is equally valid as the authorial intent can never be discerned, because structuralism is DEAD, DAMMIT, DEAD!<br /><br />Jean-Paul Sartre: In order to act in good faith and be true to itself, the chicken found it necessary to cross the road.<br /><br />Johann Friedrich von Goethe: The eternal hen-principle made it do it.<br /><br />John Sununu: The Air Force was only too happy to provide the transportation, so quite understandably the chicken availed himself of the opportunity.<br /><br />Karl Marx: It was a historical inevitability.<br /><br />Ludwig Wittgenstein: The possibility of "crossing" was encoded into the objects "chicken" and "road", and circumstances came into being which caused the actualization of this potential occurrence.<br /><br />Machiavelli: So that its subjects will view it with admiration, as a chicken which has the daring and courage to boldly cross the road, but also with fear, for whom among them has the strength to contend with such a paragon of avian virtue? In such a manner is the princely chicken's dominion maintained.<br /><br />Mark Twain: The news of its crossing has been greatly exaggerated.<br /><br />Molly Yard: It was a hen!<br /><br />Friedrich Nietzsche: Because if you gaze too long across the Road, the Road gazes also across you.<br /><br />Osama bin Laden: To strike at the heart of the infidels. Praise be to Allah! <br /><br />Plato: For the greater good.<br /><br />Pyrrho the Skeptic: What road? Was there a chicken?<br /><br />Ralph Waldo Emerson: It didn't cross the road; it transcended it.<br /><br />Robber Mugabe: To destroy the other side too as part of the decolonialisation process. <br /><br />Ronald Reagan: I forget.<br /><br />Schopenhauer: Because of his will. Just as the will of the earth, manifested in gravity, facilitated the journey. <br /><br />Sigmund Freud: As an expression of the repressed desire to have sex with its mother. The road symbolizes the barrier presented by the cultural taboo.<br /><br />Sun Tsu: It was a tactical retreat to enable the chicken to cross back and fight another day. (Jaco Strauss)<br /><br />Thabo Mbeki: It is Apartheid's fault. <br /><br />Thomas de Torquemada: Give me ten minutes with the chicken and I'll find out.<br /><br />Timothy Leary: Because that's the only kind of trip the Establishment would let it take.<br /><br />Tony Blair: Because it is the right thing to do. <br /><br />Werner Heisenberg: We are not sure which side of the road the chicken was on, but it was moving very fast.<br /><br />Zeno of Elea: To prove it could never reach the other side.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Songs of my soul</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17603252/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17603252/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:42:21 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ The Pogues "The Sun and the Moon"<br /><br />They snakes they can crawl<br />And the cheetahs they can bawl<br />And their ghosts can wait for the hereafter<br />But if you are so proud<br />As to say thats not allowed<br />We will get sick and choke ourselves with laughter<br /><br />And the girlfriends that you knew<br />To whom you promised to be true<br />Well have their sisters<br />Hanging from the rafters<br />And every dirty shade will rise rotting from the grave<br />Tomorrow will be just like the day after<br /><br />And this bitter desert wind<br />Will come ripping through your skin<br />And everything thats calm will turn to madness<br />And all of your fake tears<br />Will come whirling down the years<br />And what was kind and warm will come to sadness<br /><br />And the sun and the moon<br />Will come begging at your door<br />The stars will turn to rust<br />And drop from the skies<br />And everybody will soon be asking you for more<br />And everybody will be telling lies<br /><br />And the girlfriends that you knew<br />To whom you promised to be true<br />Well have their sisters<br />Hanging from the rafters<br />And every dirty shade will rise rotting from the grave<br />Tomorrow will be just like the day after<br /><br />Black Flag "Rise Above"<br />Jealous cowards try to control<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />They distort what we say<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />Try and stop what we do<br />Rise above<br />When they cant do it themselves<br /><br />We are tired of your abuse<br />Try to stop us its no use<br /><br />Societys arms of control<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />Think theyre smart<br />Cant think for themselves<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />Laugh at us<br />Behind our backs<br />I find satisfaction<br />In what they lack<br /><br />We are tired of your abuse<br />Try to stop us its no use<br /><br />We are born with a chance<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />I am gonna have my chance<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br /><br />We are tired of your abuse<br />Try to stop us its no use<br /><br />Rise above<br />Rise above<br />Rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br />Were gonna rise above<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Titanic V. Clinton</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17524571/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17524571/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:30:46 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ from the internet<br /><br /><br />Students were assigned to read 2 books, "Titanic" & "My Life" by Bill Clinton.