Babel and Rant

So . . . .

Thu, 11 Sep 2008 15:51:56 GMT

Today I would like to propose a toast to explosions and looks of baffled amazement.

Cheers!

Spread it around

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 02:03:55 GMT

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/08/30/police_raids/index.html#

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us/politics/30arrests.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1220104985-Dcl+Tjoc3eipfJB8HL+HPQ&oref=slogin

http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/Conventions/story?id=5668622

http://iwitnessvideo.info/blog/index.html

Irony

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:04:37 GMT

I find this amusing in light of all the noise our candidates are making in regards to encouraging innovation at all levels of American life.

The fact that the Massachusetts authorities are so blunt about the total lack of any kind of actual crime is, frankly, quite chilling.

Dicussions on Religion

Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:11:18 GMT

Wesa and I have had somewhat of a conversation in the mix concerning religion, and I suppose what you'd call the nature thereof. She recently pointed me at an article.

This post is NOT researched, being a very personal, off the cuff and immediate response to the article/argument. You may well find inconsistencies here, but I've dealt with them elsewhere, or at least am aware of them and will tackle them at another time.

************************************
Her email:

This has some good arguments/points regarding our previous discussions:

Direct quote from elsewhere: "Atheism is not a belief system. It is a singular position on one issue. Theism is the state of mind where you have a belief in a god. Atheism is a lack of that belief. There's no belief system. There's no dogma, there's no tenants, there's nothing that says Dennis and I will agree on anything other than whether or not a god exists. Everything else is up for grabs. And that becomes the subject of what kind of philosophical positions and systems you want to adopt, whether it's naturalism, rationalism, secular humanism...."

"Expanding on that, I ask: Is theism a religion? Of course not. Then why would atheism be one? Religions may build on a theistic stance as one of their central values, but theism itself is not a religion, it's a stance on a single question. Religion requires a system of beliefs, all tied together"

"Atheists do have a belief (I believe in no god), which is the standard people are using for "religion". Presence of a belief in god is the typical atheist's standard; presence of a belief of any sort is the standard used by those claiming atheism is a religion."

************************************

full "article" here

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True, atheism is not a system of belief, it a position on a single issue.
Conversely, belief in god is not a system of belief, it is a position on single issue.
Catholicism is a system of belief (explanation).
Buddhism is a system of belief (explanation).

I'm going to have to concede here and revise some previous statements:

Atheism isn't a RELIGION, just like theism isn't a RELIGION. They are, however, TYPES of religions, as per my definition of what a religion is, namely any system of understanding or explanation that relies at any point upon FAITH.

By this definition, "science" is a TYPE OF ATHEIST RELIGION, or at least an atheist system of inquiry that in the end relies on religion for its continued existence.

I think part of the issue is that none of these various systems fit neatly into one single category.

I'm not confusing the word "religion" with the word "belief." I'm redefining the word "religion" to make it as practical as possible. Religion is the existence of faith in a concept, ANY concept, that is not (currently) provable. I believe in the existence of electricity, but electricity can be proven to exist, therefore making belief in it NOT a religious belief.
Catholics cannot prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the existence of their god, making their belief in his existence faith-base, making it a religious belief. Atheists cannot prove the non-existence of any deific presence beyond a shadow of a doubt, making that belief faith-based and therefore religious.

Off hand the only gray-area example I can think of is science, which has and continues to prove certain things about reality. There is, however, a belief in the scientific community in the existence of a scientific principle behind existence, which they are as yet unable to prove. Science is the offspring of and the step beyond religion. Science then becomes a religious system by virtue of it's belief in its own ultimate relevance, rather than a belief in any specific final explanation. Science is a slippery one.

Religion is not confined to a belief in the presence of a deity. Animism, for example, is an atheist religion (though I highly mystical one).

I'm losing this.

Belief is the acceptance of a concept, WITH OR WITHOUT proof.
Faith is belief lacking proof.
Religion is a belief in something that is not or cannot be proven to be true, given some form of systematic approach.

Atheism is just as concerned with an explanation of the nature of creation as theism. They simply approach it without a Sky-Daddy.

Do you believe in god/a god? : No : Prove it :

Do you believe that there is no god/are no gods?: Yes : Prove it :

Do you believe in electricity? : Yes: Prove it : *flips light switch*

Personally, I'm not terribly concerned with religious systems such as Christianity, Islam, Buddhism etc. The problem we seem to be having is that these specific systems have been so ubiquitous for so long that they've come to BE the definition of religion. This is somewhat akin to having lived in the ghetto so long that gangstas and black people are the same thing, or watching Fox News for so long that all Muslims are terrorists, when in reality the one is just a certain type within the larger set.

