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The TRJ ArchivesA few years ago, I started a webzine. When it first started, I don't think I knew exactly where it was going to go, and it didn't matter. It formed into something, and took on a life of its own, like I think most creations do. For over a year, a surprising number of people came together (without physically coming together), and expressed what was inside of them. Here is an archive of Text Radio Jesse, in its near-entirety, minus the pale-blue backround and light-green sidebar frame. "Commentary Track"s were written in 2006, by me, as a retrospective. They were not part of the original site. -Jesse Commentary Track: Wow, it's been almost three long years since the first issue came out. It easily seems that long, or longer. Not even a day out of the gates, and I'm already socking it to People Magazine. February 28th, 2003: Issue 1EditorialBy Jesse AbramWelcome to the first issue of Text Radio Jesse. Generally by "issue", I mean "day". Basically content is published as it is ready to be. This should make for a very non-stagnant sort of thing. None of that waiting a whole month or even a week, like People Weekly. Maybe their content would be more intelligent if they did spend a month making it. March 1st, 2003: Issue 2EditorialBy Jesse AbramWelcome to the second issue of Text Radio Jesse. Well, it's getting bigger everyday, if today and yesterday are any indication. This time there's an article in addition to the editorial. Enjoy. Get off the couchBy Jesse AbramWhen I really think about it, my problems are pretty small, relatively speaking. I live in a very peaceful, very nice country, free from war, famine, you name it. While engaging in a frenzied exercise bike session, it struck me that to starving children on the other side of the world, it must be something of a bizarre legend, the thought of these strange people that eat too much, and put effort into becoming thinner. Thinking about people who are much worse off makes "my girlfriend is mad at me" seem laughable. The next time it feels like your world is ending, I encourage you to ask yourself if it really is. Speaking of hunger, remember to go to www.thehungersite.com. If you're not familiar with it, it's a sponsor-financed site where you can donate food to starving people, for free, just by clicking a button. You can also link to several other sites with the same format, all donating to worthy causes. You can click once per day for each of them. March 5th, 2003: Issue 3EditorialBy Jesse AbramWell, I'm still the only one at the mic, and I have the freedom to talk about whatever I want to, so I'm in a good situation. I think I'll open with a statement: This isn't one of those trendy activism zines or something along those lines. My article yesterday was inspired by my own experiences, and it wasn't written to impress any trendy do-nothing-complain-about-everything types. Hunger isn't cool, so click and click. You'd really think someone's paying me to say stuff like that, like one of those badly put together commercials about teen drugs and such. Now that I think of it, what a crazy age we live in when you can't say something like "Hunger isn't cool" without sounding like a dork. It really isn't cool! In other news, send me your ideas about time travel, and I'll publish them. Commentary Track: Here, there is a bit of foreshadowing of things to come. Except the income part. The site didn't make a penny. I'm starting to express what I want the site to be like. March 11th, 2003: Issue 4EditorialBy Jesse AbramTime for another issue, all you loyal viewers! Well, I don't think I've had any visitors yet, other than me, but that doesn't mean I can't keep talking anyway. And I have a feeling you guys will come. I've got big plans for this thing. It'll be fun. Multiple writers. Income. Opinions that can be heard! I hope it happens. But enough about that for now. Oh and this isn't a weblog. If this was a weblog I'd be talking about my daily life. It's an eZine, and it's a darn good one. Commentary Track: Here's where things really begain. My dad forwarded an email to me, and it really got me thinking. I published it without permission, but I have a feeling the author, whoever he is, wouldn't mind. March 12th, 2003: Issue 5EditorialBy Jesse AbramWell, I finally put this site in to be indexed at Google today. I was curious to see if people would end up here somehow, even if I didn't take steps to make this more likely. Anyway, I hope they put me in their index, and if anything, the previous issues can serve as a retrospective on the origins of this fine site. Today I have an article written by someone I don't know. It's the most meaningful article I have ever posted here, and I beg you to read it. I received it as an email, and the following quote was written above it: The Wallby Alfred A. Hambidge, Jr.3/3/03 The snow was coming down pretty heavy as I walked towards the National Mall. I've always liked walking during a snowstorm; everything seems so quiet, every noise is muffled, even here in D.C. And this storm was a doozy, hammering much of the East Coast. I don't know why, but I started heading for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. There weren't many people there; few visit during weather like this. As I walked by the panels, relishing the stillness, I came upon a man in fatigues. Though one of those floppy green hats covered his head, he seemed under dressed considering the cold. The area around him was devoid of wind and snow, as if the Wall created a sheltered harbor from the storm. He was staring at one panel, at a spot about chest high. Upon my approach, he said to no one in particular, "Goddamn bastards are doing it again." The sound of his voice startled me; I flinched, and stopped. He turned to look at me. "We never learn, do we?" he asked. My quizzical look made him chuckle, and he continued as he turned back toward the Wall: "It never ceases to amaze me what we let ourselves be turned into cannon fodder for. We let ourselves get talked into all sorts of horror, and only after the body bags start piling up do we begin to wonder why." We both knew he had my attention now. "Know how many names are here?" he asked. "Something like 50,000," I replied. "You make it sound like a goddamn statistic" he said, "There's Fifty Eight Thousand Two Hundred And Twenty Nine names on this Wall." He said the words slowly, enunciating each one. "Fifty Eight Thousand Two Hundred And Twenty Nine. Every one of them a son; a brother, or a father, a husband, a cousin, a lover, a neighbor, a friend. Fifty Eight Thousand Two Hundred And Twenty Nine boys brought home in boxes. For what? For fuckin' nothing. And now the bastards are gonna do it again." "You mean Iraq ?" I asked. "That isn't gonna be for nothing. Saddam is dangerous, he has to be stopped." The man could barely conceal his contempt. "Give me a break. A danger to who? Us here in the U.S. of A.? Is his navy off our coast? Is his air force flying over our cities? The only danger he poses is to his neighbors, maybe, and they're so worried about it that they're willing to let us die for them, but won't fight him themselves. And they want us to pay them for the privilege. With friends like that . . . ." His voice trailed off. "Maybe you're right," he finally said, "this isn't for nothing. It's for oil." My raised eyebrows made him shake his head, and he went on: "I don't know what's worse. Killing people over political philosophy, like in my time, or for oil. Hey, at least this time we might get something for our blood. Like ol' Tecumseh Sherman said, 'Nations go to war when there is something to be got by it'. Now oil can be got by it. After a great start, we're gonna be no different than any other empire that came down the historical pike. "And I know what you're gonna say next. 