Clifford Mayem's blog: "Stuff"

Wednesday, February 07, 2007 Chain letters Hello, my name is Cliff and I suffer from the guilt of not forwarding 50 billion fucking chain letters sent to me by people who actually believe that if you send them on, a poor 6-year-old girl in Arkansas with a breast on her forehead will be able to raise enough money to have it removed before her redneck parents sell her to a traveling freak show. Do you honestly believe that Bill Gates is going to give you, and everyone to whom you send "his" email, $1000? How stupid are we? Ooooh, looky here! If I scroll down this page and make a wish, I'll get laid by a model I just happen to run into the next day!" What a bunch of bullshit. Maybe the evil chain letter leprechauns will come into my house and sodomize me in my sleep for not continuing a chain letter that was started by Peter in 5 AD and brought to this country by midget pilgrims on the Mayflower. Fuck 'em. If you're going to forward something, at least send me something mildly amusing. I've seen all the "send this to 10 of your closest friends, and this poor, wretched excuse for a human being will somehow receive a nickel from some omniscient being" forwards about 90 times. I don't fucking care. Show a little intelligence and think about what you're actually contributing to by sending out these forwards. Chances are, it's your own unpopularity. The point being? If you get some chain letter that's threatening to leave you shagless or luckless for the rest of your life, delete it. If it's funny, send it on. Don't piss people off by making them feel guilty about a leper in Botswana with no teeth who has been tied to the ass of a dead elephant for 27 years and whose only salvation is the 5 cents per letter he'll receive if you forward this email. Now forward this to everyone you know. Otherwise, tomorrow morning your underwear will turn carnivorous and will consume your genitals. Have a nice day. P.S. Send me 15 bucks and Then Fuck Off 5:20 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, February 06, 2007 How small we really are,micro art,the best robot dance,story about Butch O'hare. Current mood: chipper This is humbling.> http://www.rense.com/general72/size.htm This is also amazing.> http://www.snopes.com/photos/arts/microscopic.asp Who said white boys can't dance.> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3SSLTXLbL0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two Great Stories STORY NUMBER ONE Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder. Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was his lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time. To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but also, Eddie got special dividends. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block. Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him. Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was. Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done. He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. So, he testified. Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine. The poem read: The clock of life is wound but once, And no man has the power To tell just when the hands will stop At late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still. STORY NUMBER TWO World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare. He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific. One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship he saw something that turned his blood cold: a squadron of Japanese aircraft were speeding their way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet. Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dove into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 caliber's blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of dam aging as many enemy planes as possible and rendering them unfit to fly. Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction. Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft. This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man. So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2. SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER? Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's"son. Currently reading : The Complete Sherlock Holmes: All 4 Novels and 56 Short Stories By Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Release date: By 01 October, 1986 2:17 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Sunday, February 04, 2007 Colts win! Current mood: happy Category: Sports Yaaaay! Colts win! Peyton Manning deserves a ring. We rock. Wooo hooo! 9:04 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Friday, February 02, 2007 I'm in love. Current mood: frustrated Category: Romance and Relationships I am in love with Diana Krall. I think she is the most beautiful woman in the world and when I hear her sing I just melt. There is only one person standing in my way. Elvis Costello. Any suggestions on how to get rid of him? Maybe if I learned to really play the piano and bust out some Duke Ellington she would like me more and dump him. And maybe if I did vocal training also. I don't know. That little four eyed poo poo head. I wanna melt his face off with low rhythmic palm mutes, dive bombs, and chromatic shreds. I think I got a chance. I'm sexy, smart, and talented. We were meant to be together. Currently listening : From This Moment On By Diana Krall Release date: By 19 September, 2006 8:47 PM - 2 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Atlas Shrugged Category: Religion and Philosophy I heard that they are making a movie of the story to be released in 2008. I hope so. The message needs to get out. I think it is going to star Brad and Angelina supposedly fans of Ayn rand. Here is some info on the book if you're interested which I hope you are. Atlas Shrugged From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search .. start content --> For the film, see Atlas Shrugged (film). Atlas Shrugged ..> Author Ayn Rand Cover Artist Nick Gaetano Country United States Language English Genre(s) Philosophical novel Publisher Random House Released 12 October 1957 Media Type Print (Hardback & Paperback) Pages 1168 (depending on edition) ISBN ISBN 0-394-41576-0 (hardback edition) ..> Atlas Shrugged is a novel by Ayn Rand, first published in 1957 in the USA. It was Rand's last work of fiction before concentrating her writings exclusively on philosophy, politics and cultural criticism. At over one thousand pages in length, she considered it her magnum opus. The book explores a number of philosophical themes that Rand would subsequently develop into the philosophy of Objectivism. ..> Contents [hide] 1 Philosophy and writing 2 Setting 3 Plot 4 Social concepts in Atlas Shrugged 4.1 "Sanction of the Victim" 4.2 Social classes 4.3 Theory of sex 5 Companies 5.1 Comparison with real-life railways 6 Fictional technology 6.1 Rearden Metal 6.2 Project X 6.3 Galt's motor 6.4 Project F 7 Galt's speech 8 Reception 9 Film adaptation 10 Atlas Shrugged in popular culture 11 See also 12 References 13 Further reading 13.1 Publications 13.2 Foreign language translations 13.3 Reviews 13.4 Satires and parodies 14 External links ..> .. type=text/javascript> //..[CDATA[ if (window.showTocToggle) { var tocShowText = "show"; var tocHideText = "hide"; showTocToggle(); } //]]> ..> [edit] Philosophy and writing The theme of Atlas Shrugged is that independent, rational thought is the engine that powers the world. The main conflict of the book occurs as the "individuals of the mind" go on strike, thus no longer contributing problem-solving analysis, new ideas, inventions, medical breakthroughs, research, or inventions of any kind to the rest of the world, allowing a near-total collapse of a society that they had not only considered themselves to be crucial in holding together, but a society which they had even believed themselves to be subsidising. The previous peaceful cohesiveness of the world had required those individuals whose productive work comes from mental effort. They had always felt that they naturally created in direct disproportion to forceful interference by others. But feeling they have no alternative, they eventually start disappearing from the communities of "looters," Rand's term for others seeking a free dependency on productive people. Like the Greek Titan Atlas, individuals rationally and circumspectly seeking their own long-term happiness believe that they hold the world on their shoulders. The novel's title is an allusion to the Titan, discussing what might happen if those supporting the world suddenly decided to stop doing so. In the novel, the allusion comes during a conversation between two protagonists, Francisco d'Anconia and Hank Rearden, near the end of part two, chapter three, where Francisco suggests to Rearden that if he could suggest to Atlas that he do one thing, it would be to shrug. In the world of Atlas Shrugged, society stagnates when independent productive achievers began to be socially demonized and even punished for their accomplishments, even though society had been far more healthy and prosperous by allowing, encouraging, and rewarding self-reliance and individual achievement. Independence and personal happiness flourished to the extent that people were free, and achievement was rewarded to the extent that individual ownership of private property was strictly respected. The hero, John Galt, lives a life of laissez-faire capitalism as the only way to live consistent with his beliefs. Atlas Shrugged is a political book. It portrays fascism, socialism and communism – any form of state intervention in society, as systemically and fatally flawed. However, Rand claimed that it is not a fundamentally political book, but that the politics portrayed in the novel are a result of her attempt to display her image of the ideal person and the individual mind's position and value in society. Rand argues that independence and individual achievement enable society to survive and thrive, and should be embraced. But this requires a "rational" moral code. She argues that, over time, coerced self-sacrifice causes any society to self-destruct. She is similarly dismissive of faith beyond reason, in a god or higher being, or anything else as an authority over one's own mind. The book positions itself against religion specifically, often directly within the characters' dialogue. [edit] Setting Galt's Gulch was inspired by Ouray, Colorado. It was here that Rand found inspiration to complete the novel, though she greatly expanded the small valley to include her many ideas for the story. Ouray still celebrates her novel every year. Exactly when Atlas Shrugged is meant to take place is kept deliberately vague. In section 152, the population of New York City is given as 7 million. The historical New York City reached 7 million people in the 1930s, which might place the novel sometime after that. There are many early 20th century technologies available, but the political situation is clearly different from actual history. One interpretation is that the novel takes place many years in the future, implying that since the world lapsed into its socialistic morass, a global-wide stagnation has occurred in technological growth, population growth, and indeed growth of any kind; the wars, economic depressions, and other events of the 20th century would be a distant memory to all but scholars and academicians. This would be in line with Rand's ideas and commentary on other novels depicting Utopian and dystopian societies. Furthermore, this is also in line with an excerpt from a 1964 interview with Playboy magazine in which Rand states "What we have today is not a capitalist society, but a mixed economy – that is, a mixture of freedom and controls, which, by the presently dominant trend, is moving toward dictatorship. The action in Atlas Shrugged takes place at a time when society has reached the stage of dictatorship. When and if this happens, that will be the time to go on strike, but not until then," thus implying that her novel takes place at some point in the future. The concept of societal stagnation in the wake of collectivist systems is central to the plot of another of Rand's works, Anthem. In Atlas Shrugged, all countries outside the US have become, or become during the novel, "People's States". There are many examples of early 20th century technology in Atlas Shrugged, but no post-war advances such as nuclear weapons, helicopters, or computers. Jet planes are mentioned briefly as being a relatively new technology. Television is a novelty that has yet to assume any cultural significance, while radio broadcasts are prominent. Though Rand does not use in the book many of the technological innovations available while she was writing, she introduces some advanced, fictional inventions (e.g., sound-based weapons of mass destruction, torture devices, as well as power plants), although it could be argued the sound weapon was modeled after experimental German weapons developed during WWII. Most of the action in Atlas Shrugged occurs in the United States. However, there are important events around the world, such as in the People's States of Mexico, Chile, and Argentina, and piracy at sea. [edit] Plot Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow. Wikibooks has a book on the topic of Atlas Shrugged The novel's plot is split into three sections. The first two sections, and to some extent the last, follow Dagny Taggart, a no-nonsense railroad executive, and her attempt to keep the company alive despite repeated encroachment by a society falling toward collectivism / altruism / statism. All throughout the novel people repeat a platitude Dagny greatly resents: "Who is John Galt?" It is a reflection of their helplessness, as the saying means "Don't ask important questions, because they don't have answers." The "geniuses" of the world seem to be disappearing, and the apparent decline of civilization is making it more and more difficult for her to sustain her life-long aspirations of running the trans-continental railroad, which has been in her family for several generations. She deals with other characters such as Hank Rearden, a self-made businessman of great integrity whose career is hindered by his feelings of obligation towards his wife. Francisco d'Anconia, Dagny's childhood friend, first love, and king of the copper industry, appears to have become a worthless playboy who is purposely destroying his business. As the novel progresses, the myths about the real John Galt, as well as Francisco d'Anconia's actions, increasingly become a reflection of the state of the culture and seem to make more and more sense. Hank and Dagny begin to experience the futility of their attempts to survive in a society that hates them and those like them for their greatness. During their plight, Dagny and Hank find the remnants of a motor that turns atmospheric static electricity into kinetic energy, an astounding feat; they also find evidence that the minds (the "Atlases") of the world are disappearing because of one particular "destroyer" taking them away. Dagny and Hank deal with the irrationalities and apparent contradictions of their atmosphere, and search for the creator of the motor as well as "the destroyer" who is draining the world of its prime movers, in an effort to secure their ability to live rational lives. The question "Who is John Galt?" is also answered towards the closing of the novel - John Galt is a man disgusted that non-productive members of society use laws and guilt to leech from the value created by productive members of society. He made a pledge that he will never live his life for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for him, and founded an enclave, separate from the rest of the country, where he and other productive members of society have fled. See also: Characters in Atlas Shrugged [edit] Social concepts in Atlas Shrugged [edit] "Sanction of the Victim" The Sanction of the Victim is defined as "the willingness of the good to suffer at the hands of the evil, to accept the role of sacrificial victim for the 'sin' of creating values." The entire story of Atlas Shrugged can be seen as an answer to the question, what would happen if this sanction was revoked? When Atlas shrugs, relieving himself of the burden of carrying the world, he is revoking his sanction. The concept may be original in the thinking of Ayn Rand and is foundational to her moral theory. She holds that evil is a parasite on the good and can only exist if the good tolerates it. To quote from Galt's Speech: "Evil is impotent and has no power but that which we let it extort from us," and, "I saw that evil was impotent...and the only weapon of its triumph was the willingness of the good to serve it." Morality requires that we do not sanction our own victimhood, Rand claims. In adhering to this concept, Rand assigns virtue to the trait of selfishness. However, Rand contends that moral selfishness does not mean a license to do whatever one pleases, guided by whims. It means the exacting discipline of defining and pursuing one's rational self-interest. A code of rational self-interest rejects every form of human sacrifice, whether of oneself to others or of others to oneself. Throughout Atlas Shrugged, numerous characters admit that there is something wrong with the world but they cannot put their finger on what it is. The concept they cannot grasp is the sanction of the victim. The first person to grasp the concept is John Galt, who vows to stop the motor of the world by getting the creators of the world to withhold their sanction. We first glimpse the concept in section 121 when Hank Rearden feels he is duty-bound to support his family, despite their hostility towards him. In section 146 the principle is stated explicitly by Dan Conway: "I suppose somebody's got to be sacrificed. If it turned out to be me, I have no right to complain." [edit] Social classes Atlas Shrugged conveys the impression of endorsing a natural, if not political, aristocracy. However, the characters' positive or negative assessment appears to be due to their productivity and moral integrity, and is not necessarily reflected in their class background. Different social classes are represented among both the heroes and the villains of Atlas Shrugged. Among the heroes, John Galt and Hank Rearden are from working class backgrounds, while Dagny Taggart and Francisco d'Anconia are from wealthy families. Among the villains, Fred Kinnan is from a working class background, while James Taggart and Betty Pope are from wealthy families. Compare: Meritocracy [edit] Theory of sex In rejecting the traditional altruistic moral code, Rand also rejects the sexual code that, in her view, is the logical implication of altruism. Rand introduces a theory of sex in Atlas Shrugged that is based in her broader ethical and psychological theories. Far from being a debasing animal instinct, sex to Rand is the highest celebration of our values, a physical response to intellectual and spiritual values that gives concrete expression to what could otherwise only be experienced in the abstract. This is a general idea of