Religion has been with us since we started this human adventure. At no point in history has there ever been any indication that it is going to go away. Self proclaimed atheists are just as convinced and fanatical as the Catholics, who are just as convinced and fanatical as the Buddhists, who are just as convinced and fanatical as the Muslims, and not a single one of any of them can prove their point. With this in mind, one has to wonder if religion itself is a necessary, intrinsic part of being human.
If this is so, it may be time to try a different approach to it, to make it work FOR us rather than using it to pit ourselves against each other.

The simple fact remains that EVERYTHING EXISTS, and therefore it had to have come from somewhere or something. Some spark set all this in motion. If you want to believe it was Random Chance, fine, go pray to Math. If you think the Sky-Daddy did it, fine, go pray to the Sky-Daddy. You're welcome to your personal Spaghetti Monster, but don't forget for a moment that, as yet, YOU CANNOT PROVE IT, and therefore have FAITH in your explanation of things.

More to come, I'm sure.

Question

Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:48:49 GMT

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right."
—Confucius, 551-479 BC

Who, exactly, decided that "putting the world in order" was our job, and how did we come to the conclusion that the world, prior to our involvement, was in disorder?

Adventurs in the Public Forum, Vol. II

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:29:02 GMT

Why would you build a 2 story library in a small town and only put in six parking spaces?

Adventures in Gardening, Vol. II

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 01:26:05 GMT

So . . . I tried to go out in public yesterday. It didn't go well, hence, I purchased no bug killer or tomato cages.

Today's chore was the compost heap. Now, there really is a structure in the back corner of the yard, built specifically as a compost heap. The problem is that the previous owner (post heap builder), was neither terribly smart nor terribly gumptious. As a result of this, the compost heap is a total disaster. Besides the fact that vines from the neighboring lot have thrust very health roots all throughout the heap, it turns out that it also became a general dumping ground. We're talking whole, uncut planting failures, pieces of potting mix bags, chunks of lumber, and the like.

I also found a garden hose and a tomato cage. The universe loves and hates me at the same time.

Adventures in the Public Forum

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 22:39:16 GMT

I went to Lowe's today. That was my first mistake.
My second mistake was assuming that buying ANYTHING would be anything even remotely resembling a straight-forward endeavor.

Google failed. Lowe's is actually a block further east then it indicated, AND the only way to get there is to either take Mr. Toad's Wild Ride through various alleys and industrial parking lots, or from the top of a bridge that looks like a freeway on-ramp, is poorly marked, and is smack dab in the middle of/suspended above the Everett Station/shitty industrial area.

The cheapest tomato cages I found were $2, but I don't know for sure they had them in stock (it's impossible to tell, since all their products were absolutely clusterfucked). The rest were huge and $4 apiece, which I thought ridiculous. There is only one spray specifically for spiders for . . . I think $3-4, but it only has a 1 foot jet. There's a wasp/hornet spray with a 20 foot jet that will kill just about anything living, but it was $4-5. There is also a 1 gallon jug of stuff for a sprayer, which gives decent reach and will kill just about anything, but it was about $8. The department manager had absolutely nothing to say about any of the products they carried, aside from what could be read on the packaging. None of the brand names were even remotely familiar to me.

I didn't buy anything.

It's REALLY fucking simple kids

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:08:12 GMT

Clark said that being in a plane and being shot do not qualify McCain to be president.

I do not make the assumption that having suffered a concussion qualifies me to be a brain surgeon (or a doctor of any kind, for that matter).

Why is this so difficult to understand?

Hmmm

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 22:59:37 GMT

Why is it that these people can sound so intelligent yet spend so much time trying to talk over each other and snickering at each other. Juvenile much?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/25483676#25483676

Never mind the fact that neither one seems to actually be listening to the other, nor the mediator for that matter. Interruption is very professional, yes?

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:10:57 GMT

So, we had Lisa's family in town for a wedding recently, and while they're great people, I'd have to say I don't particularly enjoy having 4 family members staying at my house for a week. Especially when one of them doesn't take the "no photos" rule seriously. Ah well.
But family is gone, and everything is quiet again. I'm looking forward to getting back to a normal diet (namely, one that doesn't consist of nothing but cheese, meat, and wine). Now don't get me wrong, I'm all about decadence, but seriously . . . . blue cheese covered steak 3 nights in a row? Jesus.
I'm currently reading Hume's Treatise on Human Nature. I don't know if it's me or if it's that the books is so old, but not too much of it sounds overly insightful. Hopefully getting deeper in will change that. It doesn't help that the man couldn't keep his terms straight. We shall see. As a break I'm re-perusing The Complete Calvin & Hobbes, a strip which figured heavily in my childhood. Waterson is a genius, and the books are really well done.