'He sponsors terrorism'. Where's the proof? I thought we were going after bin Laden for that. But wait, Afghanistan ain't got any oil. So we need another monster, who's got something worth taking. And Saddam is so damn convenient. Yeah, he's an evil sonovabitch who deserves to be taken out, but are we the ones who should do it? Are our kids the ones who should die for it? Is he worth another Wall like this? "And what the hell is terrorism, anyway? It's not a thing; it's not a place; it's not a person. It is a political and military strategy, that's all. Having a 'War On Terrorism' is as ridiculous as having a 'War on Flanking Maneuvers'. You'll end terrorism when there's no longer anything for anybody to get pissed off about. As for now, maybe if we looked at why people are pissed at us, we'd begin to understand. Hell, it doesn't matter whether they're right or wrong; it's what they perceive that motivates them. What you have to address is why they perceive things as they do. Only then will you start to get a clue. And spare me the bullshit about them hating us because of our freedom. We haven't been truly free in a long time. And now we're letting all this demagoguery convince us to give up what little liberty we have left. Big Brother Lives! "Look at history, man. The Romans began with a republic, just like we did. The freedom and prosperity that followed made them complacent, apathetic. They became fat and happy, and mistakenly figured that government was responsible. Since their government was such a Good Thing, it didn't need watching, so few paid it any attention. Those with a knack for politics took advantage of that to increase their power, and also their stash. Eventually the republic degraded into an empire, and suffered the fate of all empires. They go broke trying to keep control of every place they've conquered. "We're heading down the same road. Only this time, it's happening faster. It took three, four centuries for Rome to decline and fall. We might do it in three or four decades. Hell, maybe three or four years. Or months! Who the hell knows?" He paused for a moment; I could see him trying to calm his breathing. He began to slowly read from the Wall, his eyes moving randomly over the panel. "David T. Hilton. William C. Langham. John A. Gibson. Richard Galan. Danny Lee Frye. Cecil D. Lamm. All these boys blown off the face of the Earth, because we just can't keep our noses out of what's happening on the other side of the world. Ever read George Washington's Farewell Address?" I shook my head. "He told us not to concern ourselves with what other countries are doing to and amongst themselves. He said it would just get us mired in a big mess. But did we listen? Nooooo. He warned us! Jefferson warned us! Most all of the Founders warned us! John Quincy Adams, about thirty years later, said 'America does not go out in search of monsters to destroy.' Well, now we do, John Q. "You know what I finally figured out? People don't start wars. Countries don't start wars. It's governments that start wars. Fuckin' governments. And we go along with it. Whenever you see a problem, social or economic or political, and think that government should do something about the problem, do a little homework and you'll probably find that government is the source of the problem. And war is just the epitome of government problem solving. So what if a majority thinks that this coming war is right. The majority is just something that government manufactures and manipulates to give the appearance of legitimacy to what government does. "And as for those government bozos who say that those who question their plans and motives is unpatriotic and aiding the enemy, well, they can just kiss my ass." I stared at the ground. Thirty years of fear, of doubt, of anger, of hurt, of rage, was coming out of him in a rush. It made me uncomfortable, but I couldn't move from that spot; I wanted him to continue. He seemed to sense this. "You know what really galls me? How those that seem to yell loudest for war have never seen one. They've never seen a buddy disappear from the waist up after a shell hit, then see his legs stand there for a moment before falling over. They never saw a friend all psyched up about going home tomorrow after finishing his tour get hit in the belly with shrapnel, see his guts spill out, then watch him try to gather up his intestines lying in the dirt. They never saw what napalm does do a little girl's skin. They never saw a 19-year-old from Iowa screaming and writhing on the ground because a mine blew his legs off. They never saw a man take a bullet through the brain, then watch his body flop around on the ground for a minute or so because it doesn't realize he's dead. They never put pieces of someone into a bag, not knowing who it was until you read the tags, because there wasn't any face left to go along with the other parts. They haven't seen the shit I've seen, and they want to do it all over again. Those bastards! "But what really makes me mad is how those who should know better seem to have forgotten. All those vets in Congress, POW's even, who know what I'm talking about, but will go along with the calls for war because it's politically expedient. Don't they remember? Do they really want another generation of kids to experience that shit? Have they gotten so accustomed to the trappings of power that people are just pawns, tools, mere things to be manipulated for their own ends? DO THEY KNOW WHAT THE FUCK THEY'RE DOING? "But it doesn't matter. We'll let them do it anyway." He began walking away, head up but eyes looking down. As he receded into the swirling snow, I saw him raise his face to the storm, toward Capitol Hill. "DAMN YOU BASTARDS!" was the last thing I heard as he disappeared into the white. I turned to the panel next to me. The wind and snow came heavier now; I hunched my shoulders and lowered my face. My gaze fell upon names near the bottom. William R. Hunt. David F. Bowman. Hector L. Sanchez. David W. Wooden. Gary B. Jones. Oscar L. Thomas. Ramon Hernandez Torres. Thomas C. Mays. Woodrow D. Adler. Jonathan Blue Jr. I wept. Commentary Track: This issue has an article from my oldest friend, Alex Jordan. A real piece of working-class reality. March 14th, 2003: Issue 6EditorialBy Jesse AbramHello everybody. As you can see, I've added links to back issues in my snazzy lefthand frame over there <- <- <-. It'll definitely come in handy when this page gets a mile long. I've got another article by someone other than me here. He's disgruntled, but he's not murderously violent. He's also got some positive things to say. Without further adieu... My PieceBy Alex Jordan03/13/03 I work at a job that has a high turnover rate. Usually an employee lasts one or two months. I've been there 19. I manage a gas station, and not a huge Petrocan or Shell. The gas station I manage is a small three-person operation. I personally have hired 9 people since I have been manager, and I have been manager since april last year. I have been lucky and gotten a few that lasted about 5 months apiece, but other then them it has been people in for a few weeks and then they either quit after their first paycheck or they have been horrible workers so I've had to fire them. I live in Calgary, and we have been going through a cold spell lately. Being one of the last full serve gas stations, we always get busier in the winter. Everyone who has been with the company for a while knows what the customers want and how they will ask you, and it varies from station to station. People at one station will shout at you through their windows, at another station they put the money halfway outside their rolled up window and ignore you, ASSHOLES. My store is the best of all. The people all, for the most part, get out of their cars. They will pump their own gas if I am busy and we will talk about stuff; nothing in particular, just "Stuff." "Hey Alex, did I tell you about This?" "Hey Alex did you hear about That?" Of course I see a lot of my customers every day, so I have heard a lot of their stories, and usually they repeat everything. I have quite a few customers that have been coming in every day since I have been there and they call me "Jason". When I miss a day they think that I have quit and believe that the employee that worked my regular shift is the new manager even though they only work 1 day a week. I have customers that teach me stuff every single day that I see them; some tell me that I am the funniest person they have met in a while. I get called an Asshole a lot of times, mostly by women in minivans don't read our signs properly and believe that they are entiteled to a "free with a fill give away" when they get $5 worth of gas. Most of the time I get called Fucker and jerk. These customers are my favorite people: They come in and yell to me what they want so that I only need to make one trip, and I usually have it in my pocket when they pull up because I see them coming. These are the customers that I see in the neighborhood bar after work. When it gets cold I get a huge quantity of customers that say, "How can you stand it in this cold? You should get another job." I reply, "I like it, This isn't the type of job that you stick with if you don't like it." It makes me wonder how many people would give up on a job if it gets a little cold. Maybe they don't realize that someone is depending on them to work at a job that they said that they would do. A lot of people don't think of a job like mine as a career, myself included. I read in the newspaper an article about a guy who has worked at a gas station for 47 years, 47 YEARS!!! , and he isn't the owner. How many people out there have jobs that they actually like, And if they do, what are they? I made myself a deal after I had been working for about 6 months here: I wasn't going to get a different job until I went back to school and got the job that I have wanted to do for ever. I get job offers every other day, mostly warehouse jobs and shit for 8 or 9 bucks an hour-What's next? Get a girl knocked up and work at the warehouse for the rest of my life? Thanks for the job offer but you can go to hell. It's a trap. They say 9 bucks an hour, and when you get your check, Hey! What happened to the 30 hours overtime every two weeks? For most of last year I made 7.25 an hour and 7.5 an hour, and I made $31,000 before taxes. My brother makes 12 an hour he is one level higher then