<br />One smart-ass student turned in the following book report, with the proposition that they were nearly identical stories!<br />His cool professor gave him an A+ for this report:<br /><br />Titanic:..... $29.99<br />Clinton:..... $29.99<br /><br />Titanic:..... Over 3 hours to read<br />Clinton:..... Over 3 hours to read<br /><br />Titanic:..... The story of Jack and Rose, their forbidden love, and<br />subsequent catastrophe.<br />Clinton:..... The story of Bill and Monica, their forbidden love, and<br />subsequent catastrophe.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Jack is a starving artist.<br />Clinton:..... Bill is a bullshit artist.<br /><br />Titanic:..... In one scene, Jack enjoys a good cigar.<br />Clinton:..... Ditto for Bill.<br /><br />Titanic:..... During ordeal, Rose's dress gets ruined.<br />Clinton:..... Ditto for Monica.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Jack teaches Rose to spit.<br />Clinton:..... Let's not go there.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Rose gets to keep her jewellery.<br />Clinton:..... Monica's forced to return her gifts.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Rose remembers Jack for the rest of her life.<br />Clinton:..... Clinton doesn't remember Jack.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Rose goes down on a vessel full of seamen.<br />Clinton:..... Monica...ooh, let's not go there, either.<br /><br />Titanic:..... Jack surrenders to an icy death.<br />Clinton:..... Bill goes home to Hilary...basically the same thing<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>the world according to Stephen Wright</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17522138/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17522138/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 08:43:03 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ The World According to Steven Wright<br /><br />    * I used to work in a fire hydrant factory. You couldn't park anywhere near the place.<br />    * Last week, I went to a furniture store to look for a decaffeinated coffee table. They couldn't help me.<br />    * What's another word for "thesaurus"?<br />    * When I get real bored, I like to drive downtown and get a great parking spot, then sit in my car and count how many people ask if I'm leaving.<br />    * When I was a kid, we had a quicksand box in the backyard. I was an only child . . . eventually.<br />    * I bought some batteries, but they weren't included. So I had to buy them again.<br />    * For my birthday I got a humidifier and a dehumidifier. I put them in the same room and let them fight it out.<br />    * I have a switch in my apartment that doesn't do anything. Every once in a while I turn it on and off. One day I got a call from a guy in France who said, "Cut it out!"<br />    * I replaced the headlights on my car with strobe lights. Now it looks like I'm the only one moving.<br />    * I wrote a song, but I can't read music. Every time I hear a new song on the radio, I think "Hey, maybe I wrote that."<br />    * I got my driver's license photo taken out of focus on purpose. Now when I get pulled over the cop looks at it (moving it nearer and farther, trying to see it clearly)... and says, "Here, you can go."<br />    * I went to a general store, but they wouldn't let me buy anything specific.<br />    * I turned my air conditioner the other way around, and it got cold out. The weatherman said, "I don't understand it. It was supposed to be 80 degrees out today." I said "Oops . . ."<br />    * I put contact lenses in my dog's eyes. They had little pictures of cats on them. Then I took one out and he ran around in circles.<br />    * I spilled Spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.<br />    * My neighbor has a circular driveway. He can't get out.<br />    * I bought some powdered water, but I didn't know what to add.<br />    * I put instant coffee in a microwave and almost went back in time.<br />    * I have an answering machine in my car. It says, "I'm home now, but leave a message and I'll call when I'm out."<br />    * I bought a house on a one-way dead-end road. I don't know how I got there.<br />    * I have a hobby. I have the world's largest collection of sea shells. I keep it scattered on beaches all over the world. Maybe you've seen some of it.<br />    * I Xeroxed a mirror. Now I have an extra Xerox machine.<br />    * Last week I forgot how to ride a bicycle.<br />    * My school colors were clear.<br />    * I stayed in a really old hotel last night. They sent me a wakeup letter.<br />    * I'm taking La maze classes. I'm not having a baby, I'm just having trouble breathing.