We, as a people, do some pretty dumb stuff. Some of us do stuff that’s even dumber than most of us. Dumb is just something we’ll have to live with.

But then there are things like this…

Photos are from GettysburgDaily.com

This isn’t dumb, it’s pure greed. Dumb is innocent (mostly), this is your basic, run-of-the-mill evil. The folks that let it happen might be dumb, but the folks who purposely put it there are greedy bastards.

Each year, the website Gettysburg Daily picks one “dumb” thing that’s happened to the battlefield at Gettysburg. Many dumb things are nominated, but only one can win.

This year’s winner was announced yesterday, on the 146th anniversary of General Dan Sickles dumb move at Gettysburg.

This building is this soon-to-be-finished Comfort Suites Hotel. It is located a handful of yards away from a historic cemetery and, though not on park property, it is on the battlefield.

Here is a bit of explanation…

It was through some fairly shady deals that it even came about in the first place. The land is part of Cumberland Township, not the borough of Gettysburg. Gettysburg gets all the tax revenue from the businesses and hotels – Cumberland just wanted their fair share, no matter the cost.

Of course, this is simply a disgrace. Here is a fine example of how we fail as human beings. There are many such examples, of course, this is but one of them.

Now comes the real question. Why is this still standing? It’s not protected by armed guards. It’s not surrounded by barbed wire fences. It’s made of wood and would go up quickly.

There are some radical environmentalists known as the ELF (Earth Liberation Front). They engage in property destruction. Nobody has ever once been hurt or killed, but GMO laboratories, Condominium buildings, and the like are damaged and destroyed. You may not agree with such tactics, but it does seems to drive the point home.

The ELF and your average Civil War buff have a gulf of differences between them. But them both hate development. Why not join forces? Why aren’t battlefield preservationists starting the BLF (Battlefield Liberation Front)? With the Wal-Mart coming within an angry mule’s kick of the Wilderness Battlefield and this utter disgrace at Gettysburg, their work would be cut out for them, but just think of the rewards!

Imagine how good you would feel inside if a structure such as this, right on the battlefield, so close to the cemetery, were engulfed in flames (either accidentally or on purpose).

The Gettysburg Daily is creating another award for the good things that are happening ob the battlefield. If the Comfort Suites Hotel were to suddenly be reduced to rubble, I can almost guarantee you that it would take home that award as well!

Today is Flag Day. Lots of different countries have a Flag Day. Usually it commemorates the day when the official flag was officially recognized.

I’m not really a huge fan of flags. I mean, I wouldn’t burn one, because that’s just sort of lame and pointless. But I wouldn’t salute one, either.

That said, this is my favorite flag:

Anyone have a guess as to what it is? Hmmm?

And here is Eddie Izzard to explain why we really have flags…

ps- The Gadsden Flag is quite nice as well.

After doing a bit more work on my scooter (ok, I adjusted a clutch cable – not really work), my ride is shifting like (vegan) butter. This is great! And while I was out riding yesterday, it again occurred to me how thankful I am that I don’t have a car. I pretty much hate driving.

I’m not smug enough to think that I’m saving the earth by riding a scooter. Hell, I mainly ride a two stroke. Sure, I get 65mpg, so it cuts down on some of that “carbon footprint” thing, but I’m burning oil (that’s what two-strokes do), and even though it’s a very clean burning synth oil, it’s still not great.¹

So what should I do? Buy a new scooter? Well, that’s what I did a year or so ago, remember? I bought a 2007 Vespa GTS250. It’s super clean and gets like 75mpg or something. Much better than a hybrid.

But that brings into question the idea of buying a new anything in order to be green. I didn’t buy the GTS250 to be green. Hell no. I bought it to ride across the country. And I did that. Twice. If you want to be “green” and need personal transportation, buy a used scooter, car, whatever. Buying new anything is not “green.”

I’m not a big fan of the “green” movement. Mostly it’s for very well off NPR-listening pretentious liberals. I’m very much not one of those things. Take, for example, this douchebag at Huffington Post. This is everything I hate about the whole “green” thing. He thinks that buying TWO brand new $7000 & $10,000 Vespas gives him green bragging rights (it’s about half-way down his rambling, self-serving article).

What he and most others don’t take into consideration is the “carbon footprint” of buying a new anything. And percentage-wise, the “carbon footprint” of buying a new scooter is pretty high.

If the douchebag wanted bragging rights, he could brag about buying *one* used scooter instead of two new ones for at $17,000 a pop. But when you’re fairly well off (and surrounded by others like you), I guess things like this don’t matter so much.

He even tells us how he goes shopping. Instead of buying less and packing it into saddlebags and a backpack or two, he hires a taxi to take the groceries home. What. A. Douche. Why not just take a cab the whole way? Wouldn’t that be more practical? Yes, but no bragging rights.

And as far as throwing some solar panels on his beach house… well, it becomes painfully obvious how oblivious he is to the real world. If you check out his energy consumption and his 300 gallon fish tank, he clearly doesn’t get that less is more.

I (and this douchebag) are lucky. We live in a place where we can ride year-round. He gives zero thought to anyone not living in California (big surprise on that one). Most folks need a car. People have families, live in places where it snows, etc. They can’t rush out and buy two brand new scooters for themselves.

