November 22, 1987 - WTTW Chicago

The general public would be absolutely horrified to know the extent to which modern television and radio has been weaponized to manipulate them.

Some of it can be blamed on time zones, which have also been weaponized to control the flow of information.  Sometimes, signals are relayed or delayed to one specific part of the country while another sees entirely different coverage of the same event.

Such as when only part of America saw WTC7 collapse in 2001.

The footage included interrupted a Dr. Who episode on Chicago's PBS station, WTTW - Channel 11, on November 22^nd, 1987.  What appears to be a man in an ill-fitting Max Headroom mask and oversized suit addresses the audience for no discernible reason, saying nothing of apparent import.

He appears to be filming inside of a rental storage unit and to reference Michael Jackson when he places a glove on his hand.  Michael Jackson was arguably the biggest musical star in the world at the time and Max Headroom was a top-rated, dystopian sci-fi TV show in America, as well as a pop-cultural icon who sold everything from Pepsi to sneakers.  It was about the corruption, commercialization, and weaponization of the media.

The video has never been explained and whoever committed this act of piracy has never been caught or identified... publicly, anyway.

This is known as "The Max Headroom Incident."

© The Weirding, 2019

5 Cults from the 1960s and 1970s

By Nancy Wong - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44405530

America, and the Western World in general, underwent a Spiritual Revival in the late 1960s and early '70s which experts largely attribute to a drop in organized religion and rise in Agnosticism and Atheism.  The "Free Love" vibe of 1960s America gave rise to numerous cults, several of which originated in California and charmed Hollywood.

This Spiritual Revival spawned numerous, pseudo-religious cults and generated widespread interest in them, but also later did them in.  The backlash from traditional, and far more organized, religious believers was so strong that it evolved into an Evangelical Revival in the late 1970s which then metastasized (Stateside) into Televangelism the following decade. 

The original belief systems espoused by these 1960s sects owe much to Theosophy, a religious movement founded by Madame Blavatsky during America's first massive Spiritual Revival at the turn of the 20^th-Century, following the end of the Civil War.  

That American interest in Spirituality should peak following major wars with massive casualties is no coincidence -- neither is the omnipresence of Theosophy with Judaeo-Christian overtones, the militarization of the more successful cults, nor the media hype surrounding them.  While most were either fueled entirely by sex and drugs or later exposed as con games, they were harmless... some cults, however, were more sinister -- and it can be difficult to tell the two apart, even today.

Introduction to, and induction into, most cults is passive at first: Many start as open religious constructs or social movements, just like modern "political" groups, becoming progressively less communal as one rises in the ranks.  They are uniformly hierarchal, and ultra-secretive at the top.

In fact, the formulation of several, modern, American protest groups is directly patterned after the emergence of cults in the 1960s, some of which were manipulated by clandestine agencies using intelligence gathered from the first American Spiritualism Revival, refitted for the era (Feminism, Civil Rights, Irony as anti-Establishmentarianism, et. al.) for recruiting efforts.

Almost all of these cults are based on slivers of numerous religions and bits of science, with heavy Theosophical, Eastern, and Judaeo-Christian influences; most revolve around one or two central, Messianic figures (usually the founder[s]), generally thought to be somehow mystical; and larger sects uniformly exhibit paramilitary organization.  The latter tend to be "Doomsday" cults, but only as a generality.  Most were largely innocuous (all things considered), and many former members went on to live fulfilling lives in mainstream society.

Other similarities are contextual, as mentioned previously, reflecting the era in which the cults were spawned.  For example, many ironically adopted Satanic, and vaguely Nazi, emblems and dress early-on -- primarily for recruitment purposes.  Originally regarded as an act of defiance, such fashion quickly became counter-culture kitsch and rightfully recognized as a cry for attention.  Several cults also had (drug) ties to motorcycle gangs that used similar imagery, fueling the mystery surrounding them.

That is, until the Tate-LaBianca murders.  

• Anton LaVey (d. 1997) established The Church of Satan in Los Angeles in 1967.  After his The Satanic Bible sold over one million copies worldwide, LaVey appeared as The Devil in Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby (1968), and on the album covers of both The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour and The Eagles' Hotel California.  He claimed responsibility for several high-profile deaths to which he had no connection, such as that of Jayne Mansfield (a former member), which landed LaVey and his "Church" in hot water following the Tate-LaBianca Murders.  While sensational in its time, LaVey's Church of Satan languished in obscurity until the Satanic Panic of the 1980s, when it was resurrected by well-coifed talk show hosts.  LaVey had previously worked as a lion-tamer, carnival worker, and police photographer.