I have a lot of liquor, wine, and beer at my house right now. You are jealous, yes? No? YES!!! DO NOT LIE TO ME!!

ahem.

So yes. I'm hoping to get something worthwhile out of Hume. A paper perhaps. Dog knows I'm not writing anything else right now.

Did I say Dog? There is no Dog!

Back from the void

Tue, 10 Jun 2008 22:55:07 GMT

Well then.

It's been some time since I left any ranting in this little corner of the e-universe. Things have been busy, things have been slow. No excuses, I just haven't said anything.

So then.

I live in a 100 year old house now. It's got an earthen basement, unfinished (no bodies yet). It's got wood floors. It's got a ghost of some kind that was REALLY upset when I showed up and kicked he/she/it out. Tough shit ghouly, this be my pocket-universe now.
Let's see. Hillary's done. Obama might actually make it (as much a criminal I think him to be, he's the best of some horrific choices). I can't, however, quite convince myself that the anti-stupid in this country has gained enough momentum to elect a black man. And on that note, I had a girl say to me, "Please vote for McCain, anyone but Hillary." Wait now sister, last I heard those weren't the only two people running. Black people must be invisible to morons.

I'm rambling, ranting perhaps. You're surprised, I can tell. Anyway.

I was fired. In the same sentence the boss said "You're a hard worker," and "you don't move fast enough." Well now, that seems just a bit . . . . retarded? Am I being dense? This all began soon after shaving my head (if you don't have the visual, this won't make sense to you), so I honestly can't say I'm surprised. I'm threatening to ANYONE, much less a 60 year old Korean Christian lady. But there is no complaining here. This leaves me a little time to abuse YOU people, and what would your life be like without a little intellectual abuse?

Very little writing lately, which disturbs me. Fits and starts, nothing solid. Other things on my mind perhaps? I'm not qualified to decide, I think. What I might need is a good kick in the ass (figuratively, you savages). Project anyone? Anything going on, besides the usual circus the Evil Empire likes to present us with? Give me something to chew on!

Mr. Parker, this is my challenge. Let's get a little conversation going here and see where it takes us. Even lacking the production of something powerful, I expect it will be surreal and entertaining no matter what.

Anyway. I am have returned to the Taternet, and must re-orient.

More to come?

Sun, 03 Feb 2008 02:44:54 GMT

ehsy yimr dhoulf er yty yo sttibr
uh = "what time should we try to arrive?"

fucking home row . . . .

Be vewy vewy quiet

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 19:04:41 GMT

Uncle Sam is hunting wabbits.

http://www.thenation.com/docprint.mhtml?i=20080128&s=gould-wartofsky

Tue, 30 Oct 2007 17:47:54 GMT

http://www.opednews.com/articles/genera_rob_kall_071007_fbi_puts_antiwar_pro.htm

ROBOSECKS!!!!

Sat, 13 Oct 2007 16:37:58 GMT

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21271545/

Thoughts?

Well then

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:05:59 GMT

I just saved a 12 year old girl from a runaway SUV.

I need a drink.

Writing and the intranetz

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:02:37 GMT

I love slashdot.org

Ran across this. I'm still processing it before I voice an opinion, but I'd like to hear what you guys think:

http://www.10zenmonkeys.com/2007/10/05/is-the-net-good-for-writers/

More to come!

What Do You Have To Say? - Two Tickets to Paradise

Thu, 04 Oct 2007 18:23:57 GMT

If you won two free round-trip plane tickets anywhere in the world, where would you go and who would you bring?

View 455 Answers

Italy

Oh. My. God

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 17:52:23 GMT

So this is apparently a few weeks old, but it's new to me

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/WALIARHHLII"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/WALIARHHLII" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Yes that's what she really said.

Um

Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:40:05 GMT

So, I found this article on msnbc.com via slashdot:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20227400/site/newsweek/

You have got to be kidding me. Seriously. Not only does China seem to be on a mission to create as much terrible publicity for itself as possible, but the implications of this action along with the possible results are FUCKING MIND BOGGLING!

Gaaaaaaah, ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

Here's a happy little hypothetical scenario for you:

A tibetan buddhist exile, living in America, is appointed to the position of Sacred Camel by the monks, while China appoints Cho Blow. Not only do we have two Eastern Popes vying for power and generally stepping all over each others toes, but we've got a whole new Holy Land for people to start killing each other for 100 years down the line.

Can you say schism?