me in the same company. He worked more hours then me, but here is the biggest scam in history: He is on salary. Now for my point, Commentary Track: I went for minimalism on this one. Or I was too mad to write. Sometimes wordiness just makes the point ambiguous, anyway. March 15th, 2003: Issue 7EditorialBy Jesse AbramWhat if someone told Bush to disarm? Would he be a terrorist for refusing? March 16th, 2003: Issue 8EditorialBy Jesse AbramIt's time for another issue! I went in a local peace march yesterday. Lots of support, but lots of angry looks and laughter as well. I don't see what's funny about people desperately trying to be noticed and listened to in a world where it seems like there just might not be hope. More sad than anything. But hey, maybe things will turn out. Maybe the human race will survive without having to burn most of the planet, and most of the people along with it. If Darwin is right, the end of the world would just be a sign that life on earth wasn't meant to be. Who's to say a universe inhabited entirely by minerals and energy and such has any less worth than one containing people? Oh, and I recieved an idea about time travel as requested in Issue 3, submitted by one of our readers and also one of our writers, Alex Jordan. He points out that we are in fact travelling in time right now, forwards and at normal speed. Thank you for your input. Commentary Track: Rawness at its raw finest. I've always smiled at the title of Ryan's article. March 17th, 2003: Issue 9EditorialBy Jesse AbramYay! We've reached 100 hits! I'm officially the 100th visitor to Text Radio Jesse! If all goes well, 200 will come in half as much time! Hooray! Happy counter birthday! Woo!
"Hi, my name is George Bush, and I'm a big ass-head..."By Ryan Rutley
"I have the right to defend myself if someone attacks me..... Oh, I beat him up 13 years ago and I _know_ he's planning to beat me up again...... I'LL FUCK HIM UP!!!"
Commentary Track: It's a shame, the 3 pictures that were originally in this article were lost when the owners of the account that they were hosted on changed ISPs. I learned a lesson about backing up remotely hosted web components. March 18th, 2003: Issue 10EditorialBy Jesse AbramHappy 10th issue, everybody! Tensions run high, and ignorance is stealing the idea. A meddling superpower, fuelled by an unholy mix of distorted religious views and rampant xenophobia is blundering its way into another sick move. I heard a quote on the news today (I don't remember it word for word, or for that matter, who said it) but it went something along the lines of "George Bush is squandering the global goodwill that stemmed from the September 11th tragedies". It's so true. He's using what remains of the following that he gained from tragedy in his own country to wage an unrelated and foolish war. Another thing that pleased me in American news was the brave comment by Tom Daschle, an American Senator, that basically said that he is disappointed in the president for his ineptitude at making any kind of diplomatic effort. Now everyone's mad at him for having an individual opinion. At any rate, although it is very likely that war will occur, I think it is also likely that outrage will follow, and the continually growing global hatred for the american government will continue to increase in power. For today's issue, we've got a very different format from what we usually do. It's what you might call a "pictoral". It expresses clear disgust for what the US is doing, through a combination of sarcasm and disturbing images. I'm not going to say "enjoy", but I am going to say "observe and think". "We must be the change we wish to see in the world - Mahatma Gandhi"By Josh GoldenbergThere used to be a picture here. There used to be a picture here. There used to be a picture here. Commentary Track: The war had started, and things had started to really snowball on the site, as well. March 20th, 2003: Issue 11EditorialBy Jesse AbramHi everyone. If you haven't already heard, the attack on Iraq began yesterday evening. I urge you to keep your mind open and unclouded by rage, and to observe as much of this conflict as you can. The more you know, the more power your words will have. We are fortunate to have more articles for you today, from some bright young individuals. To those concerned, they are in the order in which I received them. There is no favoritism in their published order. "To get to the rainbow, you have to look past the rain" - Dolly PartonA foreword to the following storyBy Lisa JensenThis story was not written by me. It was written by a dear friend of mine named Justin Holmes. I imagine that, even though the story's intent was to be originally for my own sole enjoyment, the story will put a smile on someone's face. It reminds me that life can be simpler than it's all made out to be. It made me feel as though sometimes, there's more than politics or feelings of fear or Bush or war in life, that there's something really worth living for. So, maybe you'll just read it and think "Oh, that's nice." but please, take a moment just to be happy, just to enjoy breathing the air in your lungs, to see the screen in front of you, to be digesting the food in your system. I offer this story as a reminder, if not just something nice to read, that life is beautiful. The world can be full of amazing things, love, life, feeling so strong that those can overcome any problem. Some things really are just that simple. A Love StoryBy Justin HolmesThis story is as true as a sunrise, and as non-fictional as the sky is blue-ish. Once, there was a girl. She lived in a town in a far off land, in a simpler time than this. It was the beginning of summer, and the sun was warm. One day, while tending a small flock of sheep on a grassy hill, she heard a whistling noise. Looking around, she spotted a young boy walking along a dusty path. He was whistling a happy tune, while walking with his eyes closed, and his face to the sun. She called out to him. "Hello!" She called. The boy looked around surprisedly. "Up here on the hill!" She directed. The boy looked up, and saw her sitting on the grass. "Would you care to join me for a snack?" She called. "Why, yes! I'd like that very much." The boy replied. He joined her on the hill. Over a delicious snack of cheese, crackers, and apple juice, they talked, and laughed. The girl found that she liked the boy's tussled hair, and boistrous laughter. The boy found that he liked the girls brown-green eyes, and the way she played with her hair when he told her jokes. They agreed to meet later, at the summer dance. The days passed, and the day of the dance approached. The boy met the girl with flowers, and they danced all night long beneath the stary sky, in the light of the moon. The danced long after the local band had packed up and left, and when they grew tired they lay down, and looked at the sky. The girl held the boys hand, and they found this made both of them very happy. They stayed fast friends for a few years, until they finally married, with vows to love each other forever and ever, and everyone who saw them said "There is true love, if I've ever seen it." Everyone who looked upon them vowed they would try harder in their lives to let those they loved know that they cared. And they lived happily ever after, and their lives were free of troubles, because their love was greater than any problem. The end. New PieceBy Alex Jordan02/19/03 Just the opinions of one person in a country far removed George Bush is an asshole!!! But who isn't? and if George bush is an asshole, what does that make Saddam Hussien? This war isn't about Oil, the only thing that this war has to do with oil is the fact that Iraq is one of the top crude oil producers in the World. Saying that this war is being fought to make sure that America maintains its oil supply is the same as saying that Germany invaded Belgium in WWII to secure a steady supply of chocolate and waffles, and that they continued on into France because there was a need for croissonts and baggettes. If this were about Oil Bush could just invade Venezuala, they are after all the fifth largest producer of oil in the World. No this is not an oil war. Yes gas will go up. Get over it. I will let you in on the secret of why oil goes up when there are emergencies and wars. The gas goes up because big oil can get away with raising the price. The main reason why oil went up after the gulf war was because Saddam ordered his retreating troops to torch all of the wells that stood behind them. These wells burned for 6 months and consumed massive amounts of profits. At the same time the profits were burning big oil had to pay to have the wells put out and repaired. How many people does Saddam kill every day? How many in a week? What about in a year? How many people has he killed in his life? How many people dead is a justifiable number? How many people dead is too many? I so far haven't killed anyone, and I don't plan on killing anyone. If a citizen kills one person they are put into jail and maybe given the death penalty depending on the country. How many people did Slovidan Melosovik kill? Do people