• The Church of Scientology was founded in 1953 by writer, L. Ron Hubbard, and survives to this day, boasting many famous members from the Hollywood community.  Hubbard's best-selling book, Dianetics, serves as the introductory foundation, but there are at least eight levels of Scientology (not including the legendary Level 9, which only Hubbard himself is said to have reached), and members spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to reach each one.  A lot of cults -- a lot, many -- were splinters of Scientology, and many cult members came from, or went on to, other cults... some of which are very questionable.  The Church of Scientology itself has increasingly come under scrutiny in the last few years for its checkered legal past and reported malfeasances, but members say they are being persecuted.

• The Process Church of the Final Judgement was established in 1966 by Mary Ann McClean and Robert DeGrimston, who met at the London branch of the L. Ron Hubbard Institute of Scientology.  The two developed their own system of auditing called "The Process," and formed Compulsions Analysis, which was later renamed.  The Process Church found some small renown in the 1960s, eventually establishing churches across the United States.  Processeans dabbled in Nazi-chic and Satanic imagery and hob-knobbed with rock stars, but after Ed Sanders' 1971 book, The Family, directly implicated The Process Church of the Final Judgement as the real "Family" in the Charles Manson case, they revamped their image and beliefs and changed their name to the Foundation Church.  But the Process Church was directly tied to the founders' relationship (and also sex and drugs), and it fell apart once that ended.  Despite its former, considerable stature, it is almost entirely forgotten today.

• Heaven's Gate was founded by two people but is said to have sprung originally from Marshall Applewhite's inability to deal with his homosexuality.  During "Class," the cult held deep, philosophical discussions on many things, culminating in a shared belief that death -- "leaving one's vehicle [body]" -- was just another step on the path to Immortality, and mass suicide was the means by which they would all make that journey together.  Following the discovery of the Hale-Bop Comet in 1995, 39 Heaven's Gate followers donned brand new Nike sneakers, ate an applesauce tincture, then climbed into their compound bunks and died, believing a spaceship in the comet's tail would carry them onto that next stage of Immortality.

• The Source Family was the most akin to The Manson Family, although it had far more Hollywood cachet and only half as many murders.  While its public facade espoused the usual Hippie notions about returning to the Earth and Nature and rejecting societal norms and mores, The Source Family was mostly about sex and drugs... and a rock n roll band fronted by their Messianic leader, Father Yod.  Father Yod's real name was Jim Baker, and Jim Baker was almost certainly CIA (although that cannot be confirmed, it cannot be denied).  Whilst The Source Family outlasted the Manson Family, it eventually imploded due to its excesses, and disbanded after Baker leapt to his death in Hawaii on a homemade hang glider.

No rundown on 1960s cults would be replete without mentioning the Manson Family, in case I haven't, whose series of grisly murders brought the hippie movement to a brutal end, along with most of the cults and communes it had inspired.  While most of them died-down or dissolved entirely after the chilling Tate-LaBianca Murders, a few cults from the 1960s and '70s straggled on -- some exist, even today!  

The cult craze swept Japan a decade earlier, thanks to Operation: Golden Lily.

* Please pardon all the formatting and clerical errors.  I've been sitting on this for over a year now.  Thanks! 

© The Weirding, 2018-2019

The Cryptozoological Curiosity of Wetzel Kangaroo Beer

For a solid decade -- 1957 - 1967 -- residents in and around Coon Rapids, Minneapolis repeatedly encountered at least two kangaroos. The wood behind the suburban Anoka County Fairgrounds is where they are believed to have lived, though they were spotted as far away as Nebraska, sometimes hundreds of miles apart from one another.

A local brewer, Charles Wetzel, bore witness to one of the kangaroos, inspiring him to brew the Wetzel Kangaroo Beer. In fact, it turns out that there is a thriving microbrewery scene involving cryptids and cryptozoological, which is covered quite well by Cryptobrewology dotCom.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Jersey Cops Demand Venus de Milo Sculpture Clothed

A mother and her two children sculpted a replica of Venus de Milo's famous nude from snow in their front yard. Though many passersby praised their creativity and skill, one good Christian neighbor complained to police who told Eliza Gonzalez and her children they must either cover the work or destroy it. Gonzalez complied by dressing it up with a bikini top and sarong, but noted she thought that "objectified and sexualized" it even more.