<br />    * When I was in high school, I got in trouble with my girlfriend's Dad. He said, "I want my daughter back by 8:15." I said, "The middle of August? Cool!"<br />    * My girlfriend's weird. One day she asked me, "If you could know how and when you were going to die, would you want to know?" I said, "No." She said, "Okay, forget it."<br />    * I went for a walk last night and she asked me how long I was going to be gone. I said, "The whole time."<br />    * My buddy got busted for counterfeiting. He was making pennies. They caught him because he was putting the heads and tails on the wrong sides.<br />    * He's in a minimum security prison now; he's on a whiffle-ball and chain.<br />    * Hermits have no peer pressure.<br />    * Whenever I think of the past, it brings back so many memories .<br />    * There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.<br />    * How much deeper would the ocean be if sponges didn't live there?<br />    * Did Washington just flash a quarter for his ID?<br />    * I just got skylights put in my place. The people who live above me are furious.<br />    * Imagine if birds were tickled by feathers.<br />    * I remember when the candle shop burned down. Everyone stood around singing "Happy Birthday".<br />    * I accidentally installed the deer whistles on my car backwards. Now everywhere I go, I'm chased by a herd of deer.<br />    * I got stopped by a cop the other day. He said, "Why'd you run that stop sign?" I said, "Because I don't believe everything I read."<br />    * It doesn't matter what temperature a room is, it's always room temperature.<br />    * Yesterday, my eyeglass prescription ran out.<br />    * I'm a peripheral visionary.<br />    * I make my own water - two glasses of H, one glass of O.<br />    * Ballerinas are always on their toes. Why don't they just get taller ballerinas?<br />    * The other day, I went to a tourist information booth and asked, "Tell me about some of the people who were here last year."<br />    * Why in a country of free speech, are there phone bills?<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>May God Have Mercy Upon Us</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17451285/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17451285/</guid>
                <pubDate>Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:39:31 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ So this evening, I was subjected to some real idiots.  I will spare you all the sordid details, but I have a few thoughts.  Actually recommendations, rules if you will.<br /><br />1) if you are too stupid to know what D.C. means in Washington D.C., sterilize yourself.<br /><br />2) if the limit of your cultural depth is Late Night with Conan O'Brien, sterilize yourself.<br /><br />3) if your children are afraid of fire, and you still insist upon taking them to a Japanese steak house, its too late to sterilize yourself, go Talk to Dr. Jack.<br /><br />4) if you haven't read a book in over a decade without being forced to, sterilize yourself.<br /><br />5) if you've made your political decisions without so much as glancing at the candidates' platforms, you are debasing the political process in this country more than it has already been debased.  Sterilize yourself.<br /><br />6) If you are biased against people strictly based on skin color, sexual orientation, or religion, sterilize yourself.<br /><br />7) if you have ever said "Asians are more attractive than the Chinese." Find a very tall building and remove yourself from from the gene pool.<br /><br />8) if you are a Christian Fundamentalist who thinks that the Taleban is any different than you are with the exception of being Muslim, then do two things.  First, quit calling yourself a Christian, and second go find a big pile of sand and a mallet and pound that sand up your ass.  Then take yourself out of the gene pool.<br /><br />9) If you cant use proper english, and polysyllabic words are too too much for you to handle, go to a vet and get yourself fixed.<br /><br />10) If you enjoy reality TV, then go out and play hide and go fuck yourself, preferably in the middle of a highway.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Singing The Praises</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17423688/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17423688/</guid>