think that the Balkan war wasn't justified? What is the difference between Slovidan Melosovika and Saddam Hussien? What about North Korea? Is it right to let Nucular Weapons fall into the hands of people that might not beable to control them properly? Is it right to only let a few countries have Nucular weapons? (the above was written while I was at work, I didn't know that America had started to bomb Iraq. I felt that i should still copy it out from my handwritten version word for word, but I also felt that I should inform the reader that it was written before the bombing began.) I feel that America should go to war with Iraq, unfortunatly right now all America is doing right now is going to war with the people of Iraq. The US armed forces could bomb the shit out of every square inch of Baghdad and they wouldn't come anywhere near Saddam. If Saddam is indeed still in Baghdad he will be well below the surface of the Earth, in a concrete bunker. I do not condone the use of so-called "Smart Weapons". There is no such thing as a 100% fail safe weapon. If Bush sends 1000 bombs into Baghdad, 1000 of those bombs will hurt Civillians. If my memory serves me correctly this whole recent "Your either with us or your against us" American stance started with Osama Bin Laden sending two guided "bombs" into the heart of New York city. I remember reading books and seeing films in school from WWI and WWII where the good guys and the bad guys actually had to make contact with each other to determine the outcome of the battle. Imagine that. If any readers want to comment on my article, or want to answer some of my questions with their own opinions please email me @ johnnycat01@hotmail.com March 21st, 2003: Issue 12EditorialBy Jesse AbramI've been watching the news this morning, and yeah, I'm shocked and awed. Shocked and awed and sick and horrified. Even the news reporters were having clearly very nervous reactions to what was happening. One of them said, in referring to the bombing of Baghdad, "Talk about weapons of mass destruction *throat clearing noise*." Later, one could be heard to say "Assuming 3 dead per ton of explosive, that's 9000 killed. That's like 3 world trade centers. None of these people attacked america." It's amazing to hear such people saying such things. I think the US is going to get what's coming to it in terms of world public image. No one is going to stand for this. I don't think they can even disguise this as humanitarianism anymore. No one can set a city on fire and act like they're being saints. I hope even patriots can learn to vomit over this. I do find comfort in the world outcry. This is an illegitimate war. It's not glorious. It's not even decent. People are seeing this. (Today, Josh Goldenberg was our 200th visitor. The success of this site makes me happy and proud.) March 22nd, 2003: Issue 13EditorialBy Jesse AbramHi, everybody. We've got more from Alex here, cover your eyes and point the children away! Just kidding. Widen your eyes and show the children. Piece #3By Alex Jordan03/22/03 Let me first make this statement. I am not about killing civilians. I am anti Saddam, and if it takes a war to do it then it is about time that we did it. Maybe if the US kills Saddam it will let North Korea know that any sort of debauchery will not be tolerated. I feel that it is wrong to kill innocent people (of course). I think that all wars should be fought man to man. I want to write a piece on "What is the world coming to?" I was out drinking tonight, and as I was on my way home, I noticed an altercation. Now those of you that are reading this that live in a town or city of less then 500,000 try to understand this from a Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Quebec City, Ottawa, Edmonton, Calgary pointy of view. When you see an altercation in a big city YOU DO NOT GET INVOLVED. I was riding my bike past a guy that was walking across the street. He was almost across the road when a car drove by and honked their horn at him. He should have kept on walking but instead he yelled at the car to "Shut the fuck up!" I yelled to the pedestrian "Shut the fuck up and run away!" The car came to a halt, and out popped 4 Lebs (here in Calgary we have a problem with Lebanese gangs). I rode my bike to the other side of the parking lot. I yelled " Run away dude it's 4 against 1!" and then I yelled at the 4 other people "live and let live man!" As I was saying this I rode away very fast. When I was about 50 feet away I turned around and saw a guy swing a slingshot (David and Goliath style) and smacked the dude in the head with an empty SOBE bottle that was in the slingshot. They then smacked him with another one. At this point they started looking around for witnesses. They yelled at me " What the fuck did you just see?" I did the cowardly thing and started screaming as I rode away "I didn't see anything and I am riding away right now." I must have yelled that about 5 times (Calgary has had a recent spree of drive-by shootings and gang shootings and I didn't want to be the next victim.). As I was riding away I passed a girl and a guy who where walking towards the altercation. I yelled at them to stop and turn around so they wouldn't be the next victims. The girl ran towards the altercation screaming for the guys to stop and for her friend to do something. The guy she was with stopped and waited with me until the Lebs drove away. The other dude and I went over to the scene and saw that the guy who took two SOBE bottles to the head was still yelling after the guys to come back and fight. We told him that he was hit with a couple of bottles and, he didn't believe us until we showed him a mirror and he saw the blood coming out of his ears. We called and ambulance and I am sure that he is in the hospital as I am writing this. What kind of sick world do we live in where not only do guys attack a person 4 to 1 but the group of 4 is also carrying weapons? Oh yeah I feel really bad for not intervening but YOU DO NOT GET INVOLVED. The only consolation that I have is that if I had tried to stop it, it might have been me in the hospital. March 24th, 2003: Issue 14EditorialBy Jesse AbramI have to say, I'm more sickened by the war today than I have been the whole time. Brutally murdered and possibly tortured soldiers. Air crash after air crash after air crash. Peaceful people with blood coming out of their mouths. I don't think this war is just going to change how people think about war. I think it's going to change people. Period. Here's Ryan. Untitled - March 23By Ryan RutleyRead Alex Jordan's piece before you read this... The US Army is attacking the people of Iraq 4 to 1... Fuck it, they're attacking them 50 to 1, 100 to 1, more... The US Army is firing missiles into Baghdad at a rate of too goddamn many an hour... The Marines are a half a day _ahead_ of schedule... The Marines are notorious for staying on schedule... They're _ahead_ of schedule... The US Army is gathering a fucking gang to beat the hell out of people who did nothing but try to live a decent life under a brutal dictator that THE US SPONSORED IN THE WAR AGAINST IRAN... Sure, Saddam is a bad man... But for the love of Christ, the Bush Administration and everyone on the NSC, the CIA, anyone involved in giving Halliburton the OK to rebuild Iraq, _THEY ARE ALL BAD MEN_..... Did they use chemical weapons against Kurds in northern Iraq? No... But sure as fuck they made a profit giving Saddam the technology in the first place...... Sure, Saddam Hussein is a bad man... Saddam Hussein should not be the head of _any_ nation... But, for the love of Christ, the United States should take some goddamn responsibility.... The US cruise into Baghdad in a month, or a week, or a day and a half, they shoot Hussein like a dog in the street, it's more of the fucking same... They install a CIA sponsored "democracy" and keep a close close eye on it... The second their hand-picked leader gets voted out in a democratic ("democratic"?) election, say in five years, there'll be trouble... Who'll replace him? A Muslim fundamentalist, or a left-winger... My bet is Muslim fundamentalist... And we all know how the US Government feel about _them_... Then it's more of the same, the US sponsor Iran in a war against Iraq, or we have what the fuck ever, but it's no different from Nicaragua, Iran, Afghanistan (in 1979 _and_ 2002), Cuba, Chile, Viet Nam, Korea, the list goes on and on and will go on and on until the US just gives up...... This war may end with Hussein out of office, and probably will... Sure, Saddam is a bad man... I will never deny that... _But will things turn out better?