A willing ignorance toward art, culture, science, and general knowledge and education cannot be tolerated, even if it is in the name of religion. The Constitution gives us the right to religious freedom, but also the right to personal freedoms, and the two should not cancel-out one another; the neighbor should not have the right to oppress others based on his/her religious or moral convictions. How do I know this Good Neighbor was a Christian? Well, I don't - s/he could just as well have been a Muslim; I know it was one of these religions - one associated with the Judaeo-Christian mythology - because this is America and that's how those people work!

It is certainly no more inappropriate for children to see this piece than it is for them to be ashamed of the human body. There is no denying this is a work of art - not just because it is the recreation of a world-famous piece of art - and the family should have the right to display it as it was intended without fear of reprisal or censorship.

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Hey, Pig - Yeah, You

Since the HBO special documentary last month, it seems that pigs have suddenly become the cause... du jour.  The truth is that most pig farms are pretty "humane," for as far as that goes, and pork is damned tasty.

While perhaps not the cornerstone of Western civilization, pork is certainly one of the most popular meats in the Western world.  And, as Richard da Costa writes, "If we are going to eat animals... then we must accept that they must be killed to be eaten."

And while vegetarians -- especially vegans -- argue that we meat-eaters are "base," abusive murderers and so on (and on), they're mostly just hangry because they're dying for a porkchop.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Paradox Takes on Chariots of the Gods

Erich von Daniken's 1968 best-seller, Chariots of the Gods, has been optioned to be made into a sci-fi film by Paradox Entertainment.  The film company is also set to make a new Conan movie, and one of the producers involved shepherded all three Lord of the Rings movies.

While von Daniken's book was non-fiction, the Chariots of the Gods movie will be science-fiction, based on the premise that aliens have visited earth many times before, throughout history.  In the (great, BTW) book, von Daniken offers plenty of pseudo-scientific evidence to back-up his claims that these visits were the catalysts for many of Man's greatest achievements.  While the evidence he presented is strong, the truth is that there is no smoking gun and all of it is open to interpretation.

Erich von Daniken's interpretation is truly no more convoluted than the pop-science bullshit proffered by the scientists who reject his hypotheses -- in too many cases.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Patagonian Tribe's Last Stand

The Chilean Indian tribe, the Patagonia, is years away from being extinct. While the Patagonia tribe once thrived in the remote Patagonia region of South America, there are only an estimated 12 - 20, full-blooded tribe members left. "It ends with our generation," a member of the Kawesqar tribe said.

As with many remote tribes similar to this one, respiratory illness contracted from contact with Europeans has wiped them out. The first outbreak occurred in the 1800s, with another in the 1940s. The youngest full-blooded members of the Kawesqar tribe are in their 40s and one of them already married outside the tribe. A leading authority estimates around 200 descendants of mixed Kawesqarian heritage. Soon, not only will their culture disappear, but their language as well.

However, some descendants have willingly relocated, noting the isolation, silence, and lack of modern necessities, such as education and medical treatment.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Chilean Liberator Arrested

Chilean stripper, Monserrat Morilles, dubbed "The Metro Goddes," following a provocative striptease on the underground Metro train three days prior to her arrest, was arrested last week when trying to perform a similar dance on the steps of Chile's presidential palace in Santiago.

Ms. Morilles called her dances "happy minutes" in a "timid country." She claims her performances were attempts to enlighten her culture and that a sexual revolution would "make Chile a happier country."

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Online Abortions?

More and more women from countries and areas which do not allow abortions are turning to the Web to find help. And a significant portion of those end up in hospitals.

According to an article from the BBC, many girls in countries and other areas where abortion is illegal are purchasing drugs from what amount to activist websites. While less than 10% are actually taking the drugs they purchase, over 10% of those who do need medical treatment afterward, either because the drug failed to complete the abortion or due to excessive bleeding.

A poll of 200 such women revealed the majority were grateful for having been able to abort this way, while just over 30% said they felt stressed, but the experience was bearable.

