yesterday, we were without power for over 4 hours. today, we got a call saying we would be without power for an additional two hours. tixon attempted to get compensation but was turned down by three different customer service reps. it should be noted that the phone and gas companies had compensated in the past. well, at least no one has bombed our electrical grid. that's the first thing that happened in iraq, serbia, and elsewhere; our military bombs the grid and throws the bombed population into darkness. hospitals are then forced to use back up generators. this is currently happening in gaza, where one of the three back up generators has already failed. now, i was without power for 4 hours and i was ready to pull my hair out! candles and flash lights became dirty words, and i felt miserably deprived. for billions of people, it is a lucky day if they have electricity for four hours. gaza currently is going on about 6 hours a day. millions have no electricity at all. as we celebrate yet again. i, for one, don't celebrate that my electric company is the only show in town. whatever happened to competition? come on, you capitalists, i thought you believed in consumer choice and a marketplace of goods and services! remember the jokes about people waiting in line at the mcdonald's in russia? remember lenny's line about the guy in russia who got into an argument with the phone company? well, with one electric company in all of jp, i'm that schmuck with two cans and a string yelling into the receiver. i'm sorry, mr. bruce, but capitalism certainly doesn't cook for me. with the lights out, i can't even see what i'm cooking! yes, it's the age of monopoly capitalism, where choice is a thing of the past, unless by choice you mean the manner you wish to be fucked by the corporations. for you have the choice to silently accept, or to complain, and then be forced to accept against your will, unless you are willing to live by candle light. as i said, it could be worse. i could be living under the bombs. instead, my tax dollars pay for the bombs that others are forced to live under. aren't i the fortunate one?

happy new year