_ Sure, McDonalds is bad, but it does no good to boycott McDonalds and go across the street to Burger King... Saddam may be killed in this war, or exiled, or who fucking cares, but Burger King will be the next President of Iraq... One bad man gone with another bad man to replace him, hand selected by a fucking committee of bad men who stand to gain in any number of immoral and disgusting ways from Burger King's appointment.... Will the United States government ever take any goddamn responsibility? Will they ever stand up and say "Saddam is a bad man, no question, and we recognize our responsibility in helping him to get to where he is... We're sorry, we'll clean up this mess in the old fashioned way, but after that, no more.... We'll let the UN handle military operations, and the CIA, the NSA, no other American government organization will ever interfere in the politics of countries where we have no business poking around"? I think not.... I don't even think that would solve anything.... We have to realize that there is an Us and a Them... But who the Us is and who the Them is isn't set in stone... The Us are the people committed to peace, committed to love and non-violence, committed to making a better world and destroying the mechanisms of power that allow one person to hold domination over another, and in fact make it extremely difficult and often seemingly impossible _not_ to perpetuate that domination... We are committed to a better fucking world and we're committed to leading by example... We know full well that people don't like being told what to do, because we've seen that telling people what to do rarely accomplishes anything but perpetuating violence, hate, and resentment... We will lead by example... There is a Them... But we have to remember that at any time one of Them can become one of Us... We have to welcome any one of Them that wants to join Us.... Fuck.... We can win this... We _will_ win this, but it may be that no-one living now will be around to see it.... It may be that no-one living now will be alive at the same time as anyone who lives to see it... And it may be that our children never know what it's like to see the most powerful man in the "free" world stand up on TV and say that he's going to blow up a bunch of ordinary folks that did nothing but live in the towns that their grandparents grew up in, and that he giving them "Freedom" by doing so... I'm sure the Iraqi people don't like Saddam... I wouldn't... But I also know I wouldn't like a big fucking bomb to land on me, or my friends, or my parents, or the girl that I love but never worked up the courage to tell her... That doesn't sound like freedom to me... Bah... Or maybe I'll wake up tomorrow, flick on CNN, and realize that America and The People of Iraq love Freedom, but Saddam and the people who oppose The War hate Freedom.... Not goddamn likely.... Commentary Track: I de-linkified the "Right Thinking" link for this archival version. Last time it caused something of a flame war, when the site owners discovered the inbound link in their site logs. No need to have something like that happen again, in this day and age. March 27th, 2003: Issue 15EditorialBy Jesse AbramHi. I've been led to a site that's been described as "like the complete opposite of my site". I've decided to post a link to it, not out of admiration, or even respect, but to show you what some other people believe. It's called Right-Thinking From The Left Coast. Some of the stuff there made me feel quite ill. I think people have a lot to learn. Little bit of literature.....By Ryan RutleyIf I was in Europe, man, I wouldn't be worried about writing essays.... I'd be polishing up my Italian, finishing off the spaghetti I made earlier in the night, listening to rad Italian public radio.... I'd be reading some Otherland, or some Foucault, or some Taoist poetry...... I'd have all the lights off but a few lamps to read by.... I'd get my laundry from the machine downstairs, hang it up to dry and brush the soap residue from my good shirt... I'd polish up a few Italian phrases, like "You look lovely today... Are you busy this weekend?" The next day I would work up the palles to ask the cheesemaker's daughter, Nicola, out to dinner for Friday night.... God, she has such beautiful black hair, so thick and curly...... And those eyes......." And she'd say yes, and she'd say it in English cause her English is better than my Italian, but she thought it was cute that I tried...... And on Friday afternoon I'd go shopping to pick up groceries for dinner.... Some sausage from Mr. Pirelli, some fresh foccacia from Mr. Carbone, and, god, some of Mrs. Ferdinelli's fresh fettucini.... Bellissima..... Produce from Antonia, cause it's Mr. Durutti's day off..... I got the cheese Thursday afternoon, though, cause that's Nicola's day off... Not like she doesn't know I'm cooking her dinner, but you gotta maintain some secrecy...... Old parmesan and a bit of Asiago Fresca........ _That's_ what I'd be doing if I was in Europe right now, but instead I'm writing a fucking essay.... EssayBy Lisa JensenThe night sky spoke to me, whispering in my ears, slowly twirling my hair over my face. He then brushed each delicate strand away with a gentle, gracious gesture. Nature was speaking to us, holding out its hand, and summoning the waves over the speckled sand beneath us. Rumbling surf interrupted soft undertones of breath, beckoning to us. Few glances were exchanged, as both of us were completely absorbed with the abyss of the ocean. The siren of the sea was singing, persuading us to become a part of her. I met him at a lesson in the city. The two of us were buying monthly passes. Conversation started and there was a flicker of chemistry. He suggested a meeting in the same building later that evening. When I arrived, there was no hesitation. We decided to go together, immediately and intimately, plunging in. That day, we expressed what we could not for the entire beginning of our then wasted lives. I felt as though I was whole, my heart beating at one with my perfect surroundings. These meetings continued, yet, something was missing. The busy city and curious eyes became entirely too overwhelming for us and made us want to get away. Eventually, we had to leave. The quick arrival of summer came to save us. New seasonal cabins were being built on the beach, an option readily available that seemed to be the perfect escape. We rented a cabin together right on the shore. There we could be indulge ourselves everyday, without fear of misunderstanding, or judgement. Neither of us had ever been happier in our lives. The summer soon came to it's untimely end and as we sat on the sand on a wool blanket it was hard to keep the tears from pouring down our faces, yet, restraint took over. Soon we would have to return to our mediocre lives and to pointing fingers and snickering faces. He spoke to me then, "Lisa, these have been the best times of my life. I don't want this to end. Promise me you'll never forget what has happened this summer." I could feel his sadness through the whimper of his chin, pulling back his emotions. "Of course not, Josh. How could I ever forget what we have done for ourselves? How could I ever forget the times we had and the love we share? These have been the best times of my life too but we need to go back to the real world. Back to school, to work, to the swimming pool." He vaguely smiled and looked up at the twinkling stars which, as he once told me, reminded him of the burning lights of streetlamps in the city. I looked up too and saw a shooting star amongst twilight and flickering satellites. In the corner of my eye, I could see the reflection of Joshua's disapointed face. Joshua got up and walked away. I ran to catch up to him "Joshua," I said, "you know there will always be more times that we can do this." He stopped moving and turned to hug me. I held his shaking body tightly and felt his hard, heavy breath against my chest. "I know," he said, "but it's just not the same. There will always be the other people, the ones who'll say 'What do you have on your feet?' or 'Nice eyewear' and just laugh. They will judge us and make us feel different and act differently around each other. That's just what happens in public." "Joshua," I said, "there will always be next summer and you know that I will never forget about the times we've had." He looked down at his feet for a moment like he used to at the swimming pool, before the beach, before he knew what it was like not to care. I knew he was scared. He had the eyebrow twitch I'd seen as the snickering passer-bys would stare and be amused as we'd slip on our goggles, put on our yellow duck feet and plunge into the water. I suppose at that moment I realized the impact of the return to the city. Snorkelling in the city could never be the same as it was that summer. The sheer excitement of the raw sea, the intimacy with my lover, the ocean, could not be easily replaced. My snorkel and my flippers could never feel the same on my body having to return to a concrete cocoon of chlorinated water. On-lookers and curious cretins just looking for a good laugh would surround Joshua and I. "Come on, let's go pack," I said. "Alright, let's just get going then, maybe we can make it to the pool before it closes." A thin smile passed in his face, but dissolved into a quivering frown. We linked arms as we walked back to the cabin, never to forget the pure shimmering view we last saw there. Commentary Track: Links blanked again, as per the aforementioned reason. April 15th, 2003: Issue 16EditorialBy Jesse AbramThe floodgates have opened. I recieved 5 pieces of hate mail in