While anti-abortion activists consider the sites offering these treatments dangerous, the article makes the case by including testimony from various women whose personal stories provide a positive backdrop. One such woman has a medical condition which precludes her from childbirth; pregnancy could be deadly for her. She was in Thailand when she discovered she was pregnant and tried several disreputable sites before finding Women on the Web, and noted the medicines came in unmarked bottles without instructions. WoW stayed in constant communications with her via e0mail, and the pills arrived with complete instructions and doctor's orders.

While some organizations and individuals credit WoW as being reputable, they note that it is encouraging women in some areas to break the law. Anti-abortion activists said this was a 'further trivialization of the unborn child.'

The Weirding's position on the matter is simple: people who are against abortion should have to provide a safe home and environment for every child they "save," as well as health care, clothing, food, and extended education.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

No Dog Meat for Olympics

China has banned dog meat from appearing on the menus of any restaurant deemed "official" for the 2008 Olympics, to avoid offending foreign visitors.

Known as "fragrant meat" in China, dog is often eaten for medicinal purposes. But restaurants that have been honored as "official" have been told they must offer alternatives to the delicacy for any customers ordering it during the course of the event. Failure to do so will result in the restaurant's being blacklisted. Further, surrounding, "non-official" restaurants and eateries have been encouraged to follow suit.

This is just one of many changes China has instituted to avoid visitors being offended or "amused" by local customs. Residents have also been told to line-up as Westerners do, smile, and not spit in the streets.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Hatred, By God

You know, with everything going on in the Middle East and really everywhere else, I have to wonder - and this is a totally, completely... I mean, this has been discussed to death at different times throughout the ages, so this is certainly nothing new - but I have to wonder whether organized religion has any place in a modern society?

One can argue that many religions impart good values and morals, but at the end of the day, nothing else has caused more death, wanton destruction, and warfare than religion. Whether on a mass scale or individually, religion is the usual excuse for nearly all Evil.

Like I said, this is not a new concept and I'm not trying to make it sound anymore important this go-round than anyone else who has pondered the issue before me, but the world has entered yet another phase of unchecked religious fervor and we're all suffering because of it.

The thing that is different this time is that I actually do have a few suggestions to rectify the situation -- well, one; I have one suggestion:

Stop it.

Seriously.

Just stop it. I'm not being flippant.

In almost every religion, the basic teaching is that the followers are "The Chosen Ones" who will go on to greater things, whether in life or afterward. So why not just accept that you are The Chosen Ones and leave everyone else the hell alone? What is it about humanity that makes every person want to sit in judgment over his fellow man? I find it prosaic to think that it all boils down to displacement -- trying to feel better about themselves by castigating others; I think it goes deeper, in that the people who act like that do so partially because they think it is going to grant them some kind of redemption. The whole concept of "saving" someone, not from him- or her- self, but from Eternal Hellfires or the Corruption of the Western World, or whatever other demonic influence a religion can preach to beware of, somehow endears one to their chosen god.

And I think the recent resurgence in this zealotry is directly related to the rise of the Web. With access to such a wealth of information -- and, yes, disinformation -- a lot of people vie for simpler times. I don't necessarily think they see the Web as Evil so much as they are cowed by the rampant ignorance, greed, and basic ugliness of humanity -- something that was once easier to overlook, now almost impossible to ignore thanks to the Web. A lot of people are pushing for more traditional values and ideals in the face of millions of porn sites, Girls Gone Wild videos, YouTube catfights, et. al.  The ugliness has always been here, it just hasn't always been this accessible.

Which brings us to the matter of Freedom of Speech and the Web, and I have to remind everyone of this: Yelling "fire" in a crowded theater is not a Freedom of Speech issue. Pornographers aren't making any "message," they're just making money (and too often victimizing others); I guess performers and public speakers do have a right to use racial epithets, but that doesn't make it right; and on and on in that vein. The Web has taken things you once has to go out of your way to find -- vice, greed, hatred, violence, blatant sex of all kind -- and made them easily, and widely accessible, in anyone's home. And that is scary.