sexual desire as a response to the embodiment of our values reminiscent of that found in Plato's Symposium. In Atlas Shrugged, characters are sexually attracted to those who embody their values. Characters who have "base" values are attracted to those that embody their "base" values. Characters who lack clear purpose find sex devoid of meaning. Characters with "higher" values respond sexually to those who embody them. This is illustrated in the contrasting relationships of Hank Rearden with Lillian Rearden and Dagny Taggart, and later with Taggart and John Galt. Illustrations of this theory are found in: Section 152 – recounts Dagny's relationship with Francisco d'Anconia. Section 161 – recounts Hank and Lillian Rearden's courtship, and Lillian's attitude towards sex. Section 231 – recounts the value for value basis of Dagny's seemingly unconditional love for Rearden [edit] Companies The companies in Atlas Shrugged are generally divided into two groups: those that are operated by sympathetic characters are given the name of the owner, while companies operated by "evil" or incompetent characters are given generic names. For example, Hank Rearden's companies are all named after him; Wyatt Oil after Ellis Wyatt; and Taggart Transcontinental and d'Anconia Copper are named after their founders (and, being family-held, their present owners). Nielsen Motors, Hammond Cars and Ayers Music Publishing are also presented as competent. Those who use their own names to name their companies become Strikers, with the minor exception of Mr. Ayers of the Ayers Music Publishing Company. On the other hand, Orren Boyle named his government-dependent, influence-peddling company Associated Steel. Another company in the novel is the Amalgamated Switch and Signal Company, Inc. The exception here are the Phoenix Durango Railroad, which was run by a competent entrepreneur who becomes a Striker in his own way, without joining the actual Strikers in Galt's Gulch. Another exception is the Twentieth Century Motor Company originally run by Jed Starnes whose mismanagement first seeds the thoughts of a strike in John Galt's mind. [edit] Comparison with real-life railways It should be noted that in actuality there had never been a US railway company such as Rand describes, maintaining tracks of its own all the way from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Rather, in the United States, the term transcontinental railroad usually refers to a line over the Rocky Mountains between the Midwest and Pacific Ocean, and such companies tend to have the area of the Mississippi River as a transfer point with other companies active in the East. This turns out to be more advantageous economically, an Eastern company preferring not to ally itself with a particular Western company but keep the choice of sending traffic over the most profitable of the various Western lines (and vice versa). It had been like that since the advent of railways in the nineteenth century, and is still true: two of the present major class I railroads have systems east of the Mississippi, while the other two major ones are mainly west of the Mississippi. Taggart Transcontinental in the later part of the book is driven to act in this manner and rely on other companies for the western part of its traffic; that is, however, an emergency measure which is part of the gradual collapse of the company (and the entire world) and Dagny is far from pleased with the need to resort to it. By 1957, the date of the book's publication, railways were facing a decline that had begun in the 1920s. Passengers were increasingly switching to road transport. Air transport was also growing fast. (For details, see Amtrak; Passenger rail service before Amtrak.) [edit] Fictional technology Because the book centers on industrial capitalism, Ayn Rand mentions many technologies throughout the book. In addition to normal technologies, she introduces several fictional inventions, including refractor rays (Gulch mirage), Rearden Metal, a sonic death ray ("Project X"), voice activated door locks (Gulch power station), motors powered by static electricity, palm-activated door locks (Galt's NY lab), shale-oil drilling, and a sophisticated electrical torture device. Curiously, Rand at one point refers to the "screech" of a traffic-signal, implying that it signals by moving flags on mechanical arms. This was already old-fashioned when the book was published. [edit] Rearden Metal Rearden metal is a fictitious metal alloy invented by Hank Rearden. It is lighter than traditional steel but stronger, and is to steel what steel was to iron. It is described as greenish-blue. Among its ingredients are iron and copper, two metals seldom found together in real-world alloys. Initially, no one is willing to use Rearden metal because no one wants to stick his neck out and be the first to try it. Finally, Dagny Taggart places an order for Rearden Metal when she needs rails to rebuild the dying Rio Norte Line. Once the metal is proven, the "looters" seek both to place it on the market for everyone, and deny it to the industrialists who believe they can make the most profitable use of it. Later, the formula for the metal itself is extorted from Rearden and dubbed "Miracle Metal." [edit] Project X Project X is an invention of the scientists at the State Science Institute, requiring tons of Rearden Metal. It is a sonic weapon, capable of destroying everything in a 100-mile radius. The scientists claim that the project will be used to preserve peace and squash rebellion. It is destroyed towards the end of the book, and emits a sonic pulse that destroys everything in the surrounding area, including Cuffy Meigs and Dr. Stadler, as well as the Taggart Bridge. [edit] Galt's motor John Galt invented a new type of electrical apparatus described in the book as a motor. This motor is revolutionary because it uses static electricity from the atmosphere as its main source of energy, requiring only a small amount of conventional fuel to run the conversion mechanism. This approximates a perpetual motion machine of the second kind, a machine which spontaneously converts thermal energy into mechanical work (versus conventional heat engines, which convert thermal energy into mechanical work by transferring thermal energy from one reservoir to another). The theory is that the power is drawn from the environment (possibly approximating the Casimir effect, though that was extremely obscure and scientifically controversial at the time Atlas Shrugged was written). The book gives the source as static electricity from the air, and suggests that a new physics was necessary to tap it. Dagny discovers a discarded prototype of the motor, and it is superficially described in section Part 1, Chapter 9. In Part 3, Chapter 1, Dagny learns that Galt is using a working version of the motor to generate electricity for Galt's Gulch. [edit] Project F A torture device invented by Dr. Floyd Ferris is introduced towards the end where John Galt is tortured. It consists of having the victim tied to a mattress with electrodes attached to the wrists, the ankles and the hips. Electricity is passed in various combinations (Wrist-to-wrist, Ankle-to-Hip) to inflict pain on the victim. The electricity amount being passed through the victim is so calculated to cause maximum pain without inflicting any permanent physical damage to the victim. It is located in the Science Institute. [edit] Galt's speech John Galt's speech is the core of Atlas Shrugged. In it, Galt explains the philosophy of Objectivism. The speech encompasses metaphysical, epistemological, ethical, and political ideas. The speech is very long, spanning 56 pages in one paperback edition (the only interruption occurs after the first paragraph), and appears in the chapter "This is John Galt Speaking" in the third section of the book.[1] [edit] Reception Atlas Shrugged was reviewed shortly after its publication in 1957 by many major newspapers and magazines. The initial reviews were largely negative, criticizing both the book's literary qualities and its political vision.[2] Arguably, the bulk of critical discussion has focused on the latter. As Thomas Reed Whissen has said, "Rand's critics say that she cannot write, but one senses in such an indictment more of a political than a literary posture; for surely the enduring success of The Fountainhead — not to mention the enormously popular Atlas Shrugged — cannot be attributed to her philosophy alone. Her style may be somewhat overwrought and her characters cardboard, but she is a genius at plotting, and she knows how to tell a story."[3] The conservative magazine National Review commissioned a highly critical review (by Whittaker Chambers) arguing against the novel's implicit endorsement of atheism whereby "Randian man, like Marxian man is made the center of a godless world."[4] In response, the Objectivist magazine The Intellectual Activist argued that Chambers did not actually read the novel.[5]. Writer and former Objectivist George Saunders claims that the mentality of Atlas Shrugged is very similar to neoconservativism. He says the book tells people they are special without giving any proof of it, and equates weakness with evil. He also claims that "Ayn Rand writes bad prose."[6] Political critic Arianna Huffington asserts that Rand's vision of businessmen in Atlas Shrugged differs from how they act in reality. Rand's businessman is one "who earns what he gets and does not give or take the undeserved" and "does not ask to be paid for his failures, nor does he ask to be loved for his flaws," which, according to Huffington, contradicts with how modern CEOs act, especially in the case of the Enron scandal.[7] The answer given by Rand supporters is that she does not imply, in Atlas Shrugged or elsewhere, that most businessmen live up to this ideal in practice. Former Ayn Rand associate Nathaniel Branden argues that Atlas Shrugged "encourages emotional repression and self-disowning" and that it, along with Rand's other major Objectivist novel, The Fountainhead, contains contradictory messages. Though he notes that the book shows that Rand understood the human need for social interaction, Branden claims that "rarely you find the heroes and heroine talking to each other on a simple, human level without launching into philosophical sermons," which he believes is used to increase the reader's self-alienation. He further questions the psychological impact of the novel stating that John Galt's claim that contempt and moral condemnation are appropriate responses to wrongdoing clashes with the recommendations of psychologists, who say that this kind of behavior only causes the wrongdoing to repeat itself.[8] On the other hand, Howard Dickman of Reader's Digest wrote that the novel had "turned millions of readers on to the ideas of liberty" and said that the book had the important message of the readers' "profound right to be happy." The libertarian Cato Institute held a joint conference with The Atlas Society, an Objectivist organization, to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the publication of Atlas Shrugged.[9] Conservative Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Clarence Thomas cites Atlas Shrugged as among his favorite novels,[10] as does neolibertarian Larry Elder.[1] In an article titled "Celebrity Rand Fans" in the Objectivist magazine The New Individualist, Robert James Bidinotto traces the novel's growing influence among major Hollywood stars, sports champions, and public figures. Chip Mellor of the libertarian Institute for Justice writes that "Whether they have adopted her philosophy wholeheartedly or found her writings of more transitory interest, countless individuals working to secure liberty have found inspiration in the works of Ayn Rand. With her unique ability to depict heroism, idealism, and romance behind the creativity of the individual, Rand inspires readers to come to the defense of free minds and free markets. [2]" In a three-month online poll[11][12] of reader selections of the hundred best books of the twentieth century, administered by publisher Modern Library, Atlas Shrugged was voted number one, ahead of The Fountainhead, Battlefield Earth, and The Lord of the Rings, while the list chosen by the Modern Library panel of authors and scholars contains no works by Rand.[13] Because Battlefield Earth and two other books by science fiction writer and Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard were in the top ten, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Ray Jenkins compares Rand's popularity to that of Hubbard, calling her "a goddess of a great American cult."[14] He goes on to claim that her works were "ignored or deplored by the critics of the day." Literary critic Harold Bloom found Atlas Shrugged and Rand's other fiction to have enough significance to include her in a critical anthology he edited, American Women Fiction Writers, 1900-1960, Vol. Three, (Chelsea House, 1998). The C-SPAN television series American Writers listed Rand as one of twenty-two surveyed figures of American literature, though primarily mentioning The Fountainhead rather than Atlas Shrugged.[15] [edit] Film adaptation Film rights to the novel Atlas Shrugged were purchased by the Baldwin Entertainment Group in 2003. Lions Gate Entertainment has picked up worldwide distribution rights; James V. Hart has written the first draft two-part screenplay, and his screenplay is now being fully developed by writer-director Randall Wallace; Angelina Jolie has been confirmed to play the role of Dagny Taggart,[16] and Brad Pitt is rumored to be cast as John Galt.[17] Both are fans of Rand's works. The film adaptation is projected to be made as a trilogy, with staggered release-dates for each of the three films. Two works of Rand's, The Fountainhead and We the Living, have already been adapted into movies. Rand herself wrote a draft 'teleplay' which would have seen Atlas Shrugged adapted as a TV mini-series, but it was never made. See also: Atlas Shrugged (film) [edit] Atlas Shrugged in popular culture In the South Park episode "Chicken Lover," Officer Barbrady reads Atlas Shrugged after overcoming his illiteracy. He later states to the town that he "read every last word of this piece of shit" and because he did so "will never read anything ever again." "WhoIsJohnGalt" is a cheat code in Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III. The cheat speeds up research of new technologies. In the Marvel comic book X-Factor, the mysterious, precognitive teenage character Layla Miller is seen reading Atlas Shrugged, which makes the other characters slightly uneasy. In an episode of Beverly Hills 90210, Kelly can be seen reading a hard-cover version of Atlas Shrugged, with the camera resting on the book for a lengthy period of time before moving off. Fashion designer and visual artist Sean D'Anconia often slips in hidden references to Atlas Shrugged in his designs and avante-guard advertisements, appearing regularly in Flaunt and YRB Magazine. Flaunt Magazine Ad The story "The Rogue" by Science Fiction writer Poul Anderson seems to transfer many of the themes of Atlas Shrugged to a futuristic setting. In the story (later collected in Anderson's Tales of the Flying Mountains) the thriving and fast-expanding American mining colonies in the Asteroid Belt are a haven of capitalist enterprise, reminiscent of Colorado in Rand's book. People like the protagonist, mining tycoon Michael Blades (who has many resemblances to the industrialists in Atlas Shrugged) can and do get personally wealthy - which is virtually impossible in the earthbound USA where the Social Justice Party holds power in Washington. A space warship arrives from Earth, with its secret mission to arrange an "accident" that will put Blades out of business. The resulting confrontation touches off a rebellion which eventually leads the asteroid colonies to start a war of independence and set up their own republic. It is unknown, however, whether Anderson was influenced directly by Rand's book, or developed similar themes independently. In the Dean Koontz novel Mr. Murder, two characters take on assumed names John and Ann Gault in order to hide from an evil secret government agency. In the newspaper cartoon Zits, Jeremy's friend Pierce declares Atlas Shrugged to be his favorite novel because it is thick enough to use as a pillow in the school library. In an episode of The Simpsons called A Streetcar Named Marge, Maggie attends the Ayn Rand School for Tots. A poster on the wall reads "A is A," the title of Part Three of Atlas Shrugged. In the currently in development computer game Bioshock the words "ATLAS WAS RIGHT" is daubed on a surface, an issue of PCGamer magazine also cite's "Atlas shrugged" as a source for the Game's setting of a Utopian society undergoing complete collapse, showing that when those at the top become persecuted, societal collapse is sure to follow. In the second episode of One Tree Hill Lucas Scott is given a copy of "Atlas Shrugged" by fellow teammate Jake Jagielski. Lucas is struggling with whether to continue playing for his high school basketball team, the Ravens, after having a horrible first game and losing his ability to shoot. His estranged father Dan has convinced Nathan, Dan's other son and Lucas' half brother, to force Lucas off the team so that college scouts can be focused exclusively on Nathan. Jake tells Lucas, "You're gonna be alright". "Just don't let them take it from you". Confused, Lucas replies that he doesn't know what that means. Jake motions to the book and says, "You will". 