Saturday, December 31, 2005

In the land of milk and honey...

Family displaced by hurricane

found dead

By CAREN M. PENLAND and BILL TEETER
STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITERS

GRAPEVINE -- They lost their home and jobs to Hurricane Katrina. Already in poor health, the family had come to North Texas, seeking to hold on.

But work was hard to find, and on Tuesday, an eviction notice came.

Two days later, police believe, the father, mother and 14-year-old son died in their Grapevine apartment, believed to be victims of a double-murder suicide.

"They had nowhere to go, and they didn't have any money," said neighbor Teri Curry, who had been helping the family financially.

The bodies of a 40-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman and the boy were found about 9 a.m. Friday morning in their three-bedroom apartment in the 3100 block of Mustang Drive, police said. Officers also found a 20-gauge shotgun believed to have been used in the killings.

"Our working theory is that the father killed his wife and son," Grapevine police Sgt. Todd Dearing said.

Their identities are not being released until relatives can be notified.

Apartment officials had asked police to check on the family when they couldn't get anyone to answer the door, officials said.

A maintenance worker tried to remove the front door lock, but the deadbolt was set. Using a ladder, he and officers climbed onto the second-floor balcony to break a windowpane to get in.

They found the mother in the living room and the son, a student at Cross Timbers Middle School, in a bedroom. In another bedroom was the father, the shotgun close at hand, police said.

The ladder remained propped against the building on Friday, as police officers and media swarmed the area.

The couple's 16-year-old daughter had been sent to North Carolina this week to live with her boyfriend's family, who are also Katrina evacuees. The girl learned of her family's deaths by reading an online news report. She immediately called Grapevine police and was helping them locate other relatives.

Authorities said the family listed La Place, La., as their hometown on a lease agreement. La Place is about 25 miles west of New Orleans.

A downstairs neighbor reported hearing shots Thursday morning, but waited several hours before calling apartment officials, police said.

Officers knocked on the victims' door shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday but no one answered.

"They [officers] didn't feel like they had any reason to force the door because the family typically didn't open the door because of the rent situation," Dearing said.

Curry said she believes that the stress of losing their home in Louisiana, coupled with health and money problems, led to the tragedy. The father was not bearing up under the situation and had previously attempted suicide by cutting his throat in front of family members after Katrina hit, Curry said the mother had told her.

Frank Martinez, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper who works as a courtesy officer at the complex, said the family had not paid their $1,200-a-month rent for the past two months. "They had arguments once in a while, but that was it," Martinez said.

Munirah Kabani, whose apartment shares a wall with the deceased family, said she heard two muffled voices screaming last weekend in what sounded like a "terrible argument."

"My kids were worried and scared," she said. "I told them there was nothing we could do. I didn't think it would come to this. It's terrible."

The family's car, a burgundy Mitsubishi Galant, remained in front of the apartment building. Police believe that the car was borrowed from a relative.

The emotional stress of the hurricane's aftermath proved more powerful than anything Katrina could dish out, Curry said. The family was getting little, if any, help from agencies or religious groups, Curry said. She felt compelled to help after meeting them about six weeks ago, giving them any food and money she could spare, Curry said.

"They were about to be evicted, they were supposed to be out Tuesday, but they had nowhere to go," Curry said.

Before the hurricane struck, the father had worked as a construction contractor. But the mother suffered from health problems that kept her from working, and the 16-year-old daughter has an immune disorder, Curry said.

After arriving in North Texas, the father found work but was collapsing from the strain and became "incredibly depressed," Curry said. The mother was left carrying the family emotionally, and she was showing the stress, Curry said.

"He would leave all the decisions up to her, and she was cracking," Curry said.

Earlier in the week, Curry said, the mother told her that the eviction was looming.

"Teri, my kids are starving," she told Curry, a flight attendant who is on medical leave from American Airlines because of migraine headaches.

The last time Curry spoke to anybody from the family was Thursday morning. The wife and husband were about to take the son to stay with relatives in Houston. They were to return Thursday night and stay in Curry's apartment. Again, the family had no money, and she gave them $60 for gas, Curry said.

The parents never showed up Thursday night, and when she saw the police cars Friday morning, she thought it was part of the eviction. Later in the day, Curry found out the truth.

