tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37043848509632774832024-02-21T00:36:38.579-08:00there and back againhey, i'm zach - this is a stream of consciousness thing for me, focusing strongly on my feelings, interpretations and experiences. i used to write about politics and current events, but at this point i'm not in that mindset. when i write, it's in the hope that someone, somewhere, will understand.Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-86725054965217534272013-03-27T18:22:00.002-07:002013-03-27T18:22:47.168-07:00lost in the dark sideno too many people have enough knowledge about the way that things "work" in life to know that the "light side" that "normal" folks live in also has a distinct, polar opposite world - for lack of a better term - this world is known as the "dark side". for those of us who have ever been on the other side of a prison wall, the wrong side of a drug addiction, or just been generally lost in life, this is the world you slip into - self-imprisoned with a group of people who are so fixated on a high, a fix, or whatever they're looking for, that they develop an almost permanent sense of moral ambivalence - they aren't necessarily bad (most are actually decent people), but will stop at nothing, constantly trying to either steal, cheat, or just generally run around to whatever lengths possible to extend their buzz, or extend their stay in the dark side without dropping into homelessness.<div>
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it's a world that dramatically alters your perceptions on the real world once you arrive back into it. people that you once considered parables to be held high now either seem petty, infantile, or just a waste - so concerned with minute, tiny things that lack importance - or so selfish, that you simply ask them to do once simple thing and they decide to take their ball and go home like a 6 year old boy. you become dramatically more intense, seeking equally intense people and activities to pour your heart into or share your heart with - yet striking out so many times that eventually you begin to quit trying. internalizing your emotions to avoid rejection due to the idea that someone so intense emotionally is "dramatic", "weird", "strange", etc. </div>
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what maybe you don't understand is the darkness, the blackness that we have seen - the coldness of the human personality where the simple fact is, no one cares about you more than drugs, or getting the next move over on you. yet you observed your ability to play along with that game - but then get taken advantage of when you do try to seek the good in a world that is almost a real-life allegory to "gotham city" - dirty, dark, mean, old and sketchy. </div>
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but now that you've seen the world through both sides of the glass, it's almost impossible to ignore. it frames your entire life; tests your every notion of what you've thought of people; lowers your patience levels to those that are considered "flakey" to almost zero.</div>
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be patient. </div>
Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-50548000107952385172013-02-15T23:45:00.000-08:002013-02-15T23:45:12.344-08:00flashes in the darki think the biggest problem i've had since i stopped using is the fact that my desire and skill at writing has gone from something that i considered a strength to something that has become akin to a flash of light in the darkness - fleeting, dim, random, and never bright enough to really matter. when i speak, i feel like instead of tending towards sounding confident, i can sometimes tend to sound shrill, inflexible, or even angry. communicating with people has always been easy for me.<br />
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and now it's not. for some reason, my signal's frequency has changed. i went it alone for so long that i forced myself into kind of a social self-imposed exile - and now i'm too scared to come out of it for fear of my fragile, newly-positive life being knocked over like a jenga tower. i don't want to go on dates with boys because i remember how bad it was to be hurt by another person. i remember the hurt, insecurity, mistrust and the endless games. i don't grow close to people - because i don't want to feel like a burden. the few people i have let in are there because they have really proven themselves so much that they have overcome my intense anxiety regarding intimacy (of any kind).<br />
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it feels like the part of my brain that controls my interpersonal communication sometimes blows a short. and even though i am incredibly happy with my life right now, for some reason, most days of the week i feel my life is incredibly lonely as well.Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-10202381789838451652013-02-12T03:22:00.000-08:002013-02-12T03:22:09.551-08:00testZachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-25929093268069837202012-11-21T12:41:00.001-08:002012-11-21T12:41:23.204-08:00...and back againWell, I'm back in Phoenix. After 6 weeks in Texas, I kind of got the idea that there wasn't path forward for me there on a personal or professional level. While I got clean while I was there, and I'm incredible grateful for that, being clean on it's own is worth nothing unless you make your sobriety work for you. And that's what my plan is now. While there's going to be some emotional struggles ahead, I have complete faith and confidence in my ability to control my decisions going into the future, and the most important part of that is staying away from the people and situations that would cause any future relapse.<br />
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But, the purpose of this blog, and the chapter of my life that my writing has covered is now over. I've been there and back again, and now it's time to move forward. I may do some more writing in the future, and I will leave this up, but right now, I need to focus on my life and personal well-being. But I hope that my writing has at least helped some of ya'all to understand, in a sense, what addicts, or ex-convicts, go through in life. Because I think if you're able to put a face, or at least get a grasp of what they go through, it's possible you can help as well. Thanks for reading, and being able to reach out and touch even just one person, has made this entire experience worth it. If you want to continue to follow me, subscribe to my public updates on Facebook (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/zjcook" target="_blank">click here</a> then click subscribe) or <a href="https://plus.google.com/100401176323766452547" target="_blank">follow me on Google+</a>. Thanks for reading, and thanks for the inspiration you've given me. Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-53491006434707937092012-11-06T12:50:00.006-08:002012-11-06T12:50:53.545-08:00teetering on the edge of oblivion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Pretty melancholy post title, eh? Well, I am feeling pretty fucking melancholy. Finding a job out here has been almost next to impossible - and that means I've started bouncing around a bit, rendering the whole "stability" reasoning for me moving here pretty much moot. The only difference between here and Phoenix right now, I guess, is that I am not getting high, which is fabulous (it will be 30 days within the week), but I guess the frustration that I'm having arises out of the fact that I am doing what I am supposed to do (finally, for the first time in a year), and I haven't seen any change in the direction my life is progressing. <br />
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I'm not sure exactly how to feel right now - there is a lot of temptation to go back to Phoenix, and I have to admit that it's an option I'm strongly considering. If anything, knowing that I am staying sober now gives me strength to believe that I will not have too many problems in Phoenix...but that may not be true. I know with a job and my own place I will be happier, but things are moving at such a glacial pace out here that I am not really sure how long that will take.<br />