                <pubDate>Thu, 20 Mar 2008 09:58:48 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ OK, this one is for all of you with SPEED channel on your cable package.  WATCH F1 RACES.  You will never view NASCAR with the same reverence ever again.  You dont have the drama or the rivalries in NASCAR like you do in F1.  You dont have the impressive heights of driving skill in Nascar that you do in F1.  And for you absolute speed freaks, on some tracks those F1 cars break the 200mph barrier, only to have to romp on the brakes so the can decelerate to 50 mph so they can make a hairpin corner.  F1 goes left and right, up hill and downhill which is a lot more fascinating than turning left 1000 times at 180 mph.  WATCH F1!<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Another Rant</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17394537/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17394537/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 18 Mar 2008 12:30:58 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ok kids, your Uncle Che has just gotten back from a couple of overseas trips.  I noticed something.  We, in the US are more and more going down the road of anti-intellectualism, and it is damned frightening.  I was amazed by the sheer number of book stores I saw in Melbourne and Australia.  I got into conversations with people who had informed opinions on subjects, rather than just the ability to regurgitate what they had overheard on CNN.  I actually saw people reading (something other than pulp novels.)  My ability to participate in coherent discourse  with people was actually appreciated, especially since I am an American.  It isn't just the intellectuals here at home that have realized we are dumbing ourselves down.  The rest of the world is starting to see that Americans for the most part would rather be fat, ignorant and entertained than informed, rational intellectuals.  The big topic of discussion when I said I was a "Yank" who had spent most of my life in the rodeo buckle of the Bible Belt (Fort Worth, Texas) invariably became creationism.  I wasn't surprised to find that with the exception of certain fundamentalist Islamic nations, there was no evolution vs. creationism debate raging.  People in other countries apparently have learned the simple task of accepting what is scientifically proven, and reconciling it with their religious beliefs.  It got to the point where when I was asked about the teaching of "alternatives to Darwinian evolution," I would just respong with "what, like Lamarkian evolution."  I also noticed that everyone I got into a conversation with tended to try to steer the conversation politely towards popular American TV shows.  It's sad that people automatically assume that ones cultural sophistication ends with the TV show "Lost."  Although, I do have to admit that I enjoyed the looks on people's faces when I said that I'd never seen it (I haven't,) and then began to talk about a book that I recently read on the opium wars, and how they paralleled the current economic policies in Asia (except that instead of opium, low cost consumer goods are the base commodity.)  In short, WAKE THE FUCK UP AMERICA!  Put aside your vapidity for a day.  Turn off the NASCAR, cook a meal rather than hit the drive through dollar menu, and read a book that may broaden your understanding of the world around you.  Remember, bread and circuses was one of the signs of the fall of Rome, and if 1000 channels of digital cable and a 5$ pizza mia isnt the modern equivalent of bread and circuses, then I dont know what is.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Hamilton Wins It</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17355399/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17355399/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:14:35 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Melbourne update: There will be partying with the McLaren Mercedes team tonight!  Hamilton wins by 5 seconds!  and leads all but 5 laps.  Way to Go Sophmore!  THAT is how you start your second season in F1.  and both the ferraris retired.  hahahahahahaha.  ok, time for more photos<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>yeehaa</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17353123/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17353123/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 15 Mar 2008 19:54:14 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ one hour eight minutes till the green flag.  Go Hamilton Go!  I still cant believe I actually got this gig!<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>what sucks in melbourne</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17350465/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17350465/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:38:37 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Wearing a pit suit and helmet in 95+ degree heat in australia sucks.  The race action is awesome, but having to wear this damned suit sucks.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>F1 in melbourne.</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17338781/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17338781/</guid>
                <pubDate>Fri, 14 Mar 2008 21:22:23 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Just a few seconds of spreading the F1 word...Hamilton at the pole position and raikonnen at the ass end of the grid, 16th.  Go Lewis Hamilton!  The kid is serious FAST.  remember, he lost the drivers championship last season by 1 point.  he's damned good, because oh yeah, last season was his rookie season.  brilliant driver.  no traction control means there were a lot more people in the gravel than usual.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Things Not To Do In Atlanta</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17276697/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17276697/</guid>
