if only everybody watched as much cable news as i do

jeez. i'm sitting here watching wolf blitzer explain the situation in myanmar (formerly burma), intercut with clips of a pickup truck taking flight in virginia, and all i want to do is go for a ride. unfortunately, i am beset once again by crappy weather and a mysterious profusion of flats. (full disclosure: the weather isn't that crappy, it's just overcast, and i know damn well that the flats are caused by all the broken forty bottles outside my apartment. but back to the subject at hand.) 

the u.s. and the u.n., along with many other, smaller organizations, are planning on providing aid to the victims of the cyclone that hit myanmar last week. this presents an interesting ethical diversion: in contrast to the massive aid provided after the tsunami that hit thailand and much of the surrounding area in 2004, myanmar is ruled by a fascist military junta. so aid good; aid to non-elected authoritarians, good? 

the u.s. and the u.n. are actually waiting for permission from these assholes to provide all this aid. i mean, come on, you need the aid to help your devastated, starving and thirsty people, and you won't let it into your country because ... why? is the fear that your downtrodden populace, after decades under harsh rule, will finally see that there's a better way out there? hmm?

i'm all worked up, time to go sweat it out on the highways.

peace be unto y'all.