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So I come to another fork in the road. I have to wait until I get a new ID sent from Phoenix to travel anywhere, anyway, so I have about a week to make a choice. I don't think that coming out here to Alpine was a bad choice either way, because I feel like maybe I've gotten the inner strength and definitely have figured out the person I am because I've had the clear head to do that. But now I have a clear head, sobriety, and nothing for those two positive things to effect. So maybe it is time to go back home, maybe I just needed to step away from the trees to see the whole forest. But there's a bit part of me, deep inside, that wants to make this work so much, because I'm tired of things not working. I just hope that if it's going to work, it does it soon.<br />
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Comments are welcome...Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-15266380345298086882012-11-02T12:20:00.000-07:002012-11-02T12:20:28.057-07:00So...what's up with Texas, anyway?Well, as I've made pretty obvious, about three weeks ago I moved from Phoenix to Alpine, TX (pop. 5,900) to get away from all the hustle, bustle and self-inflicted drama I was causing myself in Phoenix. Ever since I've gotten here, I have been struggling to actually write about Texas, or what things are like here...mainly because I feel like I expected to write about it, and also because while it is a completely different place, I'm not quite sure how to put that into words at this time. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Strange place for a big red ball on top of a pole.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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That is where I live. Alpine is in the middle of nowhere - quite literally there is not one full stop light in this town, and the nearest town to us (Fort Davis) is roughly 30 miles up the road. The city is the county seat of Brewster County, Texas (pop 9000), named after a Confederate States of America War General, or something very stereotypical like that. </div>
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The culture is different - it's not all that bad and is actually very pretty country. The air quality improvement is noticeable, it's set back in some low hills that run up to mountains, but still maintains the "Texas feel" - you know, Wild West hotels and shootouts in the town center, or something. </div>
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I can write about the facts of Alpine all day long, but what I've repeatedly struggled with since I've gotten here is my ability to string together a narrative to explain how best I feel here. Because I'm not really sure at all myself. The people here are terribly nice - but the whole cowboy group can get a little shaky sometime. I feel myself pulling back into a situation where I want to be a loner all the time - never happy, never terribly depressed, but working a job, and being in like a stoned melancholy state. </div>
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There are times that I miss Phoenix badly, especially when things are a bit boring around these parts, but what I don't miss about Phoenix is the chaos. The running around, the stress, the temptation, or even the danger - none of that I miss. There's a comfort in being able to ride a bike around town at 2am and not have to worry about a soul being on the road for miles either way. It's very quiet here - and it makes it easier to think things through correctly the first time. </div>
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What I like about Alpine has to do with the Latin concept of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tabula_rasa" target="_blank"><i>Tabula Rasa</i> </a>, or "blank slate". The idea's concept is driven by the idea that humans are not pre-programmed to do anything, and thus are given a "blank slate" on birth to begin to develop their characteristics. Moving to the LITERAL middle of nowhere in a town where no one even knows who you are effectively pushes the "Reset" button on life. I've found myself, and am so sure of myself in a way that I have never been before. But what I continue to struggle with is how to conceptualize my feelings in a way that I can explain to my readers, because I do feel like I'm having some type of special experience. Sometimes I want to leave, but every time I go outside and breathe the air and see the sky under the stars, my mind changes pretty quickly. But it's a nauseating experience to go back and forth. I just hope that things continue to move forward. And I will keep ya'all posted when they do. </div>
Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-43728761498290661812012-11-01T10:50:00.004-07:002012-11-01T10:53:21.899-07:00Bad Storm RisingAfter an October to forget for President Obama, we are entering the final stretch of the 2012 Presidential Election. After winning the first debate, Mitt Romney had grabbed the upward momentum in the race, and at one point, even held the advantage in the<a href="http://polltracker.talkingpointsmemo.com/contests/us-president-12" target="_blank"> Talking Points Memo Polltracker</a> average of polls:<br />
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But in the wake of the devastation on the East Coast via Hurricane Sandy, the President's bold support of federal disaster relief and the bipartisan partnership he's formed with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie may spell the end of hope for a Mitt Romney victory on Election Day.<br />
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For example - how much value could a picture like this have in the last week of the election:<br />
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Christie's high praise for the President's personal ownership of the FEMA disaster relief efforts form part of a two-pronged political victory for the President. First, the impact of Christie's praise - and why it's such a boost on Election Day:<br />
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On Tuesday, Christie did the rounds on morning TV, praising Obama’s
performance. “It’s been very good working with the president and his
administration,” Christie said on <a class="inform_link" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/MSNBC+Interactive+News+LLC" target="_self">MSNBC</a>. “It’s been wonderful.”</blockquote>
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Christie
has also made clear that politics is the least of his concerns. When
asked in a briefing Tuesday with reporters about how the storm might
affect <a class="inform_link" href="http://www.csmonitor.com/tags/topic/Election+Day" target="_self">Election Day</a>, he said: “I don’t give a [expletive] about Election Day.”</blockquote>
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But
here’s the second reason the Obama-Christie team-up, six days before
Election Day, is worth its weight in gold to both men’s political
futures: Voters – especially independent voters – want more
bipartisanship, polls show. This presidential campaign has been the most
toxic in memory, but the Obama-Christie photo op is living evidence
that when the going gets tough, members of competing parties really can
work together.</blockquote>
Indeed, after a couple years of the shrill bickering of the Tea Party, a high profile Republican governor and President Obama working together to solve the problems put forth by Hurricane Sandy sends an important message that the President is a man of consensus and compromise, as opposed to a legislative bully, an argument that Republicans have been trying to put forth since the President successfully passed Obamacare in his second term. <br />
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The second prong in this winning moment for the Obama campaign is the turdtacular response from George W. Bush -era FEMA Director Micheal "Heckuva Job" Brown, who guided the agency during the train wreck that was Hurricane Katrina. His question? "Why did the President respond to dying Americans so fast?":<br />
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<a href="http://blog.sfgate.com/nov05election/2012/10/31/michael-%E2%80%98heckuva-job%E2%80%99-brown-asks-why-obama-responded-%E2%80%98so-quickly%E2%80%99-to-sandy/" target="_blank">From the SF Gate:</a><br />
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“One thing he’s gonna be asked is, why did he jump on this so quickly
and go back to D.C. so quickly when in…Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?