3:22 AM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Sunday, January 28, 2007 What Does Freedom Really Mean Current mood: sleepy Category: News and Politics What does Freedom Really Mean? "…man is not free unless government is limited. There's a clear cause and effect here that is as neat and predictable as a law of physics: As government expands, liberty contracts." Ronald Reagan We've all heard the words democracy and freedom used countless times, especially in the context of our invasion of Iraq. They are used interchangeably in modern political discourse, yet their true meanings are very different. George Orwell wrote about "meaningless words" that are endlessly repeated in the political arena*. Words like "freedom," "democracy," and "justice," Orwell explained, have been abused so long that their original meanings have been eviscerated. In Orwell's view, political words were "Often used in a consciously dishonest way." Without precise meanings behind words, politicians and elites can obscure reality and condition people to reflexively associate certain words with positive or negative perceptions. In other words, unpleasant facts can be hidden behind purposely meaningless language. As a result, Americans have been conditioned to accept the word "democracy" as a synonym for freedom, and thus to believe that democracy is unquestionably good. The problem is that democracy is not freedom. Democracy is simply majoritarianism, which is inherently incompatible with real freedom. Our founding fathers clearly understood this, as evidenced not only by our republican constitutional system, but also by their writings in the Federalist Papers and elsewhere. James Madison cautioned that under a democratic government, "There is nothing to check the inducement to sacrifice the weaker party or the obnoxious individual." John Adams argued that democracies merely grant revocable rights to citizens depending on the whims of the masses, while a republic exists to secure and protect pre-existing rights. Yet how many Americans know that the word "democracy" is found neither in the Constitution nor the Declaration of Independence, our very founding documents? A truly democratic election in Iraq, without U.S. interference and U.S. puppet candidates, almost certainly would result in the creation of a Shiite theocracy. Shiite majority rule in Iraq might well mean the complete political, economic, and social subjugation of the minority Kurd and Sunni Arab populations. Such an outcome would be democratic, but would it be free? Would the Kurds and Sunnis consider themselves free? The administration talks about democracy in Iraq, but is it prepared to accept a democratically-elected Iraqi government no matter what its attitude toward the U.S. occupation? Hardly. For all our talk about freedom and democracy, the truth is we have no idea whether Iraqis will be free in the future. They're certainly not free while a foreign army occupies their country. The real test is not whether Iraq adopts a democratic, pro-western government, but rather whether ordinary Iraqis can lead their personal, religious, social, and business lives without interference from government. Simply put, freedom is the absence of government coercion. Our Founding Fathers understood this, and created the least coercive government in the history of the world. The Constitution established a very limited, decentralized government to provide national defense and little else. States, not the federal government, were charged with protecting individuals against criminal force and fraud. For the first time, a government was created solely to protect the rights, liberties, and property of its citizens. Any government coercion beyond that necessary to secure those rights was forbidden, both through the Bill of Rights and the doctrine of strictly enumerated powers. This reflected the founders' belief that democratic government could be as tyrannical as any King. Few Americans understand that all government action is inherently coercive. If nothing else, government action requires taxes. If taxes were freely paid, they wouldn't be called taxes, they'd be called donations. If we intend to use the word freedom in an honest way, we should have the simple integrity to give it real meaning: Freedom is living without government coercion. So when a politician talks about freedom for this group or that, ask yourself whether he is advocating more government action or less. The political left equates freedom with liberation from material wants, always via a large and benevolent government that exists to create equality on earth. To modern liberals, men are free only when the laws of economics and scarcity are suspended, the landlord is rebuffed, the doctor presents no bill, and groceries are given away. But philosopher Ayn Rand (and many others before her) demolished this argument by explaining how such "freedom" for some is possible only when government takes freedoms away from others. In other words, government claims on the lives and property of those who are expected to provide housing, medical care, food, etc. for others are coercive-- and thus incompatible with freedom. "Liberalism," which once stood for civil, political, and economic liberties, has become a synonym for omnipotent coercive government. The political right equates freedom with national greatness brought about through military strength. Like the left, modern conservatives favor an all-powerful central state-- but for militarism, corporatism, and faith-based welfarism. Unlike the Taft-Goldwater conservatives of yesteryear, today's Republicans are eager to expand government spending, increase the federal police apparatus, and intervene militarily around the world. The last tenuous links between conservatives and support for smaller government have been severed. "Conservatism," which once meant respect for tradition and distrust of active government, has transformed into big-government utopian grandiosity. Orwell certainly was right about the use of meaningless words in politics. If we hope to remain free, we must cut through the fog and attach concrete meanings to the words politicians use to deceive us. We must reassert that America is a republic, not a democracy, and remind ourselves that the Constitution places limits on government that no majority can overrule. We must resist any use of the word "freedom" to describe state action. We must reject the current meaningless designations of "liberals" and "conservatives," in favor of an accurate term for both: statists. Every politician on earth claims to support freedom. The problem is so few of them understand the simple meaning of the word. Currently watching : V for Vendetta (Widescreen Edition) Release date: By 01 August, 2006 3:28 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Friday, January 26, 2007 The Four Cats Current mood: hungry Four men were bragging about how smart their cats were. The first man was an Engineer, the second man was an Accountant, the third man was a Chemist,,,,, ,and the fourth man was a Government Employee. To show off,the Engineer called his cat,"T-square, do your stuff." T-square pranced over to the desk, took out some paper and pen and promptly drew a circle, a square and a triangle. Everyone agreed that was pretty smart. But the Accountant said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said, "Spreadsheet, do your stuff." Spreadsheet went out to the kitchen and returned with a dozen cookies. He divided them into 4 equal piles of 3 cookies.. ......... Everyone agreed that was good. But the Chemist said his cat could do better. He called his cat and said,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, "Measure, do your stuff." Measure got up, walked to the fridge, took out a quart of milk,, got a 10 ounce glass from the cupboard and poured exactly 8 ounces without spilling a drop into the glass. Everyone agreed that was pretty good. Then the three men turned to the Government Employee and said, "What can your cat do?" The Government Employee called his cat and said,,,,,"CoffeeBre ak, ,,,do your stuff." CoffeeBreak jumped to his feet,,,,,,,, ,,, ate the cookies,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, ,,,,, drank the milk,,,,,,,, , pooped on the paper,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, ,,, screwed the other three cats,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,, claimed he injured his back while doing so,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,, filed a grievance report for unsafe working conditions,, , put in for Workers Compensation. ............ ..and went home for the rest of the day on sick leave....... ...... Currently listening : Holy Roller By Reverend Horton Heat Release date: By 20 April, 1999 1:47 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Wednesday, January 24, 2007 White man came. Changed everything. Current mood: tired Category: Blogging An old Indian chief sat in his hut on the reservation, smoking a ceremonial pipe and eyeing two U.S. government officials sent to interview him. "Chief Two Eagles. You have observed the white man for 90 years. You've seen his material wealth. You've seen his progress. You've seen his wars." The chief nodded in agreement. The official continued,"Considering all these events, in your opinion, where did the white man go wrong?" The chief stared at the government officials for over a minute and then calmly replied,"When white man found the land, Indians were running it. No taxes, no debt,plenty buffalo, plenty beaver, lots of fish and deer, women did all the work,medicine man free, Indian man spent all day hunting and fishing, all night having sex. Only white man dumb enough to think he could improve system like that." Currently listening : The Red Violin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack By Nicholas Bucknall Release date: By 18 May, 1999 10:12 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, January 16, 2007 The Preamble Current mood: aggravated Category: News and Politics "We the sensible people of the United States, in an attempt to help everyone get along, restore some semblance of justice, avoid more riots, keep our nation safe, promote positive behavior, and secure the blessings of debt-free liberty to ourselves and our great-great-great-grandchildren, hereby try one more time to ordain and establish some common sense guide lines for the terminally whiny, guilt ridden, and delusional. We hold these truths to be self evident: that a whole lot of people are confused by the Bill of Rights and are so dim they require a Bill of NON Rights." ARTICLE I: You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV, or any other form of wealth. More power to you if you can legally acquire them,but no one is guaranteeing anything. ARTICLE II: You do not have the right to never be offended. This country is based on freedom, and that means freedom for everyone--not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc.; but the world is full of idiots, and probably always will be. ARTICLE III: You do not have the right to be free from harm. If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful. Do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives rich from a lawsuit because of your carelessness. ARTICLE IV: You do not have the right to free food and housing. Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in subsidizing generation after generation of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes. (This one is my pet peeve...get an education and go to work...don't expect everyone else to take care of you!) ARTICLE V: You do not have the right to free health care. That would be nice, but from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in public health care. ARTICLE VI: You do not have the right to physically harm other people. If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim, or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair. ARTICLE VII: You do not have the right to the possessions of others. If you rob, cheat, or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen color TV or a life of leisure. ARTICLE VIII: You do not have the right to a job. All of us sure want you to have a job, and will gladly help you along in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful. (AMEN!) ARTICLE IX: You do not have the right to happiness. Being an American means that you have the right to PURSUE happiness, which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights. ARTICLE X: This is an English speaking country. We don't care where you are from, English is our language. Learn it or go back to wherever you came from! (lastly...) ARTICLE XI: You do not have the right to change our country's history or heritage. This country was founded on the belief in one true God. And yet, you are given the freedom to believe in any religion, any faith, or no faith at all; with no fear of persecution. The phrase IN GOD WE TRUST is part of our heritage and history, and if you are uncomfortable with it, TOUGH!!!! If you agree, share this with a friend. No, you don't have to, and nothing tragic will befall you if you don't. I just think it's about time common sense is allowed to flourish. Sensible people of the United States speak out because if you do not, who will? Currently reading : The Romantic Manifesto By Ayn Rand Release date: By 01 October, 1971 12:34 AM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Saturday, November 11, 2006 Berfday Current mood: happy I just want to say thank you all for the nice messages and comments wishing me a happy birthday and all. That was quite thoughtful. I am probably not gonna do much but relax, enjoy a few adult beverages, and watch a movie or something. But I always take a little time to reflect on the years past and I have alot of good memories thanks to all my friends. You guys are great and you all make me very happy. 1:03 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Thursday, February 02, 2006 April Kaitlin Sobotka Current mood: rejected Category: Depressed Romance and Relationships I love you April Kaitlin Sobotka. I miss you dearly. 8:48 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove Wednesday, January 25, 2006 April Kaitlin Sobotka Current mood: depressed Category: Romance and Relationships I still think about Kate all the time. I miss her so much. But why did she do what she did to me. What did I do to deseve it? And now I think I have a lonliness complex. I feel like I will never be cured until I find a woman better than her to fill the hole she left in my heart. 8:03 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove Tuesday, January 24, 2006 Love Current mood: depressed Category: Romance and Relationships ...never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved. 10:59 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove

Thursday, February 16, 2006 Top Ten Dick Cheney Excuses Current mood: hopeful Top Ten Dick Cheney Excuses 10. "Heart palpitation caused trigger finger to spasm" 9. "Wanted to get the Iraq mess off the front page" 8. "Not enough Jim Beam" 7. "Trying to stop the spread of bird flu" 6. "I love to shoot people" 5. "Guy was making cracks about my lesbian daughter" 4. "I thought the guy was trying to go 'gay cowboy' on me" 3. "Excuse? I hit him, didn't I?" 2. "Until Democrats approve medicare reform, we have to make some tough choices for the elderly" 1. "Made a bet with Gretzky's wife" 4:55 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Wednesday, February 15, 2006 King of Hearts Current mood: contemplative Entry for February 15, 2006 King of Hearts I woke up this morning and went for a walk. As I was strolling through a parking lot I came across a playing card. It was laying face down. I picked it up and it was a King of Hearts. Throughout the years I would usually keep a few of these in my wallet. (We have a casino here in town and playing cards are easy to come by.) I would leave the card on someones door or on their windshield as a sign that I was there. I used the King of Hearts because to me it was a symbol of who I am. For one the heart. Because I am a very loving and caring person. I have been known to put others needs before my own. I am very romantic and chivalrous. I am intimate, passionate, and comitted when I am in a relationship. But the King of Hearts is a suicide king. He is sticking a sword through his head. To me it has always meant that I could almost kill myself over a heartbreak. I don't fall in love easy, but for whatever reason I do fall in love it is a very good one. I don't really think that I would ever kill myself over a heartbreak no matter how hard it was or how many times I go through one but think about Romeo and Juliet. You never know. When I fall in love, I fall hard. When I fall in love it is meant as a life long comittment. My love is deep. So deep. Deeper than Atlantis. Deeper than the sea floor traveled bt the mantis. I have had my heartbroken twice. Well... once really. The first time was just a learning experience and I got over it. This time was different though. I really learned what all it took to be a husband. We never married. We were going to but the day after we got the marriage license she left me for no good reason and started being real mean. I can't believe after all the shit that I went through for her, after all we went through that she would do what she did to me. But when I decided to ask her to marry me, it just felt right. I had never asked that to anyone in my life and when I did I thought "I'm going to ask her to marry me. I know this is the one and I want to spend the rest of my life dedicated to this one person." Tears cames to my eyes and I thought that I will do everything within my power to keep this relationship strong and going. Whatever it takes. I guess sometimes your best is not enough. I wonder if it ever will be now. I thought we were on the same page. I guess not. I am so unhappy with this and it has caused me to think that I want to die. I am very depressed. But when I came across that King of Hearts this morning it was like an omen. I filled me with hope that there is someone out there looking after me. I have had strange coincidences like this before. Especially in my last relationship. And I know that when we were together, we were meant to be together for that period of time. And who knows. You never know what might happen. We might even get back together someday. But I am filled with hope. I ain't gonna give up on love. Not yet anyway. I just hope that I find it before I die. I just hope that it is a sign and that there is somebody out there for me. I just don't want to wait until I am sixty years old to find it. 10:28 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove Tuesday, February 14, 2006 LOVE Current mood: sad Category: Romance and Relationships The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to Love and be loved in return. "Love is prococious, love doesn't know a time, an actually day, or any calender. Valentine's day does not dictate my feelings, my emotion, and my spirit over Love. Rather, my heart will dictate my Valentine's day. My heart has it's own time & pace and when that time comes, my heart will race and tell me.. like bells and whistles, I will celebrate and cherish the moment. I will pour my heart out and throw my sweet kisses to my heart's desire. Util then, my heart be still." - Eddie One of my favorite Love ?songs? is the duet between ?Satine and ?Christian in the ?musical? "?Moulin Rouge?". A ?musical? celebration about TRUTH, BEAUTY, FREEDOM, and above all things LOVE. Inspired by Tat's Sabotage entry. ? ? ELEPHANT LOVE MEDLEY ? ? - Ewan McGregor (Christian) & Nicole Kidman (Satine) ? ? Ewan: Love is a many splendored thing, Love lifts us up where we belong, All you need is Love Nicole: Please, don't start that again Ewan: All you need is Love Nicole: A girl has got to eat Ewan: All you need is Love Nicole: She'll end up on the street Ewan: All you need is Love Nicole: Love is just a game Ewan: I was made for loving you baby, You were made for loving me Nicole: The only way of loving me baby, Is to pay a lovely fee Ewan: Just one night, Just one night Nicole: There's no way, Cause you can't pay Ewan: In the name of Love, One night in the name of Love Nicole: You crazy fool, I won't give in to you Ewan: Don't...leave me this way, I can't survive, Without your sweet Love, Oh baby, don't leave me this way Nicole: You'd think that people would have had enough of silly Love songs Ewan: I look around me, And I see it isn't so, no Nicole: Some people wanna fill the world with silly Love songs Ewan: Well, what's wrong with that? I'd like to know, Cause, here I go again! Love lifts us up where we belong, Where eagles fly on a mountain high Nicole: Love makes us act like we are fools, Throw our lives away, For one happy day Ewan: We could be heroes, Just for one day Nicole: You, you will be mean Ewan: No, I won't Nicole: And I...I'll drink all the time Ewan: We should be lovers Nicole: We can't do that Ewan: We should be lovers, And that's a fact Nicole: Though nothing will keep us together Ewan: We could steal time, Just for one day Both: We could be heroes, Forever and ever, We could be heroes, Forever and ever, We could be heroes Ewan: Just because I will always Love You Nicole: I can't help loving you...How wonderful life is Both: Now, you're in the world Placido Domingo: La forza dell'amor ( the power/force of ) ? ? 