one day, all from disciples of Right-Thinking. In addition, an immense thread has been started on the site, dedicated to bashing Text Radio Jesse. It's called Correcting Jesse. The title makes it sound like a prescription for a lobotomy, or perhaps electroshock. Anyway, give anything too much adieu and it constitutes "building it up too much". Go check it out. April 16th, 2003: Issue 17EditorialBy Jesse AbramToday I have a quote from a very smart man. Thanks to Andrew Garber for providing the quote. Wise Words"He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. This disgrace to civilisation should be done away with at once. Heroism at command, senseless brutality, deplorable love-of-country stance, how violently I hate all this, how dispicable and ignoble war is; I would rather be torn to shreds than be part of so base an action! It is my conviction that killing under the cloak of war is nothing but an act of murder." - Albert Einstein Commentary Track: The picture in this one got wiped out as well, by the ISP change mentioned in an earlier Commentary Track. Maybe it's more fun if it stays a mystery? April 21st, 2003: Issue 18EditorialBy Jesse AbramThis image link was sent to me by a friend. He won't tell me what the image is, and I'm trusting him that it's good. He wants me to be surprised. Here we go! The Mysterious ImageBy J.M. DaltonThere used to be a picture here. May 16th, 2003: Issue 19EditorialBy Jesse AbramAs many positive factors have dragged me out of my absolutely painful depression, I've returned to give this wonderful entity the attention it deserves. Story of Recent InspirationOr, Lisa destroys the world and feels regretBy Jesse AbramLisa awoke one morning and felt an odd feeling. It wasn't a bad feeling, but to call it a good feeling would be insane. She wandered around the room a few times, and drifted down the hallway. She looked at the ground. Her feet were there, as they were every day, in addition to a pen lid. Her stomach did an unpleasant sort of flip, and she marched purposefully to the living room. The tarp came off, the strings sawed deliberately with penknife. Switches flipped, lights blazing. Electromagnetic hum rose from inaudible to deafening... The fire went east and south, and the western world was soon an extremely shiny, oblong black rock. Next, the brilliant blue arcs danced eastward still, and a sight much like the most beautiful of sunsets lit up the eastern sky, although the sun was roughly overhead. Panting, first fast, then slower and slower, finally turning to normal breathing, Lisa lowered her arms. She sat for awhile, on the moderately dirty shag carpet. After awhile, she got up and just stood. She realized: The feeling had not left her. It was all gone but IT was not all gone. EpilogueThe tarp came off, the strings sawed deliberately with penknife. Switches flipped, lights blazing. Rocket blast rose from inaudible to deafening. Lisa rose into the darkening sky, the cool light of the stars washing over her. To Be Continued... Commentary Track: Another lost picture in this one, too. Same reason. This issue seems to be the origin of my tendency to talk about what I eat, online. Also, it seems Gus and Justin have pretty much packed up their Orange Arrow operation, but the site still exists, for you to see and enjoy. May 28th, 2003: Issue 20EditorialBy Jesse AbramHello, hello! We have a new writer, and his work amuses me. It's supposed to, don't worry. It's not like "ha ha, what a terrible story!". It's like "ha! ha! amusement is intended!". Just thought I'd clear that up. Also, we've got another picture work from Josh Goldenberg, it terrifies me, but I'm publishing it anyway. Have a good day. Oh, and go to The Orange Arrow, It's Gus(the new writer) and his friend Justin's webcomic (increda-amusing, go!)! A Girl Named DottieBy Gus ArguetaA couple days ago, in a land about a day or two by car from here, there was a girl named Dottie. Dottie was a reasonably happy girl, despite the fact that when she was four, her parents had been slaughtered by a pack of intelligent dinosaurs. Dottie was adopted by a dog who wore a bowler hat and a cat with a flower on her head. Dottie was reasonably happy with her adopted parents until she got to be around fifteen and found it frustrating to convey even the simplest concepts to her parents. They were turbulent times but Dottie matured and somehow managed to live off the salaries of a police-dog and a cat who sold wool blankets on the internet long enough to see her eighteenth birthday. Dottie was excited about her birthday party and invited everyone she knew, even people who didn't really like her very much but wanted free food. She was a well-liked girl, despite the obvious social impediment of being raised by two creatures of a lower species. She had enough friends to be sure she wasn't a pariah and enough boys oggled her that she was certain she wasn't completely unattractive. Yes, life had been average to Dottie. But as she sat in her room, getting ready for her party she couldn't help but feel that something was missing, and it wasn't her birth parents. No, it was something more. For even though Dottie had lived a mediocre life and had a reasonable amount of experiences she had never found the one thing all humans seek, a detergent that will get out tough stains without fading even the brightest colors......I mean, love. Dottie had dated quite a few boys but she had never really been in love. This strongest of human emotions had evaded her and she wasn't getting any younger. Dottie was starting to think she might never know what love was. But she put all this in the back of her mind, for it was party time. And we came to party. Paaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrtyyyyyyyyyyy Haaaaaaaaaaaaaard. Oontz Oontz Oontz, Oontz Oontz, Oontz Oontz Oontz Oontz, Oontz Oontz, Oontz Oontz Oontz, Oontz Oontz Oontz, ELECTRIFYING! Oontz Oontz Oontz, FEEL THE RHYTHM! Oontz Oontz Oontz, GET ON THE DANCE FLOOR! Ahem, anyways....Dottie went downstairs and out into the backyard(the only place that didn't smell like dog) to to sight of a reasonable turnout of her friends as they ate snacks and conversed and basically got their groove on. As she stepped out, some, but not all or even most of the party goers turned their heads to see her. Dottie was adequate. She wore her normal brown hair down, as she did sometimes. The new red dress her friend had told her looked 'Huh? What? Oh, it's fine, just fine.' did an excellent job of covering her up enough so she didn't feel trashy, but still showed enough that the boys would be able to see her standard female body. An expected number of people walked up to congratulate Dottie. "Wow, Dottie!" said Philburg, "I can't believe it's not butter!" Though no one else realized this, Philburg had been trying to drop a new catch phrase into everyday use. A task better left to people who were not as stupid as Philburg just happened to be. Look at him....all stupid....what a putz.....oh...wait...you can't see him....well, believe me. He looks like an idiot. Dog-pepper. "Gee Dottie," said Rowina, "I really hate my name." "I'm a tube of sealant," said a tube of sealant. "Why thanks everyone." Dottie said, using her talent of moving air through her vocal chords into her mouth and past her lips in order to make a variety of noises, a talent just common enough that it did not make Dottie special by any stretch of the word. Just then, Dottie saw out of the corner of her eye something that shattered her fragile human brain. The pack of dinosaurs that had killed Dottie's parents had returned to kill Dottie on her eighteenth birthday. Dottie's dog and cat...I mean mom and dad, rushed out to get a head start on the running before the dinosaurs got to the killin'. Suddenly, out of the corner of Dottie's other eye came a glimmer of hope. Dottie took a closer look and her optimism was asserted! It was a man on a motorbike jumping the fence into her yard. At first Dottie couldn't believe it, as this deus ex machina type of plot device wasn't something Gus would normally stoop to while writing a story. But it was getting late and Gus wanted to go to bed soon, preferably before the howling of wolves outside his window got too loud for him to drown out. The man on the motor bike did a forward flip off of his Harley in mid-air and went superman right into the pack of dinosaurs. The dinosaurs opened their mouth in anticipation and were not disappointed when the brave fellow ripped himself into equal pieces and hopped into each of the dinosaurs mouths. The dinosaurs were elated, never had a meal been so easy. Now it was time to eat Dottie, for no other reason than they were big jerks and liked to eat people. Fortunately for Dottie, the dinosaurs had never thought that the man on the motor bike was actually still alive and was really a metahuman with the ability to make duplicates of himself by ripping himself to shreds. Possibly the reason the dinosaurs had never surmised this before was because they were just stupid dinosaurs, with brains the size of fruit that's not fit to be sold. The duplicates quickly reformed themselves