Why was this so quick?… At some point, somebody’s going to ask that
question…. This is like the inverse of Benghazi.”</blockquote>
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This, of course, reinforces the obvious idea that even if Jesus came down from the sky and gave the President full marks on the Sandy response, Republican Party leadership would continue to slam him in order to score political points off of the dead bodies of Americans. <a href="http://www.inquisitr.com/380145/mitt-romney-had-called-for-end-of-fema-at-republican-debate/" target="_blank">With Mitt Romney</a> already on the record calling for the end of FEMA as an agency, the Hurricane Sandy disaster has become a nightmare for the Romney campaign - and after a poor final debate, may be the hammer that puts the nail in the coffin for Willard. Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-73924548446979412102012-10-24T09:07:00.001-07:002012-10-24T09:07:34.225-07:00"The Last American Closet"Yesterday, the NOH8 campaign made <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151222945767838&set=a.113292212837.98471.88890737837&type=1&theater" target="_blank">this Facebook post</a>, with a photo of New York Jets Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, touting a conversation with him and pimping an episode of HBO's Real Sports referring to professional sports as "<b>THE LAST AMERICAN CLOSET</b>." Boy, am I sure glad we have Bryant Gumbel here to declare to all the bullied youth of America, the transgendered and those who do not have the fortune to live in New York, San Francisco, or hell, even Phoenix, Arizona, that it's "Safe to come out now".<br />
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I think maybe we might have more success in preventing teen suicides, or cutting back on bullying, if we remember to validate those who live in the cities and towns off the beaten track in our country. I have no need to feel closested in Texas, or anywhere, really - but time moves more slowly out here for some.<br />
<br />Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-39457092891556586492012-10-16T12:45:00.000-07:002012-10-16T12:45:29.606-07:00Liberation DaySo, I've finally found a desktop computer so that I can do a bit of writing. Quite a bit has happened since I slid completely into hell, which was <a href="http://zacharycook.blogspot.com/2012/09/why-dont-you-just-quit.html" target="_blank">followed by this post, </a>where I launched a pretty miserable pity party for myself. Shortly thereafter, for some reason, my desire to use just subsided, and as that happened, things began to come together quite a bit for me. Unfortunately, with an unstable living situation (anytime you live with crackheads, it's pretty much an uncontrollable slide towards insanity), I decided my best option was to take the offer of a friend and move east - and that landed me here in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpine,_TX" target="_blank">Alpine, Texas (population 5,900)</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSZaNPi4X1D2bFR6OAoeSZdFRVQ9w86CeHHjD5uaLyfIKyFxcwGCnZLtvT4UZUf3-f1da_lBJiFAk_0WLYgayI53yQzW7UVRzmfwLcir_k-NrlFNycFJ8d6sw2ry4YaERtbAUr4H0Fzo/s1600/827cb4f0162f11e2bea81231381014fb_7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUSZaNPi4X1D2bFR6OAoeSZdFRVQ9w86CeHHjD5uaLyfIKyFxcwGCnZLtvT4UZUf3-f1da_lBJiFAk_0WLYgayI53yQzW7UVRzmfwLcir_k-NrlFNycFJ8d6sw2ry4YaERtbAUr4H0Fzo/s400/827cb4f0162f11e2bea81231381014fb_7.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downtown mural (ZC)</td></tr>
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I expected a culture shock, and haven't really gotten it. But what I am grateful for is the feeling of being liberated from an addiction that has swallowed my life whole for upwards of a year. It's an incredible feeling when you make the transition from just "being sober", or not using, to actually getting your life back, and feeling like the person you used to be again. Simply put, doing drugs isn't an option here - because I don't know, or even care to find them.<br />
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That isn't to simplify the matter, or say that I will never run into an addiction issue ever again - quite the contrary, once you are an addict you are an addict for life. But for the first time in over 2.5 years, I realized that I can have a good time, and be in a good mood - while being sober. I can't say that something necessarily caused that - like say, going to meetings, or joining AA - it just kind of clicked. Meetings were never the answer for me - nor was AA - I simply don't buy the idea of "powerlessness" or some blind faith in an omnipotent being to cure me of my drug addiction. This had to be done my way, or no way at all - and that way included me moving 800 miles east into the middle of nowhere. But it's what it took, and I am clean now. Hopefully to stay, but it is an incredible feeling to have the burdens of having to go chase money or talk to people to get drugs. It's one of the most incredibly liberating feelings I've ever had, and I'm grateful that I figured things out in enough time to have that feeling. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The mountains south of town. (ZC)</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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So, the focus of this blog is probably going to shift a bit back to political and pop culture issues, but there will be plenty of personal reflection still left over. My story is far from finished and I hope that you all will stay with me as I navigate West Texas. Thanks for reading. Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-27367058435293090782012-10-13T17:42:00.001-07:002012-10-13T17:42:43.068-07:00Deep in the heart...Just wanted to let you folks know I made it. Will update soon. Wish you the best.<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPXZwdv9NHLDGX5QIbtePuHDL0-uEj0DbOtwQg_v6NrBzrCJgLe83T_ngEl16drVqdaFrhIAvFm9OVuZKYSwDmO0EvGQxYg-TyaNPaw_4-lv7HN49HTNYnUAUIt_JsvMuH0813UwqBaI/s640/blogger-image-1225291989.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQPXZwdv9NHLDGX5QIbtePuHDL0-uEj0DbOtwQg_v6NrBzrCJgLe83T_ngEl16drVqdaFrhIAvFm9OVuZKYSwDmO0EvGQxYg-TyaNPaw_4-lv7HN49HTNYnUAUIt_JsvMuH0813UwqBaI/s640/blogger-image-1225291989.jpg" /></a></div>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comAlpine Alpine30.358065 -103.66054tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-28325456402775306332012-10-09T16:04:00.001-07:002012-10-09T16:04:48.469-07:00I'm asking for your help.