But turning to extremities to suppress these things is just as bad in the opposite direction, and I think people know that intrinsically; it's just more of an emotional response that is going to take some time to even-out. And don't get me wrong, I think a lot of the people who have fallen prey to this type of thinking really believe what they are pushing -- or at least they really want to -- and I don't see anything wrong with that. I believe religion for some people -- to whatever extent -- feeds a spiritual hunger we all have, the way reading and learning feeds an intellectual need (which too few people have). The problem is that most of the really religious people are the other side of the same coin to those who are so vehemently anti-religious: They feed one of those hungers to excess while starving the other -- a gluttony of its own kind.

The problem with religion is that it is far too easily abused by despots and other would-be criminal masterminds. It is a very convenient, very powerful, tool Evil entities use to subject entire peoples to their whims.

There is no way to turn back time; the Web isn't going anywhere. There is always the chance of a major, earth-shattering event which will cripple it, but smaller networks will replace it the way they preceded it. Computers are not the enemy; the enemy is the same as it has ever been: Man. No matter your god, no god has yet changed Man for the better, so we all might as well accept that and try to move on from it.

In the meantime, just stop it.

The Occult: America's #1 Export

Supernatural (CW)

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've noticed the recent upswing in Occultism in popular culture and entertainment.

Comics, TV, movies, music, you name it -- shades of the Occult and Supernatural have entered it. And not just in the old, "This one's a vampire, that one's a werewolf -- but they're trying to be a good one!" way; nowadays, Occult investigators are everywhere and almost every form of the Occult is omnipresent. Even "straight" dramas and entertainment have "dabbled," if you will.

This is no "warning," nor am I crying "witch." I just wonder what the recent interest in this dark subject is? Whether or not you believe in the powers of the Occult, why has it suddenly become so mainstream?

To be sure, this has been true to some extent for a while now, and to various degrees throughout history. Satanism became fairly acceptable back in the 1960s-70s and, even though it met with severe consternation in the 1980s, it returned in the 1990s with a vengeance; comic books in particular were preoccupied with Satanic themes and characters in the 1970s, many of which returned in the 1990s. Further, the Occult and magic in general have been popular themes and subjects throughout Western society at various times over the years, such as the late 1800s. People held seances, consulted psychics/mediums, and believed in spirit photography.

Satanism is clearly divisible from the Occult, but only by those who know better; even in this day and age, mainstream society holds to the popular notion that the two are largely the same.

So how is it that Occult themes and ideas have taken hold to the extent they have and how long do you think it will last?

UPDATE:  In retrospect, TV shows like Supernatural, True Blood, and Ghost Hunters were big hits for an industry which was losing audience to the Internet.  Copycat programming proliferated. - 2018

Quit Needling the Girl!

A short time ago, Luo Cuifen, came into the doctor's, complaining of blood in her urine. When subjected to X-rays, doctors discovered more than 25 sewing needles in her body!

While most were in her abdomen and had punctured vital organs, such as her kidneys, liver, and lungs, one had broken into three pieces in her brain. A team of 23 doctors, including five from North America, will perform a series of operations to try and remove the needles from the Chinese woman's body, but the hospital will only pay for the first one; 31-year old Cuifen will have to find some way to pay for the rest.

It is believed the needles were inserted into her by her grandparents, who were upset that she was not a boy. Both grandparents are dead now. In many rural Chinese areas, boys are more highly-prized than girls, largely because they can carry on the family name.

Ms. Cuifen was said to have been in good health until she noticed the blood in her urine.

As soon as we hear more about this - including where to send donations to help this poor woman - we will be sure to let you know.

Mummified Inca Goes on Display

The mummified remains of a girl discovered in 1999 went on display in Argentina this week. Found on Mount Llullaillaco, a volcano in north-west Argentina on the border with Chile, the body was so well-preserved that many have referred to it as "perfect." Only 15 when she was killed, she was found along with the remains of two others -- a younger boy and girl -- and believed to have been ritualistically sacrificed by the Incas approximately 500 years ago.

Incredibly, some are upset with the display, insisting it is disrespectful of the dead. I could be cynical and note that the girl was systematically executed and left where she lay, but why not press the point more clearly:

While it can be argued that such displays are disrespectful of the dead, I believe the more important issue here is whether or not the display teaches us anything of true value. As this exhibition is important for many reasons, across many fields (history, science, weather, medical, cultural, more), I submit that the benefits to the living far outweighs the perceived disrespect of the dead. Don't forget that the girl was most likely sacrificed "for the betterment of the community/tribe," and that is absolutely no different.