So the Chinese Camel starts the Buddhist version of the Mideival Catholic Church, while the Tibetan buddhists are forced further into exhile and eventually turn into the next generation of terrorists (only this time they'll be terrorizing China instead of . . . .wait a minute).

And by the way if you don't know me don't bother trying to figure out what I'm being funny about and what I'm being serious about in this little rant.

All of you people disgust me.

Another Nugget of American Joy

Wed, 11 Jul 2007 23:22:56 GMT

So a few days ago, our own esteemed Dr. Parker, aka gonzo_md, posted this lovely little piece of writing in the hopes it might get some people thinking.

http://justicefornone.com/article.php?story=20050527204356114&query=holo

Well, I decided it needed a little bit of circulation on the Myspace, and while there may not be a whole lot of thinking going on, there were certainly some responses.

Among them was this little jewel, put together by someone who is OBVIOUSLY much more intelligent than any of us could ever hope to be.

If you've ever met me, you know I'm not the type to let blatant stupidity go unpunished. Please feel free to further expose this little turd as the asshat he so plainly is.

My commentary is in bold.

----------------- Original Message -----------------
From: br41ndr0p
Date: Jul 5, 2007 3:04 PM

To start, I would suggest that if you're going to come out swinging by calling people names and deriding their level education, you should probably do such basic things as spell-check and grammar-check your own response (although in all honesty, not even a spelling and grammar program would have caught all of your mistakes, namely the partial sentences). I realize that spelling is not relevant to this conversation, so all I'm going to say is that spelling/grammatical errors have been corrected in pink.

Obviously, my responses are in bold.
*********************************************************

This makes no points for either side. Comparing Bush to Hitler is like comparing Bozo the Clown to Einstein.

The old common is that both Bush and Hitler are Inner Order members of Esoteric Semi-Secret Societies.

Skull and Ones - 132 (Skull and Bones)
Thule Society

Because our esteemed commentator has seen fit to mention these societies, but has also chosen not to elaborate in any way, here are a few links to theoretically legitimate sites that explain the history/significance of the two "Secret Societies."

Skull and Bones
http://www.skullandcrossbones.org/articles/skullandbones.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skull_and_Bones
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/10/02/60minutes/main576332.shtml

Thule
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society
http://www.crystalinks.com/thule.html
http://www.threeworldwars.com/world-war-2/adolf-hitler.htm

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In all seriousness this blog is written by an idiot bent against George W. Bush. Their (there) is no common (commonality or common link) between America and the Nazi party and no parallels to be drawn. If more kids of today had a substancial (substantial) education regarding the events that occured (occurred) during the Holocaust such ignorant statements would never be made. Simply put anyone who compares the actions of this Country (don't capitalize "country." Only proper nouns, like "America," get capitalized) with that (those) of the Nazi's in Germany needs to leave this Country immediately.

At this point you've done nothing but call people names and make blanketing statements of "fact" without presenting any evidence. You haven't even MENTIONED any evidence or the existence of such (I mean besides "substancial education," your spelling). All you've said so far is "If you don't like us, you're an idiot and you should leave." Bravo!

America is a Country that is motivated by commerce... that is certain, but it is not driven by hate. Israel is allied with us and despite having a population of Holocaust survivors is more driven by hate than almost any other nation on the map. If the actions were in any way close to Nazi action would Isael (Israel) support us? If Isael (Israel . . . .again) was to support us in Nazi like activity wouldn't that then justify Nazi action against Isaelites (Israelis) in Germany and later the Globe (again, only proper nouns get capitalized)? Argue with me... just try it.

1. As far as America being motivated by commerce, true. America is motivated by many things. That does not, however, negate the possibility that America is also motivated by hatred. The slave trade of our early history was motivated by both (though admittedly "hatred" may be a strong word for the justification of slave-philosophy). You can see the hatred people feel in their picket signs which read "BOMB IRAQ," even though the war on terror theoretically had nothing to do with Iraq at the outset, nor were there any WMDs found once we went in. Just an asshole in control of a lot of really poor people.

2. Saying that Israel is more driven by hatred than almost any nation on the map is a highly generalized statement, and as such should be supported with some kind of quantitative (that means counting, essentially) evidence. Seeing as "hatred" is almost entirely a qualitative state, I doubt finding such evidence would be an easy task.

3. You seem to be lumping non-jewish Israelis with Jewish ones. That's a bit like saying that if your Middle-eastern, you're a terrorist; or that if you're black and educated, you're muslim (and therefore a terrorist threat).

4. Let me get this straight . . .you're saying that if Jewish Israelis who were victimized by the Nazis support American naziesque tactics, this is a justification for those tactics?