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Okay, here's the deal, folks. I know this is going to come across as quite a request, but I have to ask. I have a chance to move to Texas, with a job and a stable living situation lined up. I do not have that here. I am short on bus fare. I am asking if anyone can help. The bus is around $140.00 one way after taxes, or a train from Tucson is $75.00 if I am able to get there. I know this is asking an absurd amount, and this is very public, but I am getting a chance to hit the reset button, go a place where I don't know where to get drugs, and start all over again. I need this, desperately, more than anyone could imagine. I can't let this pass me buy, and I am willing to consent to any terms possible to get this done. Thanks for reading this and I hope, maybe, you'll consider my request. I know not many of you know me personally, so thanks for reading and considering my request. You have no idea how much it would mean to me. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">If you're interested, you can contact me via Facebook by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/zjcook" target="_blank">clicking here</a> or by emailing me at <a href="mailto:zachary.j.cook@gmail.com">zachary.j.cook@gmail.com</a>.</span>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-86584921471895595772012-10-08T12:36:00.002-07:002012-10-08T12:36:52.620-07:00Breakthrough<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hey!</div>
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It's weird and probably a lot of unnessesary pressure to put on myself, but I feel good about where I am at as a person and in my recovery. I feel like maybe I have turned the mystical "corner" for drug addiction - I mean, yes, the cravings/etc are all still there and obviously just delightful to deal with - but I feel like there is a light at the end of the tunnel and that light is approaching at a speed that is totally unexpected but obviously incredibly awesome. </div>
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When you are getting high, even if it doesn't seem like it, the rest of the world goes into kind of a "haze". While things like wanting to get a job, or being in a romantic relationship, or even common things like going out for a drink or going out to dinner are concerns in an abstract sense, in practicality they don't actually matter too much because hey, you want to get high, and that's that. But as I've stayed sober, the old me has finally seen a little bit of the other side - I realized what people were missing when they don't have the money to go out with friends, or to just enjoy life's every day pleasures. The reasons why you want money <em>besides</em> getting high. that in a real sense, there's something more to life. I'm obviously not out of the water just yet, but I feel like that there's a real opportunity here for me to bring myself out of this. Next step is working on a job, but at least that means there's room for the next step. Thanks for reading and maybe after I finally get things settled, I might be able to start posting about non personal (aka topical) stuff. But given that I still have to live with two crackheads in a one bedroom apartment, stability is a lot to ask. I'll see you guys soon. </div>
Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-66976120125599814942012-09-25T17:32:00.001-07:002012-09-25T17:32:42.432-07:00let's pause to reflect.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Well, things are beginning to look better, for the first time in weeks. I have some ideas and goals that I have focused on, and some stability. I may write in the next week or so, but at this point I'm letting things sit for a few days. this is like a vacation, so I'll enjoy it a bit. see you on the other side. </div>
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<br />Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-13986699412980235012012-09-21T14:14:00.000-07:002012-09-21T14:14:13.582-07:00spontaneous combustioni've been clean for a little over 48 hours now. this isn't necessarily intentional, until I kind of noticed...and so I guess it's intentional now. it's interesting that I couldn't make myself conform to someone else's motivations or reasoning for making me quit for any amount of time, but now things just kind of make sense to me. so why not?<br />
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the unfortunate parts of stepping away from a major addiction issue is how hyper emotional you become. I go from tears to joy in a matter of 3 seconds, usually one on top of the other. I can handle that, but I just wish that I still had the friends that I could just go kick it with in the middle of the day, because all I want to do is get stoned, cry, and be held, maybe with some decent food stuck in the middle. I guess nothing's perfect, and that's fine, but I hope that things can stay this way for me because this is the way I want to be.Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-39497100440140418522012-09-12T03:20:00.000-07:002012-09-12T03:20:10.529-07:00WHY DON'T YOU JUST QUIT?!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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i'm proud to offer an all - time first for there and back again: totally random PG-13 self-pics of myself to the first 1000 readers of this post. hey, it can't hurt page views.<br />
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now for your real post: i've recently put more thought into the concepts of sober people (non drug addicts) buying into the argument that with a whole lot of "want" paired with a few AA meetings will end anyone's addiction issue. the overarching theme of arguments of this nature is more or less summed up like this: "they can just quit if they really want to".<br />
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this attitude reinforces the already absurd level of contempt that drug addicts face into today's society: kicked out by friends or family, with no one to call for help because suddenly friends don't want to help so much when it comes down to actually being there for someone.<br />
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told to go to a halfway house, that while you are there that you won't be able to enjoy some of your most fun hobbies, ones that are so important because it's the only time drugs don't enter my mind, guaranteed. so give up your only joys, your friends, and your home, and go live with a bunch of other drug addicts and felons. you don't get a chance; because you're now a "addict" or an "ex-con", and any potential mistake is a total disaster, causing absurd overreactions, ultimatums, and just more amounts of absurd stress.<br />
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so when you want to ask the drug addict in your life, "why can't you just quit", just remember that you are ripping every single positive thing in someone's life, everything they built, people they loved, away from them. then after that, you ask them to deal with mental anguish and isolation, while living in a group home full of other people just as addicted to drugs. and then they need to quit a chemical dependence cold turkey on top of it?<br />