"I came home and found this out. It's killing me," she said.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Homeless vs. Houseless

There's a difference between a man without a home and a man without a house. A man without a house has a place in society but for whatever reason has lost his abode - but not his place. A man without a home has no place in society - even when he's in a house. He will always be on the "outside". This gives a great feeling of insecurity to a person and different people react different ways. Some are driven to be great criminals, some are driven to be great artists and some are simply driven homeless.

The world will never be a perfect place, which is why Jesus said we will always have the poor. "Judge not lest you be judged yourself." But just because the world is not perfect doesn't mean that shouldn't be our goal.

Thursday, December 29, 2005

The falling leaf does not hate the wind

Today, I stole some time. In the morning sun I sat upon a leaf. The gentle breeze wafted underneath as I floated up and down and stared into the sky. On this leaf, there were no rules. Just me and nature and the universe. It was then I realized we have been given paradise. Did God kick us out of the Garden of Eden or was it merely taken from our minds we are still here? We are not meant to suffer. It's so obvious now! It's a dream. This is all just a dream. It's clear now how far we have strayed from the true path. All the torment and suffering..unnecessary. I want to live on this leaf forever, basking in God's glow. My heart is at peace. The claws of the world have fallen out of my stomach. Confusion no longer clouds my mind. It's all good.

If only we all could live on a leaf. Paradise found.

"Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!"

An elderly woman yelled that to me today (and she was quite proud of herself). She was very angry with me for being homeless. She said she used to have sympathy but not anymore. Lots of people are angry with my being homeless. Some even believe it gives them the right to do me harm. My terrorists attack every day. Somehow, my homelessness seems to invalidate peoples' lives. How can anyone not prosper in this society, they complain. They have offered me careers in dish washing and lawn mowing. In doing these things I can once again attain value, they assert.

I say nothing to them. It's their own feelings of worthlessness
of which they despair. I am merely a conduit for feelings they cannot
otherwise express. To me, I see the homeless as extremely useful. We are the barometers of a society's soul. Our treatment is your fate. I think that's why so many people are mad.

("Won't be my fate!" scoffed the Rich Man to the homeless Lazarus. "I pay my bills. I do what I'm supposed to!" Later, in Hell, the Rich Man was confused. The irresponsible homeless man was in Heaven and here he was, the good guy, in Hell! God screwed up! He tried explaining the socio-economic structure of his world to God, but to no avail. "I hate God," he lamented. "He's a damn liberal!")

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

What, me stressed?

I've been told my health suffers from too much stress. I've been told to try yoga, or meditation or even take a vacation. But these things do not exist for me. Where does a homeless man rest? Where can a man rest when his heart is never safe?

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Billboard I'd like to see


"GREED IS GOOD"
- God

Brought to you by the Holy Hypocrites of America, Inc.

All we are saying is give war a chance Part 2

Ev'rybody's talking about
Terrorism, bushism, sadism, fascism
Soul-selling, wholesaleing
All we are saying is give war a chance,
All we are saying is give war a chance

C'mon
Ev'rybody's talking about
Liars 'n' buyers, cryers 'n' sighers, wires 'n' miers,
Torturers and morturers
All we are saying is give war a chance,
All we are saying is give war a chance

Let me tell you now
Ev'rybody's talking about
Health care, welfare, soldiers dying, souls are frying
How we livin', how we givin'
All we are saying is give war a chance,
All we are saying is give war a chance

Ev'rybody's talking about
John and Yoko, Martin Luther,
Mahatma Ghandi, Rosa Parks,
Jesus Christ, Love will work
All we are saying is give war a chance,
All we are saying is give war a chance

(To properly visualize this, picture the entire White House cabal with arms locked singing over a camp fire - with Bin Laden, Saddam and the Taliban chiming in on the chorus)

Mundo Nulla Fides II

"Then they throw you in their cells,
"To share their private hells."

Ah, prison. Why do we imprison more than any other? Is it because no place else so disapproves of unhappiness? Or is it because we are so interested in reform? Or is it simply because we have so many people in need of sharing their own private torment.

There are evil among us who say jail is none too harsh - that both the guilty and innocent must suffer. Yet who is guilty and innocent in God's eyes? Is the prison guard who laughs at a prisoner's rape innocent? They say many things to you when you first enter prison, but all they truly say is, "Welcome to my hell."