3:17 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Valentine's Day Current mood: depressed Category: Romance and Relationships Well. Here's the day that I have not been waiting for. Such a depressing lonely day. Can't wait until it is behind me. Maybe some year I will enjoy Valentine's Day. But the past few years have been it has been really bad for me on this day. Thanks Kaitlin. At least your happy. 11:49 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove Monday, February 13, 2006 My colorgenics profile. Current mood: depressed You feel as if you have missed out on a great deal that life had to offer and you go about trying to make up for past failures. Naturally at times you get depressed and you try to compensate for your 'missed opportunities' by living your life to the full. This is what, perhaps, may be described as 'living with exaggerated intensity'. In this way you feel you can break the chains of the past and start again - and it could be that you are right. You are a very warm and emotional individual but unfortunately in the past too many people have taken advantage of this sensitive trait. You need aesthetic surroundings, or an equally sensitive and understanding partner with whom to share a warm understanding. You lack confidence and that is a great pity because deep down you are indeed a warm caring person. This lack of confidence is making you wary of being drawn into any open discussion or conflict and so you feel as if you should let matters lie and leave well alone. But there may be a pleasant surprise in store for you. You are beginning to grow and very soon - sooner than you believed possible - this warm loving new you will be available for all to see and to appreciate. You are pretending that the situation around you doesn't matter, but the effort of trying to conceal your emotions and anxieties is resulting in untold stress. The existing situation is disagreeable. You feel unwanted and lonely and you would really like to associate with someone whose ideals are as high as your own. You want to be above the standard of mediocrity and this need to be needed and that need to need has almost become an obsession. You are trying to magnify the need into a compelling urge. You would really like to tell the world how great you are but no, you are holding back because you feel that your peers may treat you with contempt. This is a great pity because you have in fact a unique quality of character, but the continual restraint that you impose on yourself makes you suppress this need for others and you pretend you don't really care. You treat those who criticise you with contempt. However, to be honest, beneath this assumption of indifference you really long for the approval and esteem of others. You really like doing what you do and, more than that, you like yourself. Your attitude to work and to life is that 'If its not fun - then don't do it'. You want to be liked and respected, not for who you are but for what you are - and it seems to be working This was kinda wired but it was also very true. To find out your coloregenics profile, got to http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm 8:24 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove The Clod and the Pebble Current mood: depressed Category: Romance and Relationships Clod and the Pebble, The "Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives its ease, And builds a heaven in hell's despair." So sung a little clod of clay, Trodden with the cattle's feet; But a pebble of the brook Warbled out these meters meet: "Love seeketh only Self to please, To bind another to its delight, Joys in another's loss of ease, And builds a hell in heaven's despite." William Blake 1:47 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Valentine's Day Current mood: depressed Category: Romance and Relationships I am so fucking depressed. This Valentine's Day is going to be the worst. 1:45 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Sunday, February 12, 2006 I wish things were different. Current mood: sad Well I talked to her. I got some closure. She is still too stubborn to admit alot of her faults though. I could tell you all about it but I have decided I am not going to talk about her anymore. I have my reasons. I think it is best. I think I can go on now but this depression is crippling though. I just hope that I find the companionship that I desire someday. I just want to be happy. I just wish things were different though. I wish my life didn't fall apart again and I wish she and I could have stayed together. ~Tears~ This has been the hardest thing for me to deal with in my life. 2:39 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Thursday, February 09, 2006 OMFG! She Called me last night. OMFG! Current mood: confused She called me last night. I was laying down thinking about her as usual and the phone rang. For some reason I knew it was her. I'm quite intuitive. And it's been quite a while since she apoke to me. We'll, she didn't really speak. She called twice and didn't say anything. She called again and played a very fitting song. I cried. I called back to see who it was because I didn't recognize the number. She had her cell number changed 7 months ago when she left me. But from the prefix I knew it was a Cingular and from my town although she live in West Terre Haute now. Or so I believe. Anyway. It really freaked me out when I heard her voicemail. I knew for sure then. I texted her and asked why she called and didn't say anything and asked id she was okay. I told her that I loved her and missed her. She texted back and said that she was really sorry that she hurt me all those times and that she hopes that I find a woman that makes me happy. And that I deserve better than her. That this was goodbye and that I could do better. I tried to call her back but got her voicemail again. I was wet with tears. I left a message telling her that I was worried about her. I knew that if she was calling me playing a song like that that she was in an emotional state. I was worried that she was thinking about suicide again. I told her that it has been real hard without her and stuff. That I would do anything for her and if she ever needed anything or had second thoughts about getting back together then don't hesitate to call me. She left me another text message telling me to call her tonight. I am going to call her. I love her and want her back. I am really nervous and kinda scared though. I know that when I call I am going to hopefully get some answers finally. I don't have any idea what to expect. But I have a little hope that we will get back together but I don't want to get my hopes up too much. I know if she says no that I will be very disappointed and hurting again. Even if I do deserve better, it is not about what I deserve. It's who I love and I love her. And I hope she still loves me. I want her. She brought out a side of me that I never knew I had. I never loved someont the way I love her. Unconditionally. I understand that she has her problems and I want to do all I can to help her. What should I do? This kind of love defies all practicality. But why compare love to practicality? This is what I want. And I hope she will give it another try. But I don't understand a few things. How could she have turned on me? It's like she has a split personality. And I don't know the darker side. Iv'e seen a little of it but I don't understand it. I hope this turns out good. I never wanted anything so bad in my life. I love you Kaitlin. 3:18 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, February 07, 2006 Jive Turkey Current mood: good It's all right. I've cooled off a little now. I found out through her mother that she was never really married. Kaitlin is a pathological liar. I wish I had the time to tell you all the whole story. You would trip. But anyway, I'm okay now. I know that she lies to make me think that she is doing well and and content. I know better. I wish her well though. I hope she gets well. I just wish things could have been different ya know? I never thought that she would turn into a jive turkey. Anyway, have any of you checked out Launchcast? I am addicted. I got all my favorite songs, artists, and albums rated. I love it. Free music. But as a musician I feel somewhat guilty. Okay. So I am sounding like Lars Ulrich. But you got to love it when all your favorite music is at the touch of a key. And you can type up some rare song that you haven't heard in forever and they got it. Only a few exceptions. I couldn't find My Guitar Wants to Kill Your Momma by Dweezil Zappa and Hot Rod Lincoln by Junior Brown.

Why Wiccans Suck. Fluffbunnies, Bicca, and Playganism. WHY WICCANS SUCK Copyright 2003 Faelhach. All Rights Reserved. I'd like to start this informative masterpiece by saying that if anyone is offended by this, they can go suck themselves. I would also like to say that if you are here for an in-depth, thoughtful analysis of Wicca, Paganism and any other subject related to the two, you'd best be looking somewhere else. This is a rant. So deal with it. Now then. Let's get down to business. Wiccans suck. Every last one of them. Why, you ask? Because. Now, J. would want me to expand upon my reasons for exactly why Wiccans suck, so I'm going to oblige him. He also says that I should change my blanket statement to only include contemporary Wiccans, but I think that this is more fun. I suppose I should start with a background of my personal experience regarding Wicca. I believe it was during my freshman year of high school that I first was "enlightened" regarding this subject. One of my close friends at the time had purchased a book by the oh-so-fluffy queen of the capitalist Wiccan world, Silver Ravenwolf. That's right, people. I said Silver Ravenwolf. And I even read it, too. I believe this would be the point where you all feel the need to cry out. "Silver Ravenwolf isn't a real witch! She's just out there to make money off of all of us! You haven't truly experienced Wicca if you think that this is all there is!" News flash: Silver Ravenwolf is all there is. She is the epitome of modern Wicca and its stupidity as far as I am concerned. Wicca had mystified me up until now, and I was expecting to come to a higher understanding of what I thought was a purely money-driven cult of extremely overweight people prone to prancing, wailing and lighting things on fire. Most unfortunately (for them), all I received was a reaffirmation of my beliefs regarding the subject. So I returned the book, decided it was all bullshit and left it alone. During my junior year of high school another one of my friends got into it, so I decided to come along for the ride. She made herself an altar, bought herself one of those ceremonial knives, some candles, a pentacle and a cloak. We baked bread during the harvest and chanted over it. We went to Barnes & Noble and devoured the Wiccan/New Age section until my brain was bursting with Redes, love spells and five hundred ways to waste my damn money. It was at this point that I realized (yet again) that the entire subject was bullshit. Now would be the time for me to stop and say that I have a problem with religion in general without having to deal with some vague "tradition" that first reared its green head about fifty years ago. This is not a fucking religion. All these Wiccans run around screaming about persecution and fighting over who has the bigger wand or the taller candle or the more expensive robe and while I'm usually content to just sit back and laugh at them, my rage has intensified. The entire concept seems so completely useless to me. If you want to play dress-up and wave incense around when you're a teenage girl, that's fine. In fact, it's almost expected. But when you're a fifty five year old male "warlock" who has devoted his life to his coven of equally old, scary women and holds a 9 to 5 job at McDonalds on the weekdays, there's a word for you. It's called pathetic. Get a life. Seriously. Paganism is not the same thing as Wicca. Wicca claims to be a religion, while Paganism is most certainly not one. Pagans have been around from the beginning of time, and as much as you Wiccans love to yell at me about your Celtic traditions and hereditary witchery, you need to take your heads out of your perfumed little asses and realize that you were created by people who wanted to make a great deal of money. And they have succeeded. You are no better than the medieval recreation societies that I see in the parks on weekends where we ran our cross country meets in high school. In fact, you are worse, because they actually realize that it's just a game, while you're still under the impression that you've founded a religion. "She's persecuting me!" you all cry. "She doesn't understand where I've come from! I grew up in a low end middle class home! Oh Goddess, how I have suffered in my life!" Yeah, yeah. We've heard it spoken far more convincingly and way more than you would ever know. I'd like to take the time now to say that I believe in magic. No, not magic with that fucking K that everyone and her damn mother insists upon tacking onto the end of a perfectly acceptable word. Magic. I believe that there are other forces at work than humans in the universe, but I do not like to flatter myself and think that I can control them. I don't believe that strewing flowers around my room naked by the light of the moon on the second Thursday of every third month will get that hot boy down the hall to profess his everlasting love to me. I do not believe in voodoo, I do not believe in shamanism and I most certainly do not believe that we can summon spirits from other worlds. If I were an otherworldly creature, I think I would either shit myself laughing or smite someone rather than actually appear when a human started wailing and drawing strange symbols on the ground. Honestly, I don't know if I believe in real witches. I'm not sure that anyone can really be so arrogant as to think that they can harness the powers of Nature. But what I do know is that Wiccans and their little commandments, Blessed Be's and rules of three (they always come in three. Always) make me want to scream and stab myself repeatedly in the head with a sharp object. Or take their staves and stick them up their asses. Either one. And honestly, I'm surprised that anyone would want to put so much damn effort into all of these rituals. I'm a very poor, very lazy college student, so the concept of spending loads of money and hours of my time on meaningless, smelly crap is not very appealing. You are really no better than Goths, punkers or any other "oppressed" minority of fat, angry white kids in this nation. Your religion is less than 50 years old. And it's a load of crap, just like all other religion. So get the hell over yourselves, lose some weight, re-dye your hair to a color found in nature, cover yourself and your scary ass Celtic tattoos and go out there and find a real job instead of dicking around with candles, incense, Silver FUCKING Ravenwolf and your damn Rede all day long. And for Chrissakes, will you go and get laid like NORMAL people for once in your lives?! I do believe that I should wrap this up before I start getting royally pissed off again, so while it's been fun, I shall take my leave of you pathetic saps now. I hope that this pissed someone off. It would give my life some meaning. Really. http://pages.yahoo.com/nhrp?o=astraeaaradia&p=home.html&pos=1&f=all&h=/religion___beliefs/occu I've been asked a lot of questions in the short time I've been maintaining this website. This question, asked by a teenage visitor to the site, was one that gave me a second thought- "Is Wicca really a religion, and is it really an old religion?" Some readers will think it's a stupid question and say, of course it's a religion and why wouldn't it be? That was my initial reaction, and I thought, this person needs to open a book and stop bothering me. But if you look a little deeper, you might realize it's a great question. Most people would describe the definition of "religion" as being, "an organized system of faith and worship as practised or followed by a particular group." So, with that definition in mind, are solitary and eclectic Wiccans really religious? No, I would say not. But, there are other acceptable definitions of religion according to some dictionaries. One is, "a personal set of beliefs and practises." (these definitions are from my Merrian-Webster Dictionary.) If a religion can be a personal set of practises, then can't we label solitary and eclectic Wicca as a religion? To me, it isn't important to label your path or even worry whether it can be considered a true religion. The person who asked me if Wicca is really a religion told me that his "religion" was enduring some scrutiny from his friends and he was unable to defend his beliefs and say that, yes indeed, his beliefs were a religious path. It apparently was important to him to have that validation, and that is fine- though I don't understand his reason for being so worried about it. WICCA- THE OLD RELIGION? After all my research, I will tell you, as I did on my Wicca or Witchcraft? page, that Wicca is NOT an old religion. Some Wiccans and witches will tell you that Wicca and the Craft are the oldest religions in the world. This is completely untrue. Yes, Wicca is called "The Old Religion" but this label doesn't fit modern Wicca. The word "Wicca" is certainly old and may have been used by some people of the past- it originally meant "to bend" and some say it was used as a word for "Witchcraft" in the past. However, the word "Wicca" has an entirely different meaning today- as it was used to label Gerald Gardner's religious creation. It is said that Gardner melded different practises- and created some of his own- and Wicca was his product. If you research, you will find that he used some of Aleister Crowley's spells and rituals as his own, and also was an acquaintance of Crowley's. Crowley, it is said, wrote many of the spells and rituals in Gardner's original Book of Shadows. The late Aleister Crowley wrote, "Do what thou will shall be the whole of the Law, love is the Law, love under will." Remind you of another law? Sounds a lot like the line in the Wiccan Rede, "an' it harm none, do as thou wilt." Both mean, do as you see fit but harm no one. Some think the Wiccan Rede is an ancient text, but it actually is not. I mentioned on my Sabbats page that the Sabbats are not Wiccan in origin. The Wheel of the Year is a festival of celebrations