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what if by the time you realized you had to quit, there was nothing to quit for?Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-80420570726500054982012-09-08T01:09:00.003-07:002012-09-08T01:09:49.185-07:00The Story So FarWell, it's been an interesting few weeks. As some of you may know, I had a couple setbacks in my personal and professional life that had more or less pushed the "Reset" button on the progress I had made since being released from incarceration in November. I'm sure some expected the worst, and while things have gone far from roses, I have been holding up well enough, and I'm happy to inform everyone that some progress is being made on the professional front, and the personal front is holding up okay as well.<br />
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Initially, it was looking like I may have been moving out of state, and that is still up in the air at this point. A fresh start would be nice, but what would be nicer is the ability to stay here and stay involved in the community that I love. I did lose the job that I love as well as the place that I stayed, but with the kindness of some friends, I am bouncing around, but at least have a mattress to sleep on every night. The one thing that I truly do miss the most is being able to create the graphic art that I truly did love doing, as well as my writing. This is unfortunately the first opportunity that I've had to write. Bouncing around between some admittedly less than ideal places has been rocky at times, but has also taught me that I have the ability to be a survivor, and that even the biggest setbacks won't necessarily doom me for life. There's not much more I can say than that right now - but I am eternally grateful for those that continue to stand by me and give their love and support. Hope to hear from you all soon.Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-17886715884332948612012-08-22T21:45:00.000-07:002012-08-22T21:45:04.208-07:00Square OneThis is a strictly personal post coming from a difficult time and place for me. I have been struggling, on a daily basis, to somehow tread water and not go under, but any swimmer can tell you that no matter how good of an athlete you are, you can only tread water for so long.<br />
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For the last few months I have been riding a constantly shifting field of emotions and feelings inside of my head. One moment laughs, then the next I become sad, almost inconsolable. And as an addict, I began to return to old comforts and ways. By the time I figured out that this was no way to live, wandering around at 4am after being locked out, it was too late. I've forfeited the trust that was shown to me by people I care deeply for - and now I am paying the ultimate prices, in terms of losing the job I love, the home I have, and the work and skills I have worked to build in the time I have been released from prison.<br />
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So now I go back to square one - wherever that is. The path forward is not particularly clear, nor comforting - and this may be the last time you hear from me for a while. Just know that from the bottom of my heart, if we have shared a moment, or you made me smile or laugh or even cry, I thank you so much for providing even a fleeting moment of joy in what has been the most emotionally demanding part of my life. Maybe this will pass like nothing and I won't even be gone long enough for anyone to miss. Or it could be forever - but I truly wish and hope that I get to make it back this far again.<br />
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Thanks<br />
-ZachZachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-21368626449429164922012-08-04T10:35:00.001-07:002012-08-04T10:37:49.615-07:00Happy Birthday, Mr. President!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank you for your for all that you've done for us the last four years - and what you'll do in the next four! </div>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-81445900442721948152012-08-01T21:18:00.000-07:002012-08-03T18:03:05.410-07:00I won’t be voting Obama this year.<br />
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<span style="color: #333333;">So much for that whole “voting is a civil right” thing.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;">I have to admit, that outside of the online world, I’ve been a little hesitant to get involved in the actual ground campaign work that I was in the 2008 cycle. Why? Well, we can surely credit laziness for a bit of that – I am not exactly the definition of a “go-getter” in any traditional sense. But a very large reason for my lack of commitment “IRL” (<b>in real life</b>) , is told in this video: </span><br />
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<div class="wlWriterEditableSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:aec6ab77-c734-4761-9710-f78b58dbf19e" style="display: block; float: none; margin: 0px auto; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; width: 448px;"><div id="8a612c8b-740d-49ba-b053-3c80e0f2a8fb" style="display: inline; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n16uQsTAcEs&feature=youtube_gdata_player" target="_new"><img alt="" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('8a612c8b-740d-49ba-b053-3c80e0f2a8fb'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = "<div><object width=\"448\" height=\"336\"><param name=\"movie\" value=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/n16uQsTAcEs?hl=en&hd=1\"><\/param><embed src=\"http://www.youtube.com/v/n16uQsTAcEs?hl=en&hd=1\" type=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" width=\"448\" height=\"336\"><\/embed><\/object><\/div>";" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBH7K6cADwowFLttIAp_uWdTDhbafd9lEN9mpiDxKecWbenqr7Gv8Ild-ELwEnjV4tW5Wqo6SXzaSOI5zGBREz5suHKbzTIhPCW1gyND2a8GEhyleXVDr9ihm-MZb-hF9JeCaQV-gFSk/?imgmax=800" style="border-style: none;" /></a></div></div></div>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-31877093358318680902012-07-30T22:59:00.001-07:002012-07-30T22:59:40.877-07:00I miss you.<p align="center"><img style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; display: inline; border-top: 0px; border-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px" title="553644_10151715149085230_597554743_n" border="0" alt="553644_10151715149085230_597554743_n" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lbnlAnutS5GFPUmsUpOhW1zwMckOiT_4eH0xdp2UDv7z194RNnrh9trOrHFCLEnwA5bWkySuXg3DeDiUJ_m7uBgvWpTuO3rnoBqEUVm_1nNk9AGqe198_nRoacK4JwSJG4bqkbozNK8/?imgmax=800" width="279" height="395"></p> <p>I miss you so much. 5 years is a long time, but I still think about you every day. I would give every material possession and live in an alley just for the chance to see you one more time. It’s so unfair, that you won’t be there to meet the one I fall in love with, or be there to hug me, or finally when I do get my act together, be proud of me. I love you Mom…I’m just so tired of losing the ones I love.</p> Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-59320575942192007212012-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:002012-07-28T12:11:00.651-07:00I feel like shit emotionally.<br />
