My kidlet is at the age (15 next Friday) when she wants some answers to very difficult questions. She wants to know why there are so many starving, suffering people on this planet. She wants to know why humans are cruel to each other. She wants to know if the government of the United States is stealing the wealth and the resources of other countries so that our citizenry can drive around in SUV's. She wants me to give her the answers to those questions

Of course, I don't have answers. I have theories and ideas. I have feelings about her questions. I'm not a fucking encyclopedia or a history book either. If I become short-tempered with her, when she wants me to explain how Hinduism and Christianity are virtually the same belief system - before coffee she threatens to shut down our communication - because it's obvious I "just don't care"...

This comes on the heels of my receiving a communication from The Natural Resources Defense Council, which included a "personal" letter from my new "friend" Pierce Brosnan. He wanted to alert me to the fact that the US Navy will be blasting innocent, beautiful whales to death with sonar very soon. He wants me to give him at least $10 in an effort to end this potential slaughter. (Of course, he'd be very happy to provide me with a cotton tote bag for my trouble).

Pssst. Pierce, buddy - Give it a rest. The US Navy is going to blast those whales. They're probably going to die. And there isn't a fucking thing you and I are going to be able to do about it. Nothing. Nada. Zippo. The bad guys are running things now. Get used to it... Thanks for the pretty photo of the whale though.

August 17, 2002