in the warm, womb-like stomach of the dinosaurs and with a triumphant flex of their respective muscles, the men tore the bodies of the dinosaurs to chunks of bone and sinew. "Are you all right ma'am?" asked all seven of the men simultaneously as they reconstituted themself back into one person. "I am thanks to you." said Dottie, sounding far too dainty and hackneyed in her manner of speaking. "Your welcome," said the seven who had suddenly become one as he got back on his motor bike. "Wait, where are you going?" enquired Dottie, like some kind of computerized enquiring machine. "I gotta be movin' on," he uttered, as Gus looked in the thesaurus. "Take me with you!" Dottie begged. "I'm actually a metahuman Dottie....What makes you think you could ever be happy with me?" he declared. It was at this moment that the universe suddenly collapsed into itself and then recreated itself just as quickly. Nothing had changed in the process except the fact that reality was altered so that Dottie never existed to begin with...oh and a horse in Nebraska suddenly had a frog growing out of its forehead. The End.I coulda been a starBy Josh GoldenbergThere used to be a picture here. Food ideas that seem like a good idea when you're hungry but then make you feel sick and wondering what you were thinking in the end #1By Jesse AbramSo you take a tub of rice you find in the fridge, dump it in a bowl (it retains its tub shape!), spread tons of butter on top, then microwave it. While eating it, you decide to add some soy sauce for taste. Then you eat some more and add a bunch more soy sauce. Then you decide that it's not lively enough for your current mood, so you add a huge spoon of cheez whiz, pour a few dashes of hot sauce on top, and microwave it again. You then stir it all together. After eating some, you add even more soy sauce. It ends up as a rather dry orange foamy looking mass, like something you might dig out of the inside of a mattress that's gotten completely soaked and then dried, and also something infested it and layed thousands of eggs. You eat the whole thing, and in the end, you feel sick, and wonder what you were thinking. June 7th, 2003: Issue 21EditorialBy Jesse AbramHi everyone! It's a short issue today, as I am very busy, but it's still fun! Tomorrow is my birthday! Yay! Food ideas that seem like a good idea when you're hungry but then make you feel sick and wondering what you were thinking in the end #2By Josh Goldenbergit's late at night. it's grade 11. you're really tired because you spent all of the previous day, last night, and all of today playing exhausting video games in a pillow fort at your creepy lighthouse-friend's island home. you haven't slept in over 36 hours and you're looking to make it an even 60. what do you do? YOU MAKE INSTANT COFFEE. instant coffee is lame and therefore you need to use at -least- 5 tablespoons of crystals for every 3/4 cup of water. to make a bad idea worse, repeat with sugar and then nestle quik powder. heat in microwave. you attempt to drink the "beverage" only to find that ingesting the congealed mass is like being hit in the face. you're going to throw up, but at the last moment you down the entire cup. *shudder* the rest of the night is spent in a half tired, half wired laughing frenzy which ends abruptly as you collapse on the coffee table after trying to get up trying to go to the kitchen to find instant noodles. June 20th, 2003: Issue 22EditorialBy Jesse AbramOh... No. I've found another well of ignorance while searching for something on the interweb, and I think it should not be ignored. I was looking for ways to get involved in the fight against tobacco companies, and I came across something I did NOT expect. Get this. An Anti-Anti-Smoking organization. Decrying people who give tobacco companies a bad name. Articles about "The myth of second hand smoke dangers", claiming that breathing a house full of smoke actually gives you resistances, and that the WHO is keeping this a secret to somehow further their own means (disease control has a hidden agenda? how crazy do you have to be?). It's called Forces International. If this troubles you, PLEASE send them an angry letter. PLEASE! My LetterBy Jesse AbramHello. I think I speak for a lot of people when I say I think there are better fights to fight than those that OPPOSE activism against the tobacco industry. As an activist myself, I have no wish to tread upon the right to personal opinion. However, we're not just dealing with a select group of people who wish to do what they please with their life. We're dealing with ENORMOUS industries who PUSH their products, harmful products, on the general public, young and old, male and female, educated and uneducated alike. We're not dealing with a poor, opressed, worthy cause. We're dealing with an industry that, like most industries, primarily deals in profit, and lots of it. To silence them is not to silence a beautiful world vision, it is not to silence a passionate personal cause. It is an industry like any other, and if its quest for profit had no effect on public safety, I wouldn't object to it. Thank you for reading this through. Please write back. Jesse Abram Commentary Track: And here. A BIG gap. This was probably the beginning of the end. At any rate, the Golden Age was over. December 14th, 2003: Issue 23EditorialBy Jesse AbramYou may have thought you'd never see the day, but here is another issue of Text Radio Jesse! Allow me to dispel several of many possible thoughts you may have come up with regarding the mysterious lack of issues: 1. I'm not dead. I'm still alive. My writing here doesn't prove it to you, as it could be someone else writing under my name, but you'll have to just take my word for it or wonder. 2. I didn't go anywhere, it was more of a loss of faith, along the lines of "Why do I even bother?". However, if you'll kindly read some of the early issues, you'll see that this was never meant to be an activism zine, a zine with the goal of impressing ideas on people. It is an Anything Goes eZine, and it'll just keep on Anything Going, regardless of how much impact it has on the actions of others. 3. Ah, it's too nice a night for giving too many reasons for things. (That explanation isn't really supposed to make sense. It's just for fun.) Anyway, the important thing is, we're back in business. If you are reading this, it either means you still care, or you're a new visitor who ended up here somehow. In either case, I'm extremely happy to have you here. I hope you enjoy all that Text Radio Jesse is. Filler Content Motivated by Me Wanting The Comeback Issue To Be Big And ImpressiveA Story By Jesse AbramThere once was a boy who always wanted to go into space. The only problem is, the head of the international space agency once tried to kill his dad, so he decided that for his family's safety, he'd have to go it alone or not at all. He was a little bit discouraged, as his first project, his "helmet made of wood" proved to be a better orange crate than anything else, but he knew, he just KNEW he had to keep trying. No more wood and nails. No more painful rashes from his "pink insulation thermal underwear". No more stomping on little balls of cheese until they turned into shoddy "compressed astronaut food". BOOOOOM!!!!! The wall exploded with a mighty blast, and an impressive shower of basketball-sized chunks of flaming concrete rained down around him. It was a good thing his dad was a miner, or he just wouldn't have known where to START looking for dynamite. This train of thought made him wonder for a moment. How could a miner run so disturbingly afoul of the head of the worldwide space program? He put the thought on hold, as he had important business to continue with. He ran inside, and came back out with a shiny silver outfit. It was on fire, but he didn't care. He made a dozen or so more trips, and then retreated back into the night, with his carefully constructed "red wagon array" trailing behind him, the embers in its burnt contents glowing like happy eyes of victory. To Be Continued... I don't know what to think about this issue anymore. (The issue discussed IN the zine issue, not the zine issue itself). People have gone beyond fighting for these people to get a fair trial, to the point of basically claiming their guaranteed innocence. I do agree that everyone deserves a fair trial, however, so, innocent or guilty, they should be given a chance for it to be proven one way or another. January 17th, 2004: Issue 24EditorialBy Jesse AbramAn important issue in focus today, please investigate it as much as you can, and do whatever you can to help, if you see fit. The West Memphis Three (WM3)By Jesse AbramSometime in 2002, I read a magazine article in the British "Bizarre Magazine" regarding the murder convictions of three teenagers accused of killing three young boys in the town of West Memphis, Arkansas in 1993. The murders were assumed to be an act of satanism by the heavily religious bible-belt town, and a local dark-clothing wearing heavy metal loving teen named Damien Echols was quickly suspected, merely based on his "satanic nature". The trial was brief, and no