There, I said it. I sat here for about 5 and a half minutes trying to think of a crafty title for this “vlog” and I don’t think any of them quite convey how I’m feeling like the words above. <br />
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( ALSO: SINCE MOST OF YOU WILL NOT WATCH THIS VIDEO, BE ADVISED THAT THIS VIDEO IS NOT REFERRING TO ANYONE OTHER THAN MYSELF. I STATE IT MULTIPLE TIMES THEREIN BUT PLEASE - NO FACEBOOK DRAMA)<br />
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Here’s the video:<br />
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<embed height="404" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/OrLm43iI7k0&hd=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="491" wmode="transparent"></embed></div>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-58897662621900077362012-07-27T12:13:00.001-07:002012-07-27T12:13:18.878-07:00What does Zach do all day?Here's my first "VLOG"...LOL<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/viTTfYz1r64" width="640"></iframe></div>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-77070113933610203812012-07-26T14:43:00.001-07:002012-07-26T14:43:48.545-07:00Romney: Put The White Back in the White House<span style="color: #333333;">Failing poll numbers, a disastrous start to a overseas trip, and a tax return scandal have left the Romney campaign with one strategy going forward: overt racism. </span><br />
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<blockquote>
“We are part of an Anglo-Saxon heritage, and he feels that the special relationship is special. The White House didn’t fully appreciate the shared history we have.” (<a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/mitt-romney/9424524/Mitt-Romney-would-restore-Anglo-Saxon-relations-between-Britain-and-America.html">Unknown Romney Advisor – 7.24.12</a>)</blockquote>
Abandoning even a dog whistle, Mitt Romney’s campaign has appeared to place their all-in bet in this November’s election on the racist tendencies of white Americans, laying an all-out frontal assault on the President by implying that he simply isn’t “American” enough to run our country – a code word, simply, for the fact that he is too black to run our country. Perhaps if the above quote was the only instance of the racist implications of the Romney campaign, it could be ignored. But, <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2012/07/17/537131/how-romney-spent-all-day-calling-obama-a-foreigner/">ThinkProgress has helpfully provided</a> a full timeline of Romney statements that seemingly question Obama’s “American-ness”:<br />
<blockquote>
11:30 AM — OBAMA HAS TO ‘LEARN HOW TO BE AN AMERICAN’: “The men and women all over America who have worked hard to build these businesses, their businesses, from the ground up is how our economy became the envy of the world. It is the American way. <strong>And I wish this president would learn how to be an American</strong>. [Co-chair John Sununu, Romney campaign conference call]</blockquote>
<blockquote>
1:35 PM — ROMNEY SAYS OBAMA’S POLICIES ARE ‘EXTRAORDINARILY FOREIGN’: “Celebrating success instead of attacking it and denigrating making America strong. That’s the right course for the country. <strong>His course is extraordinarily foreign</strong>.” [Mitt Romney, Pennsylvania]</blockquote>
The continued swipes over Obama’s multi-cultural upbringing are idiotically racist, the sign of a failing Presidential campaign that is trying to elect a man who has zero principles, has flip-flopped on almost every major issue, and now may very well have committed a federal felony in lying about his time at Bain Capitol. The Romney campaign is now providing only one real messaging talking point: reminding us over and over and over again that this President is black – and that Mitt Romney is the best choice for President because, well, he’s the whitest choice possible. <br />
Where’s the racism coming from? It’s arrived in this fashion because Romney’s continued need to distract from near weekly major disasters in his campaign, most recently from the disastrous beginning to his foreign policy tour, beginning in the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/26/mitt-romney-olympics-london_n_1705657.html">UK for the 2012 Summer Olympics</a>:<br />
<blockquote>
Cameron soon <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/news/9429187/Olympics-David-Cameron-rejects-Mitt-Romneys-suggestion-Britain-is-not-ready.html">rebuked Romney</a>. "We are holding an Olympic Games in one of the busiest, most active, bustling cities anywhere in the world. Of course, it's easier if you hold an Olympic Games in the middle of nowhere," he said. <br />
"I think we will show the whole world not just that we come together as a United Kingdom, but also we're extremely good at welcoming people from across the world," Cameron added. "I will obviously make those points to Mitt Romney. I look forward to meeting him."</blockquote>
Made a fool of by the Prime Minister of the country you’re visiting? Check. <a href="http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2012/07/romney-on-britain-just-a-small-island-that-makes-stuff-nobody-wants.html">How about saying our most important ally is “Just a small island that makes stuff that nobody wants?</a> Check: <br />
<blockquote>
England [sic] is just a small island. Its roads and houses are small. With few exceptions, it doesn't make things that people in the rest of the world want to buy. And if it hadn't been separated from the continent by water, it almost certainly would have been lost to Hitler's ambitions. </blockquote>
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18995166">What else</a>? <br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Serious dismay in Whitehall at Romney debut. 'Worse than Sarah Palin.' 'Total car crash'. Two of the kinder verdicts <a href="https://twitter.com/search/%2523romneyshambles">#romneyshambles</a><br />
— James Chapman (Mail) (@jameschappers) <a data-datetime="2012-07-26T18:05:50+00:00" href="https://twitter.com/jameschappers/status/228551719171284992">July 26, 2012</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote>
“Hours later, London Mayor Boris Johnson played on Mr Romney's earlier comments while revving up a crowd of thousands of people in London's Hyde Park. <br />
Calling London "the greatest city on earth," Mr Johnson told the crowd: "I hear there's a guy called Mitt Romney who wants to know whether we're ready. Are we ready?"</blockquote>