                <pubDate>Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:39:14 PDT</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ BASE (Building Antenna Suspension Earth) jumping is heavily frowned upon by the police in Atlanta, Georgia.  It was my first BASE jump and I had a blast, but the cops didnt think it was such a cool thing.  They confiscated my gear and took me through booking.  Then they kicked me out on the street on my own recognizance.  its a 1500 to 3000 dollar fine.  Buy some prints people, I need the money!<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>Mas A Colombia</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17223145/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17223145/</guid>
                <pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2008 11:11:29 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Ivan Rios killed by the Colombian government.  FARC is losing people left and right.  I think its a good thing.  After all, FARC is nothing more than an over glorified drug cartel, willing and able to perform acts of terrorism, hiding behind a failed political ideology.  We really dont need people like that in the world.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>back to bogota</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17202779/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17202779/</guid>
                <pubDate>Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:02:58 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ well, my brief stint with the colombian army is over.  got shot at twice and didnt get a photo that was worth a crap after the censors got done with them.  back to Bogota to finish my original assignment.  see everyone stateside in a couple of days.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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                <title>mas senor pete en colombia</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17183655/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17183655/</guid>
                <pubDate>Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:05:13 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Well, the past few days have involved looking for Venezuelan troops in the jungles of south america.  After having seen it from the air and the ground, all I can say is that now I understand a little better the experience of American troops in Viet Nam.  It was a whole lot of boredom and seeing nothing but green.  Not that I have anything against green, its my favorite color.  When you're trying to get good pics of venezuelan troops though, it sucks.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>the continuing travels of Che Gue Petey</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17145802/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17145802/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sun, 02 Mar 2008 09:13:37 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ Bogota, ahhh the capital city.  Just waiting for my security professionals to arrive so my writer and I can go hit the slums.  Dont get me wrong, I dont believe in communism or rampant socialism, but after all the poverty and squalor I've seen since I got here, as well as in my own country, I am left with some questions.  How can we as a species call ourselves civilized when we marginalize so many people and judge their worth by their economic status?  When did luxuries become necessities?  How can the rich turn a blind eye to suffering right at their doorstep?  I'm no bleeding heart liberal, but there has to be some way to improve the lives of these people, without just giving them a dole.  there has to be some way to give them the tools and opportunities to improve themselves.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
            </item>
          <item>
                <title>the further adventures of senor pete</title>
                <link>http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17140088/</link>
                <guid isPermaLink="true">http://Che-Gue-Petey.deviantart.com/journal/17140088/</guid>
                <pubDate>Sat, 01 Mar 2008 21:43:03 PST</pubDate>
                
                <description><![CDATA[ so colombia is different.  Its a lot like China has been described to me.  The rich are very rich and the poor redefine destitute and the middle class is miniscule (but growing.)  the weather in this place is quite possibly more schizophrenic than the weather in texas.  And dont even get me started on the plantains.  In closing I have a two new rules for international travel.  1) never eat in a restaurant with laminated menus.  2) never get drunk with soldiers or former soldiers in cities where many of the street names are dates.  oh, and never try to score weed from hasidic jews in central park thinking that theyre rastas.  but thats another story completely.<br /><br /> ]]></description>
                <author>~Che-Gue-Petey</author>
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