created by the ancient Celts. Wiccans cannot stake a claim to these practises. They have been incorporated into Wiccan practise, but are not Wiccan in origin. This is another reason many are confused about Wicca and say, "The Celts were Wiccans!" Such a stupid comment. For more information about this, just refer to my Wicca or Witchcraft page so I don't keep repeating myself. DOES IT MATTER?? Does it seem as if I'm trying to make Wicca look like a sham of some sort? I'm not at all, I'm simply trying to be honest about it. In it's entirety, Wicca is new. Is that a bad thing? I certainly don't think so. I was searching for my spritual path when I was a kid and felt that Wicca, for the most part, had what I was looking for at the time. I was never truly happy and comfortable with it, but back then, it was the only "religion" I knew that was similar to my own personal beliefs. Even so, I didn't care where the concept came from, I only cared about my connection to it. As you search and research, learn the WHOLE truth- don't just read Wiccan "how-to" books. I, personally, feel that knowing the truth is important. I suppose that it's entirely up to you to decide if the history of Pagan traditions are important to know. More stories about Constitution Why America needs laws against flag burning. Feature: Flags The US Constitution - past its sell-by date ? More stories by jsm The Gay Tax LNUX = FC? Linux Linux Linux -- Part One -- Trying to Be a Hero A Declaration of Independence for the Indebted States of America Kill Yr Idols: Nelson Mandela Open Letter to a Stripper Milosevic Goes Free, Thanks to Godwin's Law! Tax the Childless, Double Votes for Parents Luv Yr Enemies -- Jesus Christ Open Letter to the USA: Please Don't Drown Me The Real Darwin Awards Harnessing the Computational Power of Autism 'English Style Lovers', with jsm Why the Bombings Mean That We Must Support My Politics Kill Yr Idols - Donald Knuth Linux Linux Linux Part Two - Crossing the Linux Fault Threshold Teaching Astrology In Schools Chip Hell -- the AMD story We Licke Icke Slashdot Subscriptions and VA Software -- what's going on? Linux Zealot and Economics 101 A New Kind of Feminist Science Here's the facts, kids. According to dictionary.com, a "religion" is a sincerely held set of beliefs, part of a tradition and a way of life. Wicca fails on all three counts. Sincerely held beliefs: They aren't. Here's the facts. "Wiccans", "Neopagans" and such like, tend to be young, American and university educated. University educated people don't usually believe in things which are, on the face of them, absolutely untrue. The creation myths, cosmogonies and rituals of all pagan religions are all ludicrous. Earth Mothers, naked magick, Crow Spirits -- any attempt to look deeply into the content of the hotchpotch of half-baked fairy stories and horror movie cliches which make up the average pagan's belief system comes up against a flat wall of incredulity pretty quickly. Nobody of even average intelligence could possibly actually believe any of this to be literally true. Therefore, by syllogism, the vast majority of so-called "Wiccans" are not sincere in what they claim to believe. This point is important, so it bears analysis. Not only are the beliefs of Wiccans ridiculous to the point of risibility, they're also provably fabricated and internally inconsistent. The entire religion of Wicca was created out of whole cloth in 1952 by a British Civil Servant called Gerald Gardner. Therefore, for example, the First Church of Jesus Christ, Elvis are on a more solid footing than the Wiccans, given that Elvis is both older and more historically real than anything in Wicca. And, furthermore, every half-educated Wiccan knows that this is the case. It gets better. When Gardner invented neopaganism, he just put it together from all the bits he liked from the Penguin Library of Mythology. So Wicca has bits of Northern Italian folklore, bits of the Magick of Aleister Crowley (mainly Jewish mysticism), bits of Greek elemental symbolism (Thales, 500BC) and the whole thing suffused with a miasma of "Celtic" imagery, referring to a gang of Austrian savages who ended up in Galicia, with no culture, only the most extremely dubious historical provenance and the most tenuous of connections to the people who walk round calling each other "Celts" today. Plus a load of ritual nudity which was very certainly never in the originals. It says something that Scientology and Wicca were invented at roughly the same time; while the American Hubbard came up with a money-making machine that has a proven record of effecting miracle narcotics addiction cures, the best the Brits could come up with was a Carry on Camping version of the Bacchanalia we all learn in third year Latin. Not only that, but the main creed of the "neopagan" movement is "An it hurt none, do as you will", which plagiarises Crowley, smuggles a bit of Chaucerian Middle English into a supposedly pre-Christian tradition and directly contradicts the two things we know for certain about the actually existing pagans; a) that they had many ritual taboos, so they didn't think "do as you will" and b) that they didn't care about hurting people. It is no exaggeration to say that the main works of Celtic literature are almost entirely concerned with the subject of killing other people and stealing their cows. When they don't deal with the equally mystical and spiritual subject of getting drunk and waking up in a ditch. A tradition Put it this way. Nobody was brought up Wiccan. Nobody had their children named at a "blooding ceremony" straight after the "hand-fasting", nobody took their children to campfires instead of Sunday School and nobody sat up night after night teaching their little ones enough Chaucer to give them a hope of understanding what "an you hurt none" means. Or if they did, then the social services intervened pretty quickly and quite right too. Unlike the Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Muslim religions, there is nobody whose neopagan "beliefs" locate them in a long line of believers starting with their parents, and their parents' parents. Of course there isn't. Simply to pose the possibility is to see it as ridiculous. People don't become Wiccans in order to carry on the beliefs of their parents. People become Wiccans in order to offend their parents, to try to extract some revenge on Mum and Dad for the terrible crime of having financially supported them for all of their fourteen years of life. There have never been and will never be any second-generation Wiccans, because there is simply no point in being a Wiccan if it isn't going to wind up Ma and Pa. The pagan "tradition" is the actual antithesis of a tradition. Which is why telling a Wiccan to stop wearing his severed rabbit head or his inverted pentagram is absolutely nothing like removing the cross from a Christian school or depriving a Jew of his Star of David. One of these things is to strip a human being of his identity, to remove the very essence of what is important about his humanity. The other is just to tell a silly little child (of whatever age) not to bare his bottom in public. Way of Life Wiccanism, like the organised simper which goes in the West by the name of "Buddhism", is a religion which, unusually, makes no practical demands whatever on its adherents. A Wiccan doesn't go to hell if they are stopped from making silly hand signs at the customers in McDonalds, in the way that a Muslim can sincerely believe himself to be in danger of if provision is not made for him to make Umrah. Suited to the intellectually flabby, scruffy, lazy slacker teenagers who believe in it, Wicca is not a religion which gives a code by which to live one's life. It has no observances, fasts or obligations to charity. All it is, is a style of dress, a calculated giving of offense to Christians, and the occasional excuse for a booze-up for people too dull or inhibited to be able to open a bottle of whisky without turning it into a piece of amateurish performance art. That's not a religion. It's a pose. And, of course, and not coincidentally, an excuse to ensure that there's no black people invited to your fraternity parties because they're not "Celtic" enough. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- So then, are we really, seriously, meant to believe that this half-dignified collection of Santa Claus myths is to be given the same status as the great religions of the world? Wicca isn't important to anybody. Nobody would ever lay down their life for Wicca; very few would sacrifice their Abercrombie & Fitch trenchcoats for the cause of the Goddess. Anyone looking at the site of a Wiccan party the morning after knows that the genuine regard which the neopagans have for the earth doesn't even stretch to picking up their own beer cans and condoms. So when an employer, or a teacher, tells a scruffy teenager to clean up their act, it's an injustice of the scale of telling a punk to wash their hair, not the first step to a pogrom. And the American Civil Liberties Union really ought to find something better to do with their time than to pretend that anything else is the case. >>"YOUR RELIGION IS NOT A REAL RELIGION hence the NEO at the >>beginning of NEO pagen." >Actually neo means new. Age has nothing to do with the >validity of a relgion. "Truth exists, only falsehood has to be invented." - George Braque Naturally, all new ideas are false. Truths are discovered, not invented. Too bad Wicca's claim to fame is its novelty. Reminds me a lot of the cheap souvenir venders on interstate exits, always peddling some new bullshit gimmick (like the 'talking Bass' or some self-decidedly 'cool' bumpersticker.) Truth, like art, does not fade, as a frenzied heyday of drinking winds down into a hangover. Shoddy souvenirs, like Wicca, exploit novelty - paying no tribute to art or truth. Like Wicca, only those with less discriminating taste are apt to buy into the hype. Just as it happens to weak minded men, who, meddling with things to high for them, suddenly fall into distractions. Distractions which not only un-man men, which I perceive yours have done to you, but send them upon desperate venture to obtain they know not what. >Think it's not a relgion? Too bad Melanie Griffith. It's It certainly is a religion. The 'Abridged Dictionary of Ultimate Truth' defines Wicca thusly: Wicca (WIK-uh) A religion designed and fabricated by mediocre hacks. I personally pulled this definition and reference straight out of my ass, in perfect concord with Wiccan tradition. I hope you don't mind. >recognized by several sources in the United States; Sources who were obviously pandering to insecure, petulant sheeple. If >by 'not a real relgion', you mean Wicca teaches false >information then all relgions are fake considering almost >every value or belief in Wicca is the same or simliar to >at least one other religion in the world. No, we can infer that by 'not a real religion' he means 'a bullshit religion,' one based entirely on fraud, deception - in a word, bullshit. As to these 'values' you reckon equal with 'other religions, ' are you implying that the 'Wiccan Rede' rivals the Golden Rule? Hook, line, and sinker, cupcake. Let's compare. "An it harm none, do what thou wilt." "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Observe, pragmatic application of both rules to the following scenario: "A Jewish man was traveling on a trip from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he was attacked by bandits. They stripped him of his clothes and money, beat him up, and left him half dead beside the road. By chance a Jewish priest came along; but when he saw the man lying there, he crossed to the other side of the road and passed him by." Did the Jewish priest harm anyone by passing by the wounded man? No. Would you have wanted the priest to succor you? Yes. Wiccan Litmus: Pass Golden Litmus: Fail The story continues: "A Temple assistant walked over and looked at him lying there, but he also passed by on the other side." Did this temple assistant harm anyone with his indifferent attitude? No, not really. Would you have this man cast his indifference aside to aid you? Yes, you certainly would. Wiccan Litmus: Pass Golden Litmus: Fail Back to the story... "Then a despised Samaritan came along, and when he saw the man, he felt deep pity. Kneeling beside him, the Samaritan soothed his wounds with medicine and bandaged them. Then he put the man on his own donkey and took him to an inn, where he took care of him." Did the Samaritan harm anyone? No. Would you have rejected this man's kindness and compassion? No. Wiccan Litmus: Pass Golden Litmus: Pass Conclusion: The Wiccan Rede is ethically lax. >Just felt like pointing out your stupidity. And you spelled >pagan wrong. Wicca is morally lenient. Why not grammatically lenient, too? >I can agree with you that Wicca is becoming a fad. Nice, shifty use of the future-progressive tense. Try present tense next time: "Wicca is a fad." > A lot of >the "Wiccans" I know seem like a bunch of posers to me. That sounds a lot like marketing 'imitation SPAM.' >They seem to read things off the internet, pick out the >facts that they like, chuck out what they dont and then >call it "Wicca." As opposed to the founder of Wicca, who read fringe-occult-snuff literature, cherry-picked the dubiously grounded 'facts' he liked, chucked out the rest, and called it "Wicca." >A lot call this "individualism" I call it >twisting facts >into what you want to see and then labeling >it Wicca. >But if people can mutilate Christian beliefs so much and >call it Christianity Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. (I bet the number of cults who call themselves Christian far outnumber the ones who call themselves Wiccan) then let the little goth kids call themselves Wiccans. False. Wicca is a cult. Therefore, 100% of those calling themselves 'Wiccans' are cultists, whether 'true to the roots' or 'deviant' from the perverse, deviant cult itself. 4:13 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, March 07, 2006 MAD AT YAHOO! Current mood: aggravated My Launchcast station will not appear on my 360 page. I have it set to share music and all but it never appears on my page. I have wrote yahoo about it 10 times and no response. I am a musician and I love music. Everybosy else has their Launchcast on their page. I would like to share my music. Anyway, if you would like to hear my station, go here> http://music.yahoo.com/lc/?rt=0&rp1=0&rp2=1933735249 8:44 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Monday, February 27, 2006 Steve Vai Check out my favorite guitarist> http://www.cbs.com/specials/48grammys/featured2.shtml 4:52 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Colorgenics For you coloregenics profile go here: http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm This is what it said about me. You feel as if you have missed out on a great deal that life had to offer and you go about trying to make up for past failures. Naturally at times you get depressed and you try to compensate for your 'missed opportunities' by living your life to the full. This is what, perhaps, may be described as 'living with exaggerated intensity'. In this way you feel you can break the chains of the past and start again - and it could be that you are right. You are a very warm and emotional individual but unfortunately in the past too many people have taken advantage of this sensitive trait. You need aesthetic surroundings, or an equally sensitive and understanding partner with whom to share a warm understanding. You lack confidence and that is a great pity because deep down you are indeed a warm caring person. This lack of confidence is making you wary of being drawn into any open discussion or conflict and so you feel as if you should let matters lie and leave well alone. But there may be a pleasant surprise in store for you. You are beginning to grow and very soon - sooner than you believed possible - this warm loving new you will be available for all to see and to appreciate. You are pretending that the situation around you doesn't matter, but the effort of trying to conceal your emotions and anxieties is resulting in untold stress. The existing situation is disagreeable. You feel unwanted and lonely and you would really like to associate with someone whose ideals are as high as your own. You want to be above the standard of mediocrity and this need to be needed and that need to need has almost become an obsession. You are trying to magnify the need into a compelling urge. You would really like to tell the world how great you are but no, you are holding back because you feel that your peers may treat you with contempt. This is a great pity because you have in fact a unique quality of character, but the continual restraint that you impose on yourself makes you suppress this need for others and you pretend you don't really care. You treat those who criticise you with contempt. However, to be honest, beneath this assumption of indifference you really long for the approval and esteem of others. You really like doing what you do and, more than that, you like yourself. Your attitude to work and to life is that 'If its not fun - then don't do it'. You want to be liked and respected, not for who you are but for what you are - and it seems to be working. 3:54 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Saturday, February 25, 2006 Sick Current mood: sick Man do I feel like crap today. Coughy, sneezy, snuuffly, etc. My muscles are sore. I don't get sick very often but this winter I have been sick a quite a few times. I have enen been taking better care of myself. I hope this doesn't mean that my immune system is getting weaker as the years go by. I remember a time when I went about 7 years without getting sick. Being sick sucks! 12:15 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Friday, February 24, 2006 Colorgenics Category: Life Check out your colorgenics profile.> http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm 3:08 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Stuff Current mood: hopeful Well, she and I have talked a little. We still got some things to work out. But I am optimistic. 12:48 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, February 21, 2006 She wants to start over. Current mood: giddy OMFG! OMFG, OMFG, OMFG! Here is what she said: I am sorry for all the hurtful things i have done to you. it took me getting hurt again to realize that i still love you. i am not ready to rush back into a relationship. but maybe we could start over as friends. clean slate. not talk about anything that happened in the past. then our friendship will grow into deeper emotions. i understand all the things we left unsaid. but i don't want to concentrate on the past. let's look only to the future. call me. Never lose hope. I just knew it. I have the power! I just hope that I do not get hurt again. If I do, it is my own fault and I think that I can better deal with it. I can't say that you all did not tell me so. I thank you all for the support through all this. Especially you Gotti even though I know you don't agree with my decision. Update later. Woo hoo!