This foreign policy nightmare, incensing nearly every important leader in what is our closest ally in the world, was preceded by a Titanic-esque disaster where he refused to release all but two years of federal income tax returns, <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-17/whats-romney-hiding-in-his-tax-returns">most likely because he did not pay ANY federal income tax in the year of 2009</a>: <br />
<blockquote>
As a member of the ultra-rich, Romney probably wasn’t spared major losses. And it’s possible he suffered a large enough capital loss that, carried forward and coupled with his various offshore tax havens, he wound up paying no U.S. federal taxes at all in 2009. If true, this would be politically deadly for him. Even assuming that his return was thoroughly clean and legal—a safe assumption, it seems to me—the fallout would dwarf the controversy that attended the news that Romney had paid a tax rate of just 14 percent in 2010 and that estimated he’d pay a similar rate in 2011.</blockquote>
That’s right folks – a single mother making $7.25 an hour paid more federal income tax in 2009 than Mitt Romney. It does really put into focus how, indeed, Mitt Romney is “not concerned about the very poor” – ironically, who are made up by a very large block of minorities. <a href="http://2012.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/07/nbcwsj-poll-obama-leads-by-6.php">With updated polling now showing President Obama pulling away from Romney nationally and on the electoral map</a>, it appears that a return to racism is the only way the GOP thinks they can win this election, and this time they don’t have John McCain to put the veto on it. Mitt Romney is one thing – a panderer. It is blatantly obvious that if he believed that burning a cross on the White House lawn would get him the Presidency, he would do so. <br />
<br />
It’s incredible the damage Mitt Romney has done to himself in the last few months. Before April, even I didn’t think Mitt Romney was actually a bad guy – he may have been disconnected from reality, ignorant of the masses, but at least he donated to charity and didn’t actively seem to cheat the system – but the last few months have exposed the true Mitt Romney. A political chameleon who will do anything and everything to gain power and money – who cares so little about the average American that his <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/ann-romney_n_1685735.html">wife publicly talks about “you people” with disdain</a> in interviews. Now he’s stooping to the level of David Duke, George Wallace, and the 50’s era mentality of white, heterosexist supremacy over all affairs. What a disgusting man – and not a man fit to be President of the most diverse country in the world. Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-36346105443379217242012-07-20T10:04:00.000-07:002012-07-22T23:33:05.732-07:00False Idolatry<span style="color: #666666;">America’s sophomoric obsession with gun worship claims more victims; when can we grow up?</span><br />
<div align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHPaZsmZFlXOLYvRh4S3L0zfHcXkLEAYwUwRiGVIj1NnMgaw7zgFh3fMCfIEg8hquWQdzeWjB3Def_JO3XBzvRmEUKD5JrikvGssmfxPf4i9BoSWXLvTPoI0pyS836HzzPiZsj5ECpn9U/s1600-h/slide_239802_1253499_free%25255B5%25255D.jpg"><img alt="slide_239802_1253499_free" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg36MbApB5XB8yOKpc9zE5NVmPZ8k_Mmz-TxODaXChpFMXT3nxI0J1yPRPH2qBxN2jg8U5Nwz0g8mrmCV6135WrxfiYV_IBX9NL-_G05JuKsbEP-sUAlExkxfa_mAnODHkFpwqDxdqLR34/?imgmax=800" style="display: inline;" title="slide_239802_1253499_free" width="490" /></a></div>The second major American gun massacre in the last two years has occurred in Aurora, Colorado, where a gunman <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/20/james-holmes-identified-a_n_1688776.html#slide=1253499">killed 12 and wounded 50</a> at the midnight premier of The Dark Knight Rises, with a 6 year old among the injured and many under 18 wounded, possibly critically. This comes on the heels of the Jared Loughner incident in Tucson, and is Colorado’s second major gun massacre in the last 20 years, with the other being the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_High_School_massacre">Columbine High School massacre</a>. Ironically, a <a href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/20120719gun-lovers-fear-obama-politico.html">Politico/NRA fluff piece</a> came out just yesterday, with the normal gun nut contingent bleating the typical “that black man is coming to take our guns” bullshit that has become so acceptable in American society: (from gunbanobama.com)<br />
<blockquote>Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history. Senator Obama says “words matter.” But when it comes to your Second Amendment rights, he refuses to speak honestly about where he stands. In fact, Obama hides behind carefully chosen words and vague statements of support for sportsmen and gun rights to sidestep and camouflage the truth. <br />
But even he can’t hide from the truth forever … his voting record, political associations, and long standing positions make it clear that, if elected, Barack Obama would be the most anti-gun president in American history.</blockquote>Indeed, even the President is fearful of attempting to pass even common sense gun control legislation, perhaps something that would have prevented the deaths of more innocent Americans. The spectre of the NRA, who believe that Americans should be able to concealed-carry AK-47s and rocket launchers because it’s “constitutional” (it’s NOT), has successfully scared any politician with half of a brain away from attempting to pass any type of comprehensive gun legislation since the Columbine disaster. Does it take a room full of dead teenagers to force politicians into action in this country? <br />
It’s time for America’s fascination with gun worship to end. An obsession with guns that has no room for safety and common sense is something that should be out of our psyche by the time we turn 16. It’s sophomoric, idiotic, and deadly. <a href="http://www.mediaite.com/tv/bill-maher-explains-american-gun-culture-to-piers-morgan-this-is-a-theology-in-this-country/">Bill Maher sums up my views on the gun society in America perfectly</a>: <br />
<blockquote>“I find the gun laws in this country incomprehensible,” Morgan told Maher, and the latter took a shot at explaining them by explaining the culture. “I look at guns like antibiotics… sometimes you need them, but I don’t kiss my antibiotics, I don’t worship them” the way some worship guns, he explained. “<strong>Rick Santorum</strong> likes to talk about theology… <em>this</em> is a theology in this country, this is a religion.” <br />