"Men simply copied the realities of their hearts when they built prisons."
- Richard Wright

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Top 10 things I hate about being homeless

10. No place to shit
9. Depending on other people (Republican rapists!)
8. Being outside of everything
(also on my top 10 list of best things about being homeless)
7. Lost dreams
6. Wanting unreachable women in their fancy cars
5. Nightmares...and daymares
4. Wondering who I would have been
3. All the dirty looks I get
2. No place to rest
1. Being alone

Thursday, December 15, 2005

All we are saying is give war a chance

   Mother was nervous in the living room.
“Two angels came by today,” she said.
Father, relaxing after work, was ruffled. “Angels?! What did
they want?”
“They had a List,” ventured Mother. “A List of Things I Truly
Wanted.”
“Good God! Did you look at it?”
“No! No! I don’t know why they came. I told them they must be
mistaken.”
Father eyed her suspiciously. “Have you been praying again?”
“Oh no, only in church,” quickly pooh-poohed Mother. “I have
everything that I want.”
The cover up was on. To compare the life she had with the life
she truly wanted could be disastrous. In fact, it was a perpetual
war within her between pushing the List away and craving It. Father
could press her on this point. Break her down, make her admit
she was a fraud, a liar. All would be lost then. Not only would she
not have what she Truly Wanted but also lose all that she did have.
What would Father do?
“Good! Good!” approved Father, his demeanor much more jovial.
“I want you to have everything that you want.”
“I know,” Mother cooed. “I know you do, dear.”
They sealed the deal with a kiss. The contract was intact, the
holy institution of marriage was preserved. And to preserve that
which is holy made you holy too. Mother thought to herself: “Thank
God he’s a fraud too. Someday we will make this all right, though.”
A tenuous contentment filled the air. Mother and Father placed
their sunglasses on as they resumed their activities. They felt so
smart and adult. How clever they were! Both felt so safe in the
confines of their agreement.
The door slammed shut as Junior came home, bursting the bubble of
contentment.
“Damn it, son!” perturbed Father. “Why do you have to slam the
damn door!”
“Hi, Mom! Hi, Dad! Guess what? We learned something really
cool today at school.”
Mother was always craving good news. “Really? Tell us what it
was.”
“We learned a cool new truth: War is over if you want It.”
Frantic eyes darted behind the cleverly placed sunglasses. Mother
and Father first looked to each other, then looked away relieved.
The moment of panic passed, they came to a silent agreement, their
front united.
“Oh, no,” opposed Mother. “War goes on forever. You can’t have
peace just because you want It. Trust me.”
“Yes,” comfortably confirmed Father. “There is no other way. It’s
the only way to keep what we have.” Father was confident. “Someday
you will understand that.”
Junior, backing away, mumbled to himself, “I hope not.”

He's baaaaack!

"Lord, forgive them not, for they know what they do."
-Jesus, the second time around

Injustice for all


Molten lava monster comes dripping down the road, leaving potholes of steam and footprints of disaster. His bowler hat was flaming, his bulging eyes were aiming, and his burning lips were blaming. With snarling flame he greeted a passerby.

"Well," blushed the passing woman, "Hello, Mr. Mayor."
And then he ate her.

I hear people all the time complain of police brutality, that they are thugs in uniform and puppets of the rich and powerful. But we want thugs in uniform. Who do you want dealing with dangerous criminals - a bunch of boy scouts?? Hell no!! Beat on their sorry asses! Taser 'em and watch 'em scream! Yeehaw! Who said rape wasn't legal!

Mundo Nulla Fides

"In the land of milk and honey,
"when you die they think it's funny."

There's a famous story here of a guy in a BMW who holds out a 20 dollar bill to a homeless beggar on the corner. As the man approaches the car, though, the driver at the last minute yanks it back and drives off laughing. Republican, ya think? Anyway, here on Dallas redneck radio, they thought this was pretty high-larious. Of course, this is a place that brands both its cattle and its women.

Naah-nah-nah-naah-nah! I get to live but you don't! You go through hell but I don't! I get to fuck but you don't! Die, homeless, die! HAHAHAHAHA! And your kids die, too!

Achtung juden!

"Liberal, liberal,
"We hate you!
"Liberal, liberal,
"The modern jew!"

Who will we blame next?
(of course, the funny part is everyone's a liberal and everyone's a jew)

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Introduction

Dear world,

I hate you. Fuck off and die.

Sincerely,

Harry