Tuesday, May 23, 2006 I PUT NO STOCK IN RELIGION. Current mood: disappointed Category: Religion and Philosophy I put no stock in religion. By the word religion, I've seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination, cult, whatever, be called the will of "God" or whatever you want to call it, he, she, whatever. (I just used whatever 3 times in one sentence.) Holiness is in right action. And courage on behalf of those that cannot defend themselves. And goodness, what God desires is in your mind and heart, and what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man, or not. Here are some really cool sites to visit: Dennis Leary vidoe: Asshole http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=6WiV2fyvRbs Funny Asshole video (Not vulgar.) :http://filmstripinternational.com Colorgenics: http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm Deep Thoughs by Jack Handey: http://farstrider.net/DeepThoughts/Handey.htm Ripley's: http://www.ripleys.com/ Web Junk: http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/webjunk_20/series.jhtml Flaming text: http://www3.flamingtext.com/net-fu/jobs/200512886.html Chuck Norris Facts: http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/index.html Read this book: http://www.atlasshrugged.tv/ Objectivism: http://www.objectivism.net/ Ayn Rand: http://www.ayn-rand.com/ http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer Libertarianism: http://www.libertarianism.com/ Libertarianism-A Primer: http://www.libertarianism.org/ Try this game. It gets more fun after a while: http://www.winterrowd.com/maze.swf Boys Beware: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A5VNe9NTOxA&search=homosexual Exploding cigar: http://www.explodingcigar.com/ Offbeat news: http://www.cnn.com/offbeat/ MSN Spaces: http://spaces.msn.com/cliffcoultas/ Independent Puppies and Kittens: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/independent2.htm The Laughing Psycho Kitty: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/catnip.htm The Ebonics Translator: http://www.joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp Jive turkey: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jive turkey&b=1 Daily Rotten: http://www.dailyrotten.com/ Homestarrunner: http://homestarrunner.com/ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/coultas777 Department of Humor Analysis: http://tbshumorstudy.com/main.html Guzer: http://www.guzer.com/ Junior Brown: http://www.juniorbrown.com/ Brian Setzer: http://www.briansetzer.com/ Steve Vai: http://vai.com/ 12:42 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, May 16, 2006 Does anyone really care? Current mood: blah Category: Religion and Philosophy Why do I exist? Does my life have any real significance? If you are reading this, you may be a representative af the human dimension and you wrestle, as some of us do, with the great questions of life. What in the world is life all about anyway? What are we doing spinning around on this planet at almost 1,000 miles per hour, tilted at a 23 degree axis? Is gravity really all there is to believe in? Certainly, alot of us have asked ourselves these questions. But only a few of the human race are card carrying members of the "Search of the Meaning of Life Club." Pondering the questions of the human dilemma and struggling for the right answers in a world that seems bent on hiding the truth about the here, the now, and the hereafter. The fact is, many do not know why they are here and what they are here for. They are living a meaningless life, simply existing. What a sad way to live. There is more to live for than merely satisfying the physical and even intellectual needs of the body and mind. Should you live your life for a higher purpose than just for pleasing yourself? I believe that we all have a reason to exist-a wonderful cosmic purpose for life-but you have to be objective and open minded. Plus you have to have a functional brain and want to care. Common sense and common decency. We are all born with this and you know what I am talking about. Any normal kid knows that it is bad to throw rocks at cars. But some of us, inclucing myself, have done this anyways. But I knew it was wrong. And I felt bad for it for obvious reasons unless you are one of "The Others". Those who choose to deny logic at their own wants, devious natures, and desires, etc. But I am talking about the ones that are not clinically psychotic, neurotic, or anything. You cannot fully protect yourself from these inferior creatures. But they ar there and they are for real. So watch out. That is the definition of true evil. They keep throwing rocks metaphorically speaking. And who are they to cast the first stone? 6:42 AM - 4 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Wednesday, May 10, 2006 My mom and dad/Blogroll Does anyone remember the days before romote controls were common in every house hold? Well I was the remote control. My dad would call me out of the bedroom: "Hey Cliffy! Come out here and see if the ball game is on yet! Okay see what's on channel 9. Okay switch it back to 25 and get me a beer." I love my dad. He passed away about three years ago. We had some really wonderful times together. He and my mom Bonnie, who passed away about 2 years before him, adopted me when I was 7 months old because my dad killed my mom. I am greatful to have had them as my parents and greatful for the person that I am today and owe alot of that to them. But I was just thinking about them. I really miss my mom. I could tell her anything. We would go shopping together and go to cool resturaunts. CRABLEGS! She really helped my to become more cultured. But the remote control things makes me laugh. I know my dad worked hard all his life, a Senior Master Sergent in the Air Force and then drove a city bus for 20 some years. But when he was at home he was waited on hand and foot. Mom really took care of him and when she passed away he was lost. I felt so sorry for him. I love you mom and dad and I miss you guys very much. Thanks for everything. Here are some really cool sites to visit: Dennis Leary vidoe: Asshole http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=6WiV2fyvRbs Funny Asshole video (Not vulgar.) :http://filmstripinternational.com Colorgenics: http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm Deep Thoughs by Jack Handey: http://farstrider.net/DeepThoughts/Handey.htm Ripley's: http://www.ripleys.com/ Web Junk: http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/webjunk_20/series.jhtml Flaming text: http://www3.flamingtext.com/net-fu/jobs/200512886.html Chuck Norris Facts: http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/index.html Read this book: http://www.atlasshrugged.tv/ Objectivism: http://www.objectivism.net/ Ayn Rand: http://www.ayn-rand.com/ http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer Libertarianism: http://www.libertarianism.com/ Libertarianism-A Primer: http://www.libertarianism.org/ Try this game. It gets more fun after a while: http://www.winterrowd.com/maze.swf Boys Beware: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A5VNe9NTOxA&search=homosexual Exploding cigar: http://www.explodingcigar.com/ Offbeat news: http://www.cnn.com/offbeat/ MSN Spaces: http://spaces.msn.com/cliffcoultas/ Independent Puppies and Kittens: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/independent2.htm The Laughing Psycho Kitty: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/catnip.htm The Ebonics Translator: http://www.joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp Jive turkey: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jive turkey&b=1 Daily Rotten: http://www.dailyrotten.com/ Homestarrunner: http://homestarrunner.com/ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/coultas777 Department of Humor Analysis: http://tbshumorstudy.com/main.html Guzer: http://www.guzer.com/ Junior Brown: http://www.juniorbrown.com/ Brian Setzer: http://www.briansetzer.com/ Steve Vai: http://vai.com/ 4:08 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Wednesday, May 03, 2006 Kaitlin She did it again and my heart is broken again. It figures. She really fucked with me this time. Long story. 8:37 PM - 3 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Chuck Norris Chuck Norris doesn't teabag people. He potato sacks them. http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/index.html Guns don't kill people. Chuck Norris kills People. There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of animals Chuck Norris allows to live. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits. The chief export of Chuck Norris is Pain. There is no chin under Chuck Norris' Beard. There is only another fist. Chuck Norris has two speeds. Walk, and Kill. The leading causes of death in the United States are: 1. Heart Disease 2. Chuck Norris 3. Cancer Chuck Norris drives an ice cream truck covered in human skulls. Chuck Norris is my Homeboy. Chuck Norris doesn't go hunting.... CHUCK NORRIS GOES KILLING Page 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris doesn't read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants. There is no theory of evolution. Just a list of creatures Chuck Norris has allowed to live. Outer space exists because it's afraid to be on the same planet with Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits. Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding. Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris beard. There is only another fist. When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isnt lifting himself up, hes pushing the Earth down. Chuck Norris is so fast, he can run around the world and punch himself in the back of the head. Chuck Norris hand is the only hand that can beat a Royal Flush. There is no such thing as global warming. Chuck Norris was cold, so he turned the sun up. Chuck Norris can lead a horse to water AND make it drink. Chuck Norris doesnt wear a watch, HE decides what time it is. Chuck Norris gave Mona Lisa that smile. Chuck Norris can slam a revolving door. Chuck Norris does not get frostbite. Chuck Norris bites frost Remember the Soviet Union? They decided to quit after watching a DeltaForce marathon on Satellite TV. Contrary to popular belief, America is not a democracy, it is a Chucktatorship. 8:04 PM - 2 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Wednesday, April 05, 2006 Rack 'em up! I have played pool for years but I have heard of several different ways to rack for 8 and 9 ball. Does anyone out there know the proper ways to rack a game for 8 and 9 ball games? 6:18 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Edit - Remove Saturday, March 25, 2006 Libertarian stuff/other This taken from one of my 360 friends. I just wanted to share it with mine.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just a Girl in Short Shorts Talking About Whatever What is on Becky's mind today? Libertarian Basics The key concepts of libertarianism have developed over many centuries. The first inklings of them can be found in ancient China, Greece, and Israel; they began to be developed into something resembling modern libertarian philosophy in the work of such seventeenth- and eighteenth-century thinkers as John Locke, David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine. (1) Individualism. Libertarians see the individual as the basic unit of social analysis. Only individuals make choices and are responsible for their actions. Libertarian thought emphasizes the dignity of each individual, which entails both rights and responsibility. The progressive extension of dignity to more people -- to women, to people of different religions and different races -- is one of the great libertarian triumphs of the Western world. (2) Individual Rights. Because individuals are moral agents, they have a right to be secure in their life, liberty, and property. These rights are not granted by government or by society; they are inherent in the nature of human beings. It is intuitively right that individuals enjoy the security of such rights; the burden of explanation should lie with those who would take rights away. (3) Spontaneous Order and the Civil Society. A great degree of order in society is necessary for individuals to survive and flourish. It's easy to assume that order must be imposed by a central authority, the way we impose order on a stamp collection or a football team. The great insight of libertarian social analysis is that order in society arises spontaneously, out of the actions of thousands or millions of individuals who coordinate their actions with those of others in order to achieve their purposes. Over human history, we have gradually opted for more freedom and yet managed to develop a complex society with intricate organization. The most important institutions in human society -- language, law, money, and markets -- all developed spontaneously, without central direction. Civil society -- the complex network of associations and connections among people -- is another example of spontaneous order; the associations within civil society are formed for a purpose, but civil society itself is not an organization and does not have a purpose of its own. (4) The Rule of Law. Libertarianism is not anarchy or hedonism. It is not a claim that "people can do anything they want to, and nobody else can say anything." Rather, libertarianism proposes a society of liberty under law, in which individuals are free to pursue their own lives so long as they respect the equal rights of others. The rule of law means that individuals are governed by generally applicable and spontaneously developed legal rules, not by arbitrary commands; and that those rules should protect the freedom of individuals to pursue happiness in their own ways, not aim at any particular result or outcome. (5)Limited Government. To protect rights, individuals form governments. But government is a dangerous institution. Libertarians have a great antipathy to concentrated power, for as Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Thus they want to divide and limit power, and that means especially to limit government, generally through a written constitution enumerating and limiting the powers that the people delegate to government. Limited government is the basic political implication of libertarianism, and libertarians point to the historical fact that it was the dispersion of power in Europe -- more than other parts of the world -- that led to individual liberty and sustained economic growth. (6) Free Markets. To survive and to flourish, individuals need to engage in economic activity. The right to property entails the right to exchange property by mutual agreement. Free markets are the economic system of free individuals, and they are necessary to create wealth. Libertarians believe that people will be both freer and more prosperous if government intervention in people's economic choices is minimized. (7)The Virtue of Production. Much of the impetus for libertarianism in the seventeenth century was a reaction against monarchs and aristocrats who lived off the productive labor of other people. Libertarians defended the right of people to keep the fruits of their labor. This effort developed into a respect for the dignity of work and production and especially for the growing middle class, who were looked down upon by aristocrats. Libertarians developed a pre-Marxist class analysis that divided society into two basic classes: those who produced wealth and those who took it by force from others. Thomas Paine, for instance, wrote, "There are two distinct classes of men in the nation, those who pay taxes, and those who receive and live upon the taxes." Similarly, Jefferson wrote in 1824, "We have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." Modern libertarians defend the right of productive people to keep what they earn, against a new class of politicians and bureaucrats who would seize their earnings to transfer them to nonproducers. (8) Natural Harmony of Interests. Libertarians believe that there is a natural harmony of interests among peaceful, productive people in a just society. One person's individual plans -- which may involve getting a job, starting a business, buying a house, and so on -- may conflict with the plans of others, so the market makes many of us change our plans. But we all prosper from the operation of the free market, and there are no necessary conflicts between farmers and merchants, manufacturers and importers. Only when government begins to hand out rewards on the basis of political pressure do we find ourselves involved in group conflict, pushed to organize and contend with other groups for a piece of political power. (9) Peace. Libertarians have always battled the age-old scourge of war. They understood that war brought death and destruction on a grand scale, disrupted family and economic life, and put more power in the hands of the ruling class -- which might explain why the rulers hve not always shared the popular sentiment for peace. Free men and women, of course, have often had to defend their own societies against foreign threats; but throughout history, war has usually been the common enemy of peaceful, productive people on all sides of the conflict. It may be appropriate to acknowledge at this point that it may be your suspicion that libertarianism seems to be just the standard framework of modern thought -- individualism, private property, capitalism, equality under the law. Indeed, after centuries of intellectual, political, and sometimes violent struggle, these core libertarian principles have become the basic structure of modern political thought and of modern government, at least in the West and increasingly in other parts of the world. However, three additional points need to be made: First, libertarianism is not just these broad principles. Libertarianism means action and actually applies these principles fully and consistently, far more so than most modern thinkers and certainly more so than any modern