While Maher understood the value of having a Second Amendment, he noted that the context in which that amendment was written could not have anticipated the way guns evolved in the ability to do harm. “The Constitution could not foresee assault weapons,” he noted, adding once again that “no one is saying that we are attempting to create a gun free society, just reasonable limits.”</blockquote>Please join me in calling on our state and federal legislators to back comprehensive gun control legislation TODAY. A FULL FEDERAL assault weapons ban, ban on the sizes of clips, and real training and control on weapons. No more dead children – no more mothers crying – no more high school shootings. Let’s burn the NRA down and grow up as a country – if we don’t, who knows who will be next?<br />
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</script>Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3704384850963277483.post-69803431540064412612012-07-13T18:11:00.002-07:002012-07-13T18:15:03.833-07:00The Fierce Urgency of Now<br />
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<img alt="553835_447852478582508_165170981_n" border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFfqbhIVqoxJQwf0mkLSwLh1QpwutOon73cVmsCc_vGtjHI9O0w3PxIehH5nXEUV1E-KE_b_SO3XeimlmcJnYUbJAJtYU4bl2_Q9BwI2T-M3-MXZNkyKKWBkPb9pDlY7Ce_6q66TWd0Cs/?imgmax=800" style="background-image: none; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="553835_447852478582508_165170981_n" width="304" /><br />
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Presidential politics continues it’s onward march towards November, with the <a href="http://zacharycook.blogspot.com/2012/07/following-in-christs-footsteps.html">Obamacare ruling</a> now in the rear view mirror. The affirmation was another big political win for the President, who has faced down the “Democrats always lose” cliché and come up a winner on a few big issues:<br />
<ul>
<li>Immigration reform: Swing states <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-immigration-policy-poll-swing-states-dream-act-2012-6">overwhelmingly support</a> the President’s move to halt deportations. </li>
<li>Same-sex marriage: the President’s endorsement of same sex marriage appears to have <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/07/10/513512/marriage-equality-now-a-mainstream-value/">pushed public opinion</a> over the hump and into the favorable column – including in the African-American community. </li>
<li>Health Care Reform: after the Supreme Court’s affirmation of Obamacare, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/01/obamacare-supreme-court-ruling_n_1641560.html">polls have found</a> support on the rise for the legislation across the board, with support now nearing 50%. </li>
</ul>
The icing on the cake is that coupled with these political wins, the Obama campaign has, without question, has dropped the centrist triangulation that we are used to from Democratic campaigns such as Clinton and Kerry, using issues such as same-sex marriage, income inequality, and fairness as issues to draw a very clear line of distinction between the President and Mitt Romney. It’s pretty clear that President Obama has, for the most part, delivered the goods as promised in 2008 to his progressive base – with many of those legislative wins coming in the face of a Tea Party controlled house. A glance at some big progressive wins during the first four years of Obama’s term:<br />
<ul>
<li>Repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell</li>
<li>Passage of first major healthcare legislation in over 40 years</li>
<li>Equal pay for women (Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act)</li>
<li>Ending the war in Iraq</li>
<li>Saving the American auto industry</li>
<li>Made sexual orientation a protected federal class for hate crimes</li>
<li>First sitting President to endorse same-sex marriage</li>
<li>Halting deportations of DREAM-act eligible immigrants </li>
</ul>
We could go on and on, but I think it’s fair to say that most did not expect even half of this list to happen before the end of the President’s first term. <br />
<br />
The constant refrain from the left after another Democratic campaign loss was “Just run to the left – be a REAL Democrat!”. Barack Obama has offered liberals the chance to finally prove that statement right. While the idea that the Obama administration is “liberal” in the grand scheme of things is questionable, in terms of the American scale, Barack Obama is the most liberal President we’ve had in over 30 years, and his recent moves to the left have now left progressives with no excuses – this is the guy, now is the time, and this is the moment. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/miles-mogulescu/progressive-critics-of-pr_b_1671367.html?utm_hp_ref=politics">Miles Mogulescu</a> explains the importance of November’s election:<br />
<blockquote>
<em>Such a victory for a Republicans -- the most virulently reactionary American political party in historical memory -- would likely result in British/European-style austerity that would plunge a country already experiencing an unnecessarily slow recovery from the deepest recession since the 1930's into a full-blown depression. It would likely lead to tax cuts for the wealthy that would only increase the economic inequality between the top 1% (and top 0.01%) and the 99% that has been widening since the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980. It would likely lead to the unraveling of the economic reforms of the Progressive era, the New Deal, and the Great Society including Medicare and Social Security, which have done so much to turn America into the first largely middle class society in history. It would unravel even the relatively mild regulation of Too Big To Fail Banks of the Obama administration and make another financial crisis more likely. It would restore the neocons to leadership of American foreign policy which could lead to further unnecessary wars. It would lead to the appointment of up to three new Supreme Court Justices in the mold of Scalia/Alito/Thomas who would block progressive reforms for a generation to come. </em></blockquote>
In addition to the non-political ramifications of a Romney victory, it would also serve as a sign to both parties that liberals were wrong – that if someone campaigned to the left, it would just result in a loss. It would provide validation and a mandate to the neo-conservative right to move our country’s Overton window to the right at an even faster rate – destroying civil rights gains for minorities, LGBT’s, women, and even religious minorities. The America of Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann could very well become a reality – threatening to halt the liberalization of the next generation of Americans. <br />
<br />
So when you think about this November, keep in mind that this could be our last chance to put up a major fight against the continued shifting of our country’s political spectrum to the right – our last opportunity to take back the real America from the far right, Christian fundamentalists who want to rule our country as the American Taliban.Zachary Cookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11514859939227722705noreply@blogger.com