And seriously, why two? He claims a 250cc is for around town and the 500cc is for longer travels. But I traveled 13,000 miles on a 250cc last year. Hell, the gal who did the Peace Scooter run did twice that in two years on a 125cc! Why not just buy one small scooter? They get way better gas mileage, have way less emissions and if you buy used, no “carbon footprint” from buying new.

I do wish I would have thought more about buying used when I bought the GTS250. I should have done that. But now that I have it, I’ll keep it and enjoy the ride.

From here on out, however, I’ll buy used. It just makes more sense. There are so many used bikes out there, why get a company to make you a new one? Oh, and I promise, no obnoxious blog posts about how I’m so awesomely green for buying used. I seriously freaking promise. If I do that, stab me in the face, ok?

1. Two-stroke engines, like diesel engines, emit more particulate. They look dirty, but actually, due to the efficiency and small size of the engines they emit LESS CO and CO2 than a regular car or SUV. [↩]

By now, most of you have probably seen the video of Bush getting a couple of shoes chucked at him after saying that the Iraq war isn’t over.

I have to credit Bush for having some pretty good reflexes. Maybe he’s had a lot of practice dodging stuff (heh heh).

But have you seen the follow up picture?

This isn’t photoshopped or doctored. It’s just the truth. George W. Bush is being stalked by zombies. Do you see him?

Not really sure what conclusion that I can come to with this one. I guess zombies exist and they’re after Bush. Does this disprove the theory that zombies are only hungry for brains?

Yesterday, we had a great Thanksgiving dinner at our place. Ryan and Jaime and the kids showed up. There was much food and fun and general hanging out. We had a great time spending time with each other, sharing each others company and conversation. I truly am thankful to have them.

Also yesterday, I received the obligatory anti-Thanksgiving MySpace bulletins. Being a vegan anarchist and having friends who are mostly vegan anarchists, I find myself running into some pretty angry folks.

My favorite was:

who calls Thanksgiving a holiday:

FUCK YOU.

Read a fucking book.

Seriously? Someone seeing Thanksgiving as a holiday deserves a “fuck you”? And what would reading a fucking book do to help this situation? I guess it depends on the book. I just finished one on the Oregon Trial. Really good book, but I don’t think it would have changed my opinion of Thanksgiving one way or the other. Please, angry people, be specific!

The person who sent it claims to be an anarchist and a vegetarian (I don’t think she’s vegan, but maybe she is now – goes back and forth a lot). And really, even at the most uber-annoying height of my in-yo-face style of pissing people off to the very thought and idea of anything I believed in I don’t think I was this angry/ridiculous.

Sure, Thanksgiving is a silly holiday. It’s one based upon killing birds for no real reason and a historical inaccuracy. Thanksgiving wasn’t even first celebrated at Plymouth Rock in some wacky festival thanking the natives for all the help. It was celebrated in Florida by Spaniards. What good can come from Florida (except the first couple Against Me 7″s)?

You know, being all pissed off and yelling “FUCK YOU” to people isn’t going to make them be all like “gee, you’re right, let me re-examine my entire lifestyle.” It’s going to make them say “pass me a turkey leg and fuck you too.”

But even above all of this, why not just celebrate it? You know traditional Thanksgiving is a crock. And I bet all of your friends know it too. So why not just get together, cook up some amazing vegan dishes and have fun? You can even dumpster dive the food if that makes you somehow feel better!

What’s the harm in co-opting Thanksgiving for our own means? What’s wrong with making Thanksgiving our own holiday? Sounds fairly revolutionary to me. Certainly more revolutionary than a MySpace bulletin. Just sayin’.

It’s funny (not really) how fans of things can really turn people off to the things that the fans are fanatic about.

Get what I’m saying?

Take the Grateful Dead, for example. I think a lot more people would like them if it weren’t for their fans. I could be wrong about that, but it does make a bit of sense.

It’s the same reason why my pal Calder stopped watching the Daily Show (well, one of the reasons). He was sick of latte liberals only getting their news from John Stewart and acting all smug about it. I’m sure he could explain better, but I be you see what I’m getting at.

I would like to see the movie W. You know, the one about George Dubya Bush. During the Afghanistan war (the war that most of you supported), I was standing on a street corner, often alone, calling for his head on a pike (give or take). It would be nice to see how it’s portrayed.

But because of the people who will, no doubt, be in the theater with me, I don’t think I can see it. At least not on a weekend night. This is the kind of movie you see at 11:20am on a Tuesday morning. Of course, that will be the day that the super cool Political Science 101 professor brings his classes to see it. During the credits is when he’ll smugly rail against the Bush administration, using words like “systemic” and “aberration.” During the credits is when I’ll go on a killing spree. Killing will be my business and my business is good!

Yes folks, smug academia has ruined politics for me… and I’ve come to return the favor.

Of course, it’s not all about politics. I also want to see Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, but will not, except on a Tuesday morning, because I don’t want to deal with little teeny-boppers (damn fool kids!).

Also, this is a good reason to not go to gallery openings and the theater.

Ohh the beat goes on…