government. Second, while our society remains generally based on equal rights and capitalism, every day new exceptions to those principles are carved out in Washington and in Albany, Sacramento, and Boston (not to mention London, Bonn, Tokyo, and elsewhere). Each new government directive takes a little bit of our freedom, and we should think carefully before giving up any liberty. Third, society is resilient; it can withstand many burdens and continue to flourish; but it is not infinitely resilient. Those who claim to believe in libertarian principles but advocate more and more confiscation of the wealth created by productive people, more and more restrictions on voluntary interaction, more and more exceptions to property rights and the rule of law, more and more transfer of power from society to state, are unwittingly engaged in the ultimately deadly undermining of civilization. Becky Friday March 24, 2006 - 02:32am (EST) Permanent Link | 5 Comments Yahoo Censorship? I am new to blogging and relatively new to Yahoo. I am aware that Yahoo is a liberal corporation (as most Internet corporations are). I am told that in particular they are anti-gun. I have heard quite a bit about Yahoo censorship. One astounding story was told to me by a woman who posted a picture of her braless wearing a sweater. I saw the picture and I don't even think that it would be rated PG. Nonetheless the Censors snatched it. Though I admitedly am a bit of a tease I have not been censorsed (so far) on those grounds. I am concerned about what appears may be a subtle form of of political censorship. I posted two blog articles entitled "Right to Bear Arms" and "Becky Loves Our Military." On both of these I indicated that they be higlighted so that they appear in the table of contents in the form of a hyperlink to the right of the blog articles. One day both of these hyperlinks disappeared and no matter what I do I am unable to get them listed. At first I thought I might be paranoid and that this was simply a software glitch. However, many people have told me that they think it is censorship. I can not say for sure but I am more than suspicious. It may not be the company as a whole--perhaps just one wacked out employee. But, it has become apparent to me that they do personally review the blogs on a regular basis (note the case of the braless sweater picture) and are not afraid to strike. The articles are still there. However to find them one has to scroll through the entirety of the articles I have posted. No one will know it is there unless they are looking for it or am so keenly interested in my ramblings that they scroll through them all. Effectively my articles have been removed. So Becky is not too happy about this. If you have been the victim of Yahoo censorship please make a comment. Becky Thursday March 23, 2006 - 02:18pm (EST) Permanent Link | 3 Comments Transfer of Wealth An analysis of reports published by the Congressionl Budget Office reveals that the major function of the federal government is no longer ensuring that our rights are protected, national defense, coining money, or any other of its enumerated constituitonal duties. No, the biggest function of the federal government is now income redistrubition. Fully 60% of the federal budget (predicted to be 75% within the lifetimes of our children) is devoted to extracting income from one portion of the body politic and giving it to another portion. These "transfer" programs include Social Security, Medicare, family assistance, business and agricultural subsidies and the like. One could engage in endless philosophical debates regarding the morality of these income-redistribution schemes. However, there is one consequence of these programs that is seldom debated or even acknowledged. These programs do much more than transfer wealth; they transfer power from the individual to the state. Bismark recognized this fact when he introduced social security into Germany. He acknowledged that making people dependent on the state ensures that they will be more accepting of government control. Bismark would be pleased to see how well his vision has worked in the United States. Under the rubric of income re-distribution, our government's primary activity is the expansion of dependency while reducing individual liberty, individual responsibility and self-reliance. It is little wonder that our once voluntary civil society is being transformed into a coercive and corrupt welfare state with eroding consitutional safeguards. Becky Wednesday March 22, 2006 - 04:13pm (EST) Permanent Link | 2 Comments Crows Are Not "Birdbrained" Anyone who has watched crows, jays, ravens and other members of the crow family will know they're anything but "birdbrained." For instance, I have read, jays will sit on ant nests, allowing the angry insects to douse them with formic acid, a natural pesticide which helps rid the birds of parasites. Urban-living crows have learned to use road traffic for cracking tough nuts. They do this at traffic light crossings, waiting patiently with human pedestrians for a red light before retrieving their prize. Most hunters have observed the intelligence of crows. Crows will not fly away if approached by an unarmed person. However if you are carrying a rifle or shotgun they will scurry away. I once tested this with a walking stick. If I used the walking stick normally the crows did not fly away. However, when I carried it over my shoulder, like a gun, off they went! Yet crows may be even more clever than has been thought. A study suggests their cognitive abilities are a match for primates such as chimpanzees and gorillas. A study by the journal "Science" was co-authored by Nathan Emery and Nicola Clayton, from the departments of animal behavior and experimental psychology at Cambridge University, England. They say that, while having very different brain structures, both crows and primates use a combination of mental tools, including imagination and the anticipation of possible future events, to solve similar problems. They base their argument on existing studies. The authors wrote "These studies have found that some corvids(crow family) are not only superior in intelligence to birds of other avian species but also rival many nonhuman primates." Increasingly, scientists agree that it isn't physical need that makes animal smart, but social necessity. Group living tends to be a complicated business, so for individuals to prosper they need to understand exactly what's going on. So highly social creatures like dolphins, chimps, and humans tend to be large-brained and intelligent. The study notes that crows are also social and have unusually large brains for their size. "It is relatively the same size as the chimpanzee brain," the authors said. It is time we give crows the respect that has been denied them. I am pro-crow! Becky Tuesday March 21, 2006 - 08:32pm (EST) Permanent Link | 6 Comments Tinkering With the Machinery of Death In 1994 United States Supreme Court Justice Blackmun wrote in his dissent to Collins v. Callins: "From this day forward, I no longer will tinker with the machinery of death.For more than 20 years I have endeavored -- indeed, I have struggled, along with a majority of this Court -- to develop procedural and substantive rules that would lend more than the mere appearance of fairness to the death penalty endeavor... Rather than continue to coddle the Court's delusion that the desired level of fairness has been achieved and the need for regulation eviscerated, I feel morally and intellectually obligated simply to concede that the death penalty experiment has failed.It is virtually self-evident to me now that no combination of procedural rules or substantive regulations ever can save the death penalty from its inherent constitutional deficiencies.The basic question -- does the system accurately and consistently determine which defendants `deserve' to die?-- cannot be answered in the affirmative... The problem is that the inevitability of factual, legal,and moral error gives us a system that we know must wrongly kill some defendants, a system that fails to deliver the fair, consistent and reliable sentences of death required by the Constitution. The time is long past when our country should acknowledge that it is no longer proper for us to be alone in the Western World in the use of capital punishment. It has become a "cruel and unusual" punishment in violation of the Constitution.I have long found the concept of a state after great deliberation putting a person to death in a cool and calculated manner to be repugnant to our basic sense of moral decency, regardless of the sinful and disgusting acts of that person." In this entry I will hit upon some of my basic beliefs in this regard although not as eloquently as Justice Blackmun did. I concede that perhaps the United States does have the most fair legal system. But, I know first hand its failings. I graduated from law school and worked as a prosecutor for a number of years. Disillusioned with the failings of the legal system I went back to my first love—teaching and being a mother. The legal system is flawed because it is made of fallible people. It is also a reflection of the those classes of people that control our society. The downtrodden are not, despite the attempts at safeguards, truly represented in the structure of our legal system. Furthermore, I have found that a large number of lawyers are not simply infallible but are incompetent. In many states these incompetent lawyers are the ones who are appointed to represent the indigent criminal defendants in capital cases. These defendants stand little chance in a system that is weighed heavily toward the controlling elements of society, represented at best by marginal attorneys, accused of horrific crimes that disgust and rightly prejudice anyone of decent sensibilities, and stuck with an appeals system that in most cases is bound by factual determinations of the trial court. Persons on death row have been found to be completely innocent. This was not discovered through the legal system. If it had been allowed to grind on undisturbed most of them would have eventually been executed. Rather it was discovered by the work of volunteer groups of lawyers and ordinary citizens who struggled to find the truth through such endeavors as the "Innocence Project". Scores and hundreds of people have been completely exonerated and freed. Governor Thompson of Illinois, not recognized as an icon of liberalism, commuted all of the death penalty cases in his state prior to leaving office. His primary reason was the appalling number of innocent people that had been previously discovered on death row in Illinois and other states. There is no worldly appeal from death. Our legal system because it is made of fallible people should not have the ability to pass final sentence on a life. The unfairness and fallibility of the application of the death penalty extends not only to the factual determination of guilt but to the imposition of sentence as well. The U.S. Supreme Court in an attempt to make the penalty fair has mandated a bifurcated trial in capital cases. In the second phase of the trial the jury considers mitigating and aggravating circumstances in determining death. Unlike a determination of factual guestions of guilt, these considerations are by nature subjective. It is quite certain that in identical situations equally competent juries from the same localities could reach different conclusions on sentencing. This would be tolerable if the sentence was not so ultimately final—as death is. No amount of tinkering with rules of procedure and fairness can erase or eliminate this subjective unfairness. Some of my friends tell me that The Bible commands "an eye for an eye ... etc". The Old Testament does say that. But as Christians know that is not the end of the story. In fact we still await the final end of the story. But, it does not seem possible to me that Jesus Christ, who died through execution by legal process, would ever have condoned the killing of people by the state. As Christians recognize Christ came to complete the revelation of The Lord. His message was one of forgiveness, life and love. As difficult as it is this must be extended even to those who are most evil in our society—many of those who reside on death row today. What would I do if one of these revolting individuals was to do something to one of my kids? I admit I would be tempted to take them out with one of my own guns or even rip their heart out through their throats. I hope that I would have the Christian decency to refrain. But this is a different situation then one where society has years to contemplate and weigh the matter of death or life ---which hinges on subjective determinations, technicalities and subtleties in our law. After such a prolonged deliberate process it seems to me barbaric to exact redemption and revenge in this cool and calculated manner. In recent years many states have opted to change the means of death. Now instead of the gallows, electric chair and gas chamber we have lethal injection. This was initially instituted by death penalty proponents to head off arguments that our means of death was constitutionally cruel. In many ways I find the sterile method of injection even more repugnant. Its antiseptic application is an attempt to sanitize what we are doing—the taking of a human life. It underlines the deliberateness and calculation with which the sentence is determined and carried out. It really does make me ill. It is time that our country stands up and stops the tinkering with and utilization of the machinery of death. The State should not be in the business of homicide. Becky 4:14 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Friday, March 17, 2006 Oh the luck. Current mood: crappy Category: Life Well I get home last night and there is broken glass out front. No nights on and when we get to Jakes room, Jake is our singer, guitarist, drummer, etc., the doors are all open a window busted and there was a fire. His two guitars, amplifier, and suitcase were taken. But the owner of the place started saying that Jake purposely started the fire. This other jive turkey named rudy got in my face and I just told him where he could put it. He was trying to accuse Jake of setting the fire himself. We were gone the whole night at our bass players house. Well there may be a lawsuit. Oh how lucky we are. 1:02 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Saturday, March 11, 2006 10 reasons to date a guitar player. Current mood: creative 10 Reasons To Date A Guitar Player 1. We keep going even though it hurts 2. We can perform in various positions 3. We are very familiar with the G string 4. We do it right or we don't do it at all 5. We have strong and flexible fingers 6. We can tap to the beat 7. We know how to use both hands and our mouth at the same time 8. We know how to make you scream for more 9. We are so skilled we don't have to watch what we're doing 10. We're open to performing for groups 8:50 PM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Thursday, March 09, 2006 Dark Night of the Soul Current mood: accomplished Anyone who knows the things that I have been through in the past several years knows that I have been through what you can call a dark night of the soul. I do not regret the experience, for I will become stronger and have learned ALOT. Although things have happened that hurt me ALOT. Things are finally looking up although I am far from attaining that happiness and with time being my enemy, things can always change. But I am generally an optimist and I believe that with a good effort, hard work, and keeping my code of honor, the code of chivalry and all that is good, I will be happy within a short period of time considering the fact that I am immortal. I am dammit! Anyway, things have been happening to me recently and certain poeple, or person, has been talking to me again. It has caused me to think alot about my spirituality again. The whole mess made me think about it all over again. I remain Agnostic, an Objectivist, libertatian, hopeful deist, and I don't see why, anyone that had looked for the answers to life like me could not be. But I respect other peoples opinions and whatever makes them happy. I do think that religions are made up by man and that a person has to seek god on their own. I think It is all the same thing. The thing that we pray to and all that. He is just omnipotent and we cannot put a label on Him or whatever it is or even come to know what It is like. We are separated. You know what I mean. But I do believe in that magic. For things have happened to me, especially between me and that other person, that could be coincidental, but I prayed and things have happened. Are they merely coincidence? I do not know and if so then oh well but I think that it is arrogent to think that this is all coincidence. I think that there is something though watching after all of us. But we will never know what it is until we die. But I do have faith. I pray all the time. And things happen. You know what I mean. But this person I have spoken to has changed me forever. Caused me to rethink a great deal about things. Although they have hurt me alot I still love this person and have grown alot because of our relationship. I hope that I have had some affect on them also. Well I know I have but just how much. You cannot change people or try to make tham another you but all you can do is help them to try and solve their problems and hope for the best. Whatever the outcome. It has been kind of lonely for me. I have yet to find anyone with a mind like me. I guess I would just like there to be another person alot like me somewhere to talk to and we can agree with everthing we say and nod our heads. It has taken me a long time to become who I am. Read alot of books on many sujects and stories. This has been my main source of knowledge besides driving a taxi and personal experience. But I am grateful for who I am and who I have become. I am