Australian Aborigines Threaten Civil Disobedience

Aborigines in the shadow of Australia's famous Uluru, or Ayer's Rock, have threatened to ban tourists to the area if the government goes forward with a proposed ban on alcohol and pornography in the Northern Territory where it lays.

Acting in response to Aboriginal child sexual abuse, John Howard wants to ban alcohol and pornography in the area, as well as force Aboriginal children to undergo medical examinations. He likened the child sexual abuse epidemic to that of Hurricane Katrina.

But many Aboriginal leaders have said that it is totalitarian and an attempt to seize political control of their lands. They point out that the proposed ban would only last six months and this is an election year.

- BBC

Sociological Implications of Hero Worship

Were you watching the television today in America?

With all of the arguments and the back-and-forth between "experts" and factions over whether or not celebrities, movies, music, video games, and similar entertainment, have an effect on kids and their behavior, I think the media coverage of Paris Hilton's non-appearance in court today proves -- beyond the shadow of any doubt -- that America is a celebrity-obsessed culture.   This being the case, how is it that anyone could honestly suggest that these things have no effect on society, in general, and children, specifically?

Here we, as the adults, are glued to our TVs, watching to see if this spoiled little brat is going to even bother to come out of her mansion which is now surrounded by media, protesters, onlookers, police, and paparazzi.  We are so engrossed with celebrity and the goings-on of these people that we've put our entire day on hold to see how this plays out, yet we insist that our children are not affected by these very same things.

Now I'm not suggesting that everyone gets a free pass -- that we blame the media for every bad social thing that occurs or every bad person that loses his shit and goes on a killing spree -- but I am insisting that this sort of celebrity obsession and focus on media, in general, definitely plays a part in our children's lives because it plays such a big part in all of ours.

Children are extremely impressionable and not just in that ephemeral, emotional sort of way; their brains are not fully-developed, their personalities are not fully actualized, and they look to us (adults) to see how we behave and what we think in order to piece these facets of their being together.

In this specific case, there are all sorts of other factors in play: The LA police refused to comply with the judge's orders -- not once, but twice!  Children -- hell, even we adults! -- do not understand that this is what we call "politics" and that these are very real, very corrupt, very contentious, very celebrity-obsessed individuals who comprise these forces; children see the police as a singular entity and the judge as a fuzzy sort of higher authority figure.  All they understand from all of this is that Paris Hilton is more important than the indefinable authority forces who are trying to oppress her.

These things have an affect.

You cannot discount society as an individual when assigning blame.  The American "cowboy" stance against this -- the "Don't blame society" argument -- is exactly why these problems persist.  Of course society bears some of the responsibility here: Children learn from adults and adapt to their environment.

This specifically applies to Atheists and Agnostics, who tend to be the ones who argue that organisms adapt to their environment by way of Evolution, but just as often disregard the role society plays in development.

Whales and Whaling

The whales in the Sacramento River are still about 45 miles from the open sea and experts worry that they will be impeded by encounters with large ships as they move toward San Francisco Bay.

In other whale news, Japan has angered anti-whaling groups and nations by insisting on including humpback whales in their Antarctic hunt.  I was a little miffed after hearing some very angry Japanese people on the news last night, loudly and aggressively decrying their right to hunt and eat whale meat as it was a part of their culture.  That, to me, is a lot like a Southern, American, white man declaring his right to enslave people for work on his plantation because it's part of his "history."

But then, I remembered that Alaskans are allowed to hunt whales and I thought there just might be a double-standard.  That's before you take into account simple geography.

Japan may have a cultural history of whaling and eating whale meat, but Japan is a major superpower.  They also have a cultural history of hara-kiri, but you don't hear too many of them insisting on the right to practice that, now do you?  Alaskans, on quite the other hand, are very limited as to what they can do.  Japan can have pretty much anything it wants or needs delivered within hours, whereas Alaskans do not have this luxury.  Further, the number of Alaskans who reserve the right to whale is far fewer than the Japanese who want the same rights.

The very simple fact of the matter is that the world has changed: Many species of whales are endangered, so the social responsibility we all bear is clear.  Were these whales readily-available and numerous, I would have no problem with anyone whaling all day long; since this is not the case, Japan has to step up to the plate and accept that this is part of their cultural history that must be let go of in favor of modern concerns.