physical evidence was found to tie Damien and two other teens named Jessie Misskelly and Jason Baldwin to the crimes, but they are now in Jail, Jessie and Jason for life sentences, and Damien sentenced to die by lethal injection. At the time of my reading the article, I thought about the injustice of what happened, and I went to the webpage concerned with the case, but I didn't take any action to help. Today, I was looking at the article again, and I decided that because I have the power to take action on the issue, and that we are dealing with three people who have been living in pain for almost ten years, one of who may be executed sometime early this year, that I would get the word out, and encourage action. You do have the power to make a difference, if you want to. The official site for the West Memphis Three is at www.wm3.org. There's tons of information about the case, about the accused, the victims, the detectives who kept mysteriously losing most of the evidence, other more likely suspects, and much more. You can even write or have gifts from amazon.com sent to the Three, the site tells you how. Evidence strongly suggests that the Three are innocent, and no matter the case, it's apparent that they did not receive a fair trial, regardless. Please visit WM3.org. Commentary Track: My long absence from publishing new articles pretty much cost me my contributors. I suppose I could have rallied things back together, but I don't think I had it in me anymore, at that point. January 21st, 2004: Issue 25EditorialBy Jesse AbramNew column today! It's about movies! Happy 25th issue! Movie Review #1: Donnie DarkoBy Jesse AbramMy favorite movie is Donnie Darko. It has everything. I'm not going to tell anything about what happens, though, it's a movie where it is so great if you don't know much about it when you watch it the first time. It is really, really intriguing! Please don't look for more info about it elsewhere, just go watch it. You won't be disappointed. Yeah, I didn't say it would be a conventional movie review. Go enjoy Donnie Darko! (If you've seen it already, you don't need any encouragement to go see it again! You've probably seen it a few times already, and will again and again!) Commentary Track: I think at this point, everything had just become one big slow-news day. My activism had degenerated to the level of finding fault with Disneyland. February 16th, 2004: Issue 26EditorialBy Jesse AbramBig changes today! I decided to make the Issues-Per-Page Limit 25, so that people don't have to wait days for the page to load! Happy Now There's 2 Pages Day!!!!! Disneyland, Disney World, What Are You Doing?????By Jesse AbramWhile browsing www.snopes.com, I came across an upsetting rumor that turned out to be true: Disneyland and Walt Disney World have stopped giving out Special Assistance Passes to guests with special needs, because some people abuse the service. These passes allow holders to recieve priority access to rides and attractions, saving people with serious illness the pain of waiting in long lines. Should the intended recipients of a service such as this have to suffer for reasons beyond their control? I say NO! Go to PetitionOnline.com and sign the petition to bring these passes back! Of all companies, Disney should show that it cares more about its adoring fans than its want for more money! So Much Doom And GloomBy Jesse AbramOne thing I've noticed, and you probably have, too, is the high ratio of "preachy serious stuff" to silly fun stuff on Text Radio Jesse. I wish it didn't have to be this way, but I just can't stand to see all the messed up stuff that goes on in the world. If I can make even a bit of difference by alerting people to a variety of these things, it's worth it. One thing I want to get across, is that if you don't agree with any or some or most or all of the complaints I throw out there, that's your right, your choice, you have your reasons. Even if each person only cares about one of the issues. Or even if one in 10 people care about one of the issues. It's still better than nothing. If you would like to see more happiness on the electronic pages of this publication, I encourage you to send in your tales of exploding monkeys that somehow reform and shoot lasers, and your links to drawings you drew of the world's largest hat, and I will publish them with a smile on my face. I just want to get it straight with everyone that I still love all of this marvellous stuff. But my mind is other places. Commentary Track: I was pretty much going it alone by this point, but I pulled together one last bit of effort for the anniversary issue. I'm rather pleased with it. February 28th, 2004: Issue 27EditorialBy Jesse AbramToday is the 1 Year Anniversary of Text Radio Jesse!!!!! Happy Anniversary!!!!! To many more years of this fine publication! To celebrate, I'm going to do a recap of the year's subjects covered! Also, an article about roads! Oh, and as of this Issue, Text Radio Jesse has had 1421 visits! Yay! A Look Back At 2003-2004By Jesse AbramThis year, we've: Criticized People Weekly, Discussed our size, Encouraged feeding the hungry, Asked about time travel, Explained that we're not a weblog, Gotten indexed with Google, Gotten mad about the war in Iraq, Added our friend, the Green Frame, Talked about gas station customers, Speculated about George W. Bush, Speculated on the Earth's fiery destruction, leaving rocks and energy to reign, Celebrated 100 visits, Sworn at George W. Bush, Praised a senator, Gotten mad about the war in Iraq through pictorials, Encouraged a clear head, Prefaced a love story, Told a love story, Speculated about the morality of war, Marvelled at reporter opinion, Introduced a story of gang violence, Told a story of gang violence, Gotten sickened by the war in Iraq, Discussed American war sponsorship, Discovered a well of right-wing fanatics, Longed to be in Italy, Described swimming-pool romance, Got threatened by right-wing fanatics, Praised a smart man, Heard what a smart man thinks of war, Enjoyed the mystery of a secret image, Seen a picture of a Ninja Turtle, Made a comeback, Told a tale of continent-melting (with an epilogue!), Reccomended funny web comics, Told a tale of dinosaurs and a multiplying motorbike rider, Speculated on being a star, through pictorial, Experimented with Cheez-Whiz, Mentioned being busy, Experimented with coffee, Discovered a well of ignorance, Written to a well of ignorance, Made another comeback, Told a story featuring a "helmet made of wood", Urged investigation of wrongful convictions, Told about wrongful convictions, Announced a new column, Reviewed a movie, Added another page, Gotten mad at the Disney corporation, Talked about seriousness and sillyness, Celebrated our 1 Year Anniversary, Looked back at the year's subjects covered, and mentioned an article about roads before it was written! To more marvellousness this next year! Thanks for reading! A Road Feature I LoveBy Jesse AbramA road feature I love is the cul-de-sac. Featured in so many pleasant movies about california desert subdivisions, they are among the most pleasant road features. When I am trying to find my way out of a neighborhood on foot, and I come to a cul-de-sac, I feel like I am lost, but I feel like I am happy to have come upon a cul-de-sac. I am never afraid in a cul-de-sac, they feel so warm and safe to me. The sun makes heat come off of the pavement, which is warm. What road features do you love? I would think maybe covered bridges, and maybe parking lots? Commentary Track: The last couple issues have that sort of, "The company is shutting down soon, if anyone has anything they would like to get out there before we turn out the lights, do it now!", feel to them. Whether I knew it or not, everyone was sitting around in the half-lit soundstage, drinking what's left of the coffee in the pump-pots, now transitioning from lukewarm to cold, as more and more lights went off in the distance. June 1st, 2004: Issue 28EditorialBy Jesse AbramAnother revival, by this third one a speech would be annoying, so I'll simply say, "Hello again, the more you love TRJ, the more it will thrive!". In this issue we have a poem for you by a very cool girl, one who I think a lot of. WastedBy Danae TsikourasSitting all alone,
Eyes once like stars,
Commentary Track: Last one before the lights went out. Doors were locked, a few backs were patted. Cars drove away, parking lot was empty. Blanked the link in this one because it dosen't exist anymore. December 2nd, 2004: Issue 29EditorialBy Jesse AbramWho likes The Simpsons? A friend of mine, Anthony Tsikouras, has a site where he is hosting a giant tournament to discover which is the most popular episode of Season 5, in honor of the Season 5 DVD, to be released this month. Cast your vote for your favourite episodes! Keep checking back for each new round of the contest! Simpsons Season 5 Poll. Commentary Track: Well, there it was, in its full glory. It told more of a story than I probably ever expected it would. I hope you read it all, and I hope you liked it. ©2005-2008 Space Cowboy Software |
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