Tag Archives: Fear Foggers

Less United

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Over the weekend, a group of Texans gathered in Bastrop (outside Austin), concerned about the possibility of the federal government declaring martial law in Texas. This was reported in this morning’s Boston Globe. What’s the basis for this fear?

Apparently media operatives like Alex Jones have been piggybacking on a large scale military operation, called Jade Helm 15, to spread fear via his daily fear-fogger, The Alex Jones Show, a syndicated radio program. Many of those gathered in Bastrop no doubt got their information about this from Jones, and others on the outer fringes of the media.

Alex Jones using the fear-fogger.

Alex Jones using the fear-fogger.

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Another Weather Event

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Monday was so peaceful—the proverbial “calm before the storm.” Actually, the weather puppets were fear-fogging first thing, but since I was out the door at 4:30 am to go swimming, I paid them no mind.

In our age of social media, things like snow events, major storms, and certainly, blizzards of “historic proportions,” all have a tendency to go viral. I tried to steer clear of Twitter and Facebook, but I couldn’t help taking a peak at the Twitterverse late in the day, as I was wrapping up my workday from home.

Posting about snow and snowstorms is something I’ve done on several occasions. During Snowpocalype 2013, I actually took the JBE on the road and provided live storm reports out in the elements. I won’t be doing that during this storm. Being out on the roads with people who have no sense about how to drive in snow, with whiteout conditions, which are likely to occur, isn’t worth the trouble.

January is considered one of the winter months in Northern New England. It snows in the winter. And sometimes it snows more than a few inches. Continue reading →

Perpetual War

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I’m reading a biography of Howard Zinn. I picked it up at the Maine State Library, my bi-weekly way station where I gather books and do research for whatever article I’m writing, or thinking about writing.

Zinn, who left us with one of the best quotes about the inanity of the ideology that fuels America’s never-ending need for war and killing that I’ve ever run across, said that “There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people.” Continue reading →

Sochi Games Shrouded in Fog of Fear

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The Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia have officially begun, although the “opening ceremonies” will be broadcast tonight on the TeeVee. Every four years, a narrative develops about each subsequent Games. The story of the 2014 games seems to be fear.

The original intent of the Olympics, we’ve been told, was to promote competition and goodwill among nations around the globe. We all know that’s a bucket of horse puckey, don’t we? The archetype for our modern Olympics began in ancient Greece, taking place in the context of a religious festival; all events were held in honor of Zeus, and included the sacrificing of a hundred oxen in his honor. The athletes all prayed to the gods for victory and gave gifts of animals, produce, or small cakes in thanks for their successes. Today’s oblations are to the corporate sponsors that make the world go round, including international sports competitions.

Playing both the fear and financial angles.

NBC–cashing in at Sochi

The worship now centers on how much money can be extracted from the entire process. It’s commercialism run amok, with geopolitical tensions and propaganda thrown in for good measure. Continue reading →

Mending fences

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Do you need to do some fence-mending?

Do you need to do some fence-mending?

Strife and conflict seem to be the twins that fuel many people. For these types, there’s always an “issue” or some Henny Penny kind of conspiracy to get behind and wind others up about. Most of the time these people make it their place to ruin your day. Conflict makes the world go round, at least it does seem to be central in the lives of many that’s for sure. Continue reading →

Coping with weather and boys who cry “wolf”

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When we were young, we became familiar with the story of “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.”  It is one of Aesop’s Fables and is numbered 210 on the Perry Index for those who care about these things. The moral of the story, and Aesop’s Fables always had a moral, was that “a liar will not be believed, even when he speaks the truth.” Continue reading →

It was a dark and stormy night…

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Hurricane Sandy on a weather map

Nothing creates fear and even hysteria like weather-related news of impending disaster.  If there’s an approaching hurricane, especially with predictions of high winds and water aimed at the Northeastern population corridor, then you can be sure that the media will be in operation for days in advance, squeezing every opportunity to maximize viewership pre, during, and post weather event. Fear is an attractive tool to use. Sometimes fear is even used as an element of control. Continue reading →