Never support the ramblings of an idiot who makes such strong statements about Nazi Germany (this should be a comma, not a period). Unless you know enough to prove what they are saying is true. I can draw a correlation between George W. Bush and Walt Disney if you would like... the many parallels of the USA and Disneyland... like over-crowding... or open spread of disease... the open access policy (policies) that feign security... unfair foreign policies... geographic favoritism... Oh the attrocity (atrocity)!

Being able to draw parallels between Bush and Joe Blow does not count as evidence negating any possible parallels between Bush and Hitler. It's just a different set of parallels.

Let me roll a tank to your door shoot your father, rape you mother, kill your siblings and compare that to fucking Disneyland... America is nothing like Nazi Germany and that poorly drafted work of fiction is complete bullshit.

Ok, first, quite honestly, you've completely lost me on that first little section there before the ellipses (the ". . . . ."). What does this have to do with anything? What are you getting at? Or is this simply an emotional outburst?

Second, the article you're responding so vehemently (that pretty much means "boldly") to is anything BUT poorly drafted. It may not be well supported, but it is a well drafted piece of writing.

I suggest you stop propigating (propagating) ignorance and think before you post.

I suggest you follow your own advice.

You have a responsibility to this country. If you lived in China you would be executed for working in the Industry (again, proper nouns only) you have chosen.

And if you live in America, you can be sent to Guantanamo to be tortured THEN executed.

Get your head on straight. Their (there) are countries that will monitor you (your) TV usage and confiscate it during times of political unrest.

You mean like the US monitors what its citizens watch using Nielsen and other rating systems? Like the US spies on its own citizens' telephone conversations?

You can be jailed for watching too much TV in Iceland. America as a society is far far away from being in a fascist political climate! The very fact (that) hippies and scenesters are allowed to speak freely of treason is proof of this.

Now you're equating un-shaven hippies and iphone addicted scenesters to each other?

In most of the world political words and actions that run counter (to) accepted political policies will result in jail timem (time) or death.

Feel free to repost this... and link back to my profile if you want... I welcome anyone to challenge me and my views. Only idiots with half formed ideas, a teaspoon of fact, and a library of conspiracy DVDs would attempt to lock horns with me on this issue.

Best wishes,
Scott

A teaspoon of fact is worth more than 10 tons of uninformed bullshit my friend. You might do well to interject a few "teaspoons" of your own into your responses.

Information regarding possible links between the Bush family and Nazi Germany:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1312540,00.html
http://www.commondreams.org/views03/1006-08.htm
http://www.iwilltryit.com/fourthrieich1.htm

At no point has the author of this "article" stated that he believes that Bush is a Nazi or that America is utilizing Naziesque tactics. All he's doing is relating an event, in which a German neighbor of his expressed his unease and sense of danger in relation to developing American policy. Our author has neither agreed nor disagreed with his neighbors statements.

Is it a true story? Only the author and his neighbor know. Even if it's completely fictional, it's a well written piece of fiction. Whether or not America is the Fourth Reich, this article provides all kinds of things Americans should be thinking about as we sink deeper into a war which has no end in sight, nor indeed any real resolution.

Is Bush a Nazi? I don't know. It's entirely possible. It's also entirely possible he's nothing more than another cornfed countryboy with too many guns to play with. In all honesty I think it's a fairly irrelevant consideration. Whether he's a Nazi or not, he has still subverted the American government in the interest of propagating the neocon industrial war machine. He still spies on his own people without justification. He still blatantly ignores the wishes of his peers, congress, and the very citizens he is supposed to be serving as commander in chief. He is still responsible for the torture and death of unknown numbers of innocents.

So next time you decide to respond so vehemently to a piece of work you obviously haven't taken the time to actually absorb, try not to be so aggressive about it. All it really does is make you look like an uneducated, uniformed fool.

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 22:36:46 GMT

Every day, it takes everything I have to force myself to go to work. Every day, it takes everything I have to not walk out once I'm there. Is there something wrong with me? Is this really it for the next 30 years, working for people I can't stand for contemptible pay doing the same mindless task over and over and over and over and over?

There's nothing else here? This is the purpose of life in our world?

*#!!$&!!$%&#@!#%

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 22:17:24 GMT

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-king13jun13,1,7715926.story?coll=la-headlines-california

Fuck the cops. Fuck the US government. Fuck the lawmakers. Fuck the medical profession. You people make me sick. You are a blight. You make me ashamed to be human.

I bet she was a minority.

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 20:41:51 GMT

Strange disturbances in the ether today. I feel like a cat right before an earthquake. Something is off. I've called everyone, no one has died. Yet this nervousness persists. Did someone drop a nuke or something? Maybe we DO have an earthquake coming.

Empathy is a bitch.