It's All About How You Look At It?

"These killings are shameful and distressing to our society."

-- President Jakaya Kikwete, of Tanzania, in his recent State of the Nation speech

Yes, yes, I know - many of you were hoping that quote was from President Bush commenting on Iraq - but no, it's actually in reference to what African witch doctors are doing to people for,..well, I'll let President Kikwete explain it further:

"Sometimes, word spreads around that body parts of people with certain physical attributes like bald people or albinos contribute greatly to attaining quick prosperity."

"Quick prosperity". Great. Can't Tanzania just get Bill Clinton and Tony Robbins to arrive and do their motivational dog-and-pony fire-walking medicine show? Fire-walking should have even more appeal in Africa.

But how embarrassing is it to know a President of the United States is involved in that nonsense? I mean, look at the pictures I'm using to accompany this post. Now, I don't care if he's wearing a suit-and-tie - these might as well be pictures of our former president - and, no matter how you cut it, that's pretty fucking "shameful and distressing" in itself. Here, try this one for a more accurate reference:

That asshole just announced he made $109 million pulling that crap - and that's mostly American money he took from gullible people. Yea, he can "feel your pain" alright - in his wallet. I swear, Bill Clinton is a fucking low-life on a personal journey to discover where the bottom is. But, hell, I have to admit, I'd pay 'em myself to stop African witch doctors from pulling this Tanzanian body part scam.

Bob Geldof says we Americans don't pay attention to Africa unless the "odd horror" occurs (which is true: I don't even pay attention to what's happening down the block) so it's not like I want to pile on, just because. It's just that, this story got me to thinking about all this nonsense I cover (or un-cover, as the case may be) and what'll be going through my mind when I die.

See, when I die, I imagine I'll be trying hard - really hard - to think of something "good". (I used to think, if I was lucky, I'd be staring into the eyes of my wife but that imagery won't fucking work anymore,....) Now, knowing all that I know about cultism, etc., I'm sure it'll be particularly difficult to come up with *anything* positive to focus on - and especially under duress.

From where I'm sitting now, it'll just be a lonely ordeal with nothing more pleasant to look forward to than this nightmare - started by my ex-wife - finally being over: No more NewAge. No more betrayals; no more gullible idiots; no more dealing with people, like the Clintons, who are out to do nothing more than swindle another sucker.

There's one born every minute, right? Sure, but - while I can understand the impulse to fleece 'em - damn it, no one can convince me it's the right thing to do. And the idea of a president engaging in it is just down-right depressing. I really don't like thinking about it. I don't like thinking about any of it. And I know I won't want to "later".

But "whatever" for now: one of these days this war will be over, and I'll be able to take down my poster of Osama bin Laden (authentic, right from Pakistan) and replace it with a picture of President Bush - my president - much the way people (during WWII) used to display a map of Europe, and eventually replaced it with a photo of FDR - their symbol of strength, courage, and integrity, through tough times - while, for me, President Bush's picture will represent the official end of the madness of the 60's: a thought that has always brought a smile to my face.

So, if I should die alone, I'll (hopefully) have to look on President Bush. Which, I'm sure, to many people probably seems like a strange thing for me to write. But, to many of those same people, it's gentlemen, like those in these photos, who have always been seen as a comfort: as long as (rather than killing albinos and bald guys for body parts) they were ripping off Americans to the tune of millions,...just "making a killing",...but doing it in a suit-and-tie.

*Thanks to Elizabeth Mika for the Tanzania story. No thanks, to the Clintons, for the rest.