morally and ethically balanced with a great philosophy and outlook on life. I AM a great addition to mankind. And I don't need anyone to tell me that I am smart, wise, intelligent. I just know that I have made alot of effort perfecting who I am to become, cared enough about the world as a whole to start this journey of truth justice and well...the objective way. I am better than most peaople cause most people don't care as much as me or put in the effort to become a better person. I have always been one to search for the answers to life. For years I felt alone. Wondering if there was anyone out there that felt the same way that I do. This search led me to Objectivism and the libertarian way of life. And now I know that I am not alone. America is fucked up like that. Consume consume. Watch TV. Nascar (Small minds and fast cars.), eat crap, sit on your ass, complain that the government should do somthing about it all. If people would just get up and give a fuck and try to become better as individuals then maybe we can work on our unity. Why are people so hard-headed and uncaring? Sometimes I think that I was not meant to be in a worls like this. I hate to say it but most people are fucked up. I thought for years that there wasn't anybody out there who felt like me. Common sense and common decency. A is A not B. Objectivism opened the door for me. I now I know that I am not alone. But we few of the elite are far and few between and we hold no real power except that in out hearts and spirits. And hopefully when I die I will be rewarded handsomely. I hope you all know what I am trying to say. Anyway I knew this girl who was a stripper and into Wicca. Thank God she quit stripping. But you can see previous blogs about my objective views on stripping. And Wicca. I did not write then but you get the idea. I feel so bad about her degrading herself like that. Not that I never went to a strip club but when it is someone you love and care for it is different. As for her Wiccan beliefs well.... I just hope that she grows out of it. I don't think that people can control by rituals, spells, or burning candles etc. any more than I control things pissing in a toilet. It's like believing in Greek mythology. Or Christianity for that matter. It's just that Christianity has been around for so long and you have a hard time fining historical evidence for it. But why am I not a Christian? Because God is not such an asshole that he would comdemn people to Hell simply because they do not believe in Jesus Christ. Even if he is the God that is explained in the Bible. And given the circumstances and the world that we live in why would he? You must belive or make yourself belive or you go to Hell. I tried. I tried to make myself believe. But it is like this. Hey man I don't believe in ghosts, UFO's, etc. I am not a mystic. But I know God. I pray all the time. We have gone around and around for a long time now. He knows me and knows that I am a good person. And I know that I will be rewarded when I die. I believe in the magic. I can just feel it. I have prayed and things have happened. Is it all just a coincidence. Maybe be so. But if it is I know that he is there looking out for me and stuff. Things have happened between me and this certain person that I cannot just dismiss it. And I don't need anyone to tell me that I am a smart, wise, intelligent person. I have a great philosophy and outlook on life. I have always tried to live my life the best possible way. I have worked hard on this for many years. Read many books. My main source of information besides driving a taxi and personal experience. (Good name for a book: Personal Experience.) I have worked hard to become who I am today. To perfect who I am to become. I have put alot into it and I know that I am better than most people because I care enough to put in the effort to become a better person. An ideal man. A great addition to mankind. I know God, It, Whatever likes that. But to put a label on it and make up a religion. You are just being controlled and putting your resources where they are not helping a damn thing but the elite right wing or some other scheme. Socialism. We need to work on our individuality and then we can work on out unity. You want to care. Get a fucking decent job. Read and learn things. Try to become a better person. Help fight diseases. Help a lady across the street. Fight for liberty. Fight for the poor children who have been neglected and abused. Wirte a peom or a song. Learn right from wrong. Work on your bad attitude. Learn about morality and be moral. Create something aesthetic and helpful. Try to help make the world a better, more beautiful, and better functioning place. Etc. But be objective. 1 is 1. Not 2. I could say alot more and none of this is really worded right but I am not writing a book. Yet. I am gonna go try some spells now. Let ya know how it turns out. 3:09 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Monday, November 06, 2006 Blogity blogdigidy Current mood: calm Category: Life Just a quick blog here. People wondering if I fell off the face of the Earth and shit. I am still in Peoria. Will be back sooner or later. Everything is fine. I am doing the usual. Guitar, books, music. Hanging out with Amy watchin' movies alot. Just the usual stuff I do regularly. So don't worry all. I be fine. I know how much ya'll worry about me. I am sorry that I did not get ride the Zipper at the Fall Fest with Quentin this year. Last year we went around in a circle like some 16 consecutive times. It was a trip. Then we got off and I puked all the beer up that I drank right before getting on. But I moss ya'll and i look forward to seein' ya'll again, hanging out in the E-Town, and down at Hammerheads. So see ya soon. -C- 4:12 PM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, August 15, 2006 Libertarianism Current mood: horny The key concepts of libertarianism have developed over many centuries. The first inklings of them can be found in ancient China, Greece, and Israel; they began to be developed into something resembling modern libertarian philosophy in the work of such seventeenth- and eighteenth-century thinkers as John Locke, David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Jefferson, and Thomas Paine. (1) Individualism. Libertarians see the individual as the basic unit of social analysis. Only individuals make choices and are responsible for their actions. Libertarian thought emphasizes the dignity of each individual, which entails both rights and responsibility. The progressive extension of dignity to more people -- to women, to people of different religions and different races -- is one of the great libertarian triumphs of the Western world. (2) Individual Rights. Because individuals are moral agents, they have a right to be secure in their life, liberty, and property. These rights are not granted by government or by society; they are inherent in the nature of human beings. It is intuitively right that individuals enjoy the security of such rights; the burden of explanation should lie with those who would take rights away. (3) Spontaneous Order and the Civil Society. A great degree of order in society is necessary for individuals to survive and flourish. It's easy to assume that order must be imposed by a central authority, the way we impose order on a stamp collection or a football team. The great insight of libertarian social analysis is that order in society arises spontaneously, out of the actions of thousands or millions of individuals who coordinate their actions with those of others in order to achieve their purposes. Over human history, we have gradually opted for more freedom and yet managed to develop a complex society with intricate organization. The most important institutions in human society -- language, law, money, and markets -- all developed spontaneously, without central direction. Civil society -- the complex network of associations and connections among people -- is another example of spontaneous order; the associations within civil society are formed for a purpose, but civil society itself is not an organization and does not have a purpose of its own. (4) The Rule of Law. Libertarianism is not anarchy or hedonism. It is not a claim that "people can do anything they want to, and nobody else can say anything." Rather, libertarianism proposes a society of liberty under law, in which individuals are free to pursue their own lives so long as they respect the equal rights of others. The rule of law means that individuals are governed by generally applicable and spontaneously developed legal rules, not by arbitrary commands; and that those rules should protect the freedom of individuals to pursue happiness in their own ways, not aim at any particular result or outcome. (5)Limited Government. To protect rights, individuals form governments. But government is a dangerous institution. Libertarians have a great antipathy to concentrated power, for as Lord Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Thus they want to divide and limit power, and that means especially to limit government, generally through a written constitution enumerating and limiting the powers that the people delegate to government. Limited government is the basic political implication of libertarianism, and libertarians point to the historical fact that it was the dispersion of power in Europe -- more than other parts of the world -- that led to individual liberty and sustained economic growth. (6) Free Markets. To survive and to flourish, individuals need to engage in economic activity. The right to property entails the right to exchange property by mutual agreement. Free markets are the economic system of free individuals, and they are necessary to create wealth. Libertarians believe that people will be both freer and more prosperous if government intervention in people's economic choices is minimized. (7)The Virtue of Production. Much of the impetus for libertarianism in the seventeenth century was a reaction against monarchs and aristocrats who lived off the productive labor of other people. Libertarians defended the right of people to keep the fruits of their labor. This effort developed into a respect for the dignity of work and production and especially for the growing middle class, who were looked down upon by aristocrats. Libertarians developed a pre-Marxist class analysis that divided society into two basic classes: those who produced wealth and those who took it by force from others. Thomas Paine, for instance, wrote, "There are two distinct classes of men in the nation, those who pay taxes, and those who receive and live upon the taxes." Similarly, Jefferson wrote in 1824, "We have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." Modern libertarians defend the right of productive people to keep what they earn, against a new class of politicians and bureaucrats who would seize their earnings to transfer them to nonproducers. (8) Natural Harmony of Interests. Libertarians believe that there is a natural harmony of interests among peaceful, productive people in a just society. One person's individual plans -- which may involve getting a job, starting a business, buying a house, and so on -- may conflict with the plans of others, so the market makes many of us change our plans. But we all prosper from the operation of the free market, and there are no necessary conflicts between farmers and merchants, manufacturers and importers. Only when government begins to hand out rewards on the basis of political pressure do we find ourselves involved in group conflict, pushed to organize and contend with other groups for a piece of political power. (9) Peace. Libertarians have always battled the age-old scourge of war. They understood that war brought death and destruction on a grand scale, disrupted family and economic life, and put more power in the hands of the ruling class -- which might explain why the rulers hve not always shared the popular sentiment for peace. Free men and women, of course, have often had to defend their own societies against foreign threats; but throughout history, war has usually been the common enemy of peaceful, productive people on all sides of the conflict. It may be appropriate to acknowledge at this point that it may be your suspicion that libertarianism seems to be just the standard framework of modern thought -- individualism, private property, capitalism, equality under the law. Indeed, after centuries of intellectual, political, and sometimes violent struggle, these core libertarian principles have become the basic structure of modern political thought and of modern government, at least in the West and increasingly in other parts of the world. However, three additional points need to be made: First, libertarianism is not just these broad principles. Libertarianism means action and actually applies these principles fully and consistently, far more so than most modern thinkers and certainly more so than any modern government. Second, while our society remains generally based on equal rights and capitalism, every day new exceptions to those principles are carved out in Washington and in Albany, Sacramento, and Boston (not to mention London, Bonn, Tokyo, and elsewhere). Each new government directive takes a little bit of our freedom, and we should think carefully before giving up any liberty. Third, society is resilient; it can withstand many burdens and continue to flourish; but it is not infinitely resilient. Those who claim to believe in libertarian principles but advocate more and more confiscation of the wealth created by productive people, more and more restrictions on voluntary interaction, more and more exceptions to property rights and the rule of law, more and more transfer of power from society to state, are unwittingly engaged in the ultimately deadly undermining of civilization. Here are some really cool sites to visit: Dennis Leary vidoe: Asshole http://www.youtube.com/watch.php?v=6WiV2fyvRbs Funny Asshole video (Not vulgar.) :http://filmstripinternational.com Colorgenics: http://www.paulgoldinresearch.com/cg/index.htm Deep Thoughs by Jack Handey: http://farstrider.net/DeepThoughts/Handey.htm Ripley's: http://www.ripleys.com/ Web Junk: http://www.vh1.com/shows/dyn/webjunk_20/series.jhtml Flaming text: http://www3.flamingtext.com/net-fu/jobs/200512886.html Chuck Norris Facts: http://www.chucknorrisfacts.com/index.html Read this book: http://www.atlasshrugged.tv/ Objectivism: http://www.objectivism.net/ Ayn Rand: http://www.ayn-rand.com/ http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer Libertarianism: http://www.libertarianism.com/ Libertarianism-A Primer: http://www.libertarianism.org/ Try this game. It gets more fun after a while: http://www.winterrowd.com/maze.swf Boys Beware: http://youtube.com/watch?v=A5VNe9NTOxA&search=homosexual Exploding cigar: http://www.explodingcigar.com/ Offbeat news: http://www.cnn.com/offbeat/ MSN Spaces: http://spaces.msn.com/cliffcoultas/ Independent Puppies and Kittens: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/independent2.htm The Laughing Psycho Kitty: http://www.superlaughecards.com/1/catnip.htm The Ebonics Translator: http://www.joel.net/EBONICS/translator.asp Jive turkey: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=jive turkey&b=1 Daily Rotten: http://www.dailyrotten.com/ Homestarrunner: http://homestarrunner.com/ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/coultas777 Department of Humor Analysis: http://tbshumorstudy.com/main.html Guzer: http://www.guzer.com/ Junior Brown: http://www.juniorbrown.com/ Brian Setzer: http://www.briansetzer.com/ Steve Vai: http://vai.com/ 3:15 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Monday, August 14, 2006 You might live in Indiana if.../Okay.I can't help taking these quizzes! Current mood: quixotic Category: Life If someone in a store offers you assistance & they don't work there, you might live in Indiana. If your dad's suntan stops at a line curving around the middle of his forehead, you might live in Indiana. If your town has an equal number of bars and churches, you might live in Indiana. If you have had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you might live in Indiana. YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TRUE HOOSIER WHEN: 1. Vacation means going north or south on I-65 for the weekend. 2. You measure distance in hours. 3. You know several people who have hit a deer more than once. 4. You often switch from heat to AC in the same day and back again. 5. You can drive 65 mph through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard, without flinching. 6. You see people wearing camouflage at social events including weddings. 7. You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. 8. You carry jumper cables in your car and your girlfriend knows how to use them. Unless her name is Kaitlin. 9. You design your kids Halloween costume to fit over a snow suit. 10. Driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow. 11. You know all 5 seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, road construction, & It's Hot. 12. Your idea of creative landscaping is a statue of a deer next to your blue spruce. 13. Down south means Kentucky to you. 14. A brat is something you eat. 15. Your neighbor throws a party to celebrate his new pole shed. 16. You go out to a tailgate party every Friday. 17. You have more miles on your snow blower than your car 18. You find 0 degrees a "little chilly." 19. You actually understand these jokes, and you forward them to all your Indiana friends. 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To make a long story short I went and bought a new guitar. So that night I restrung it and stuff and played until the wee hours of the night while me and a few friends downed a few beers. Well more than a few. The next morning I was not feeling too good. I realized that I spent a little too much money on beer and felt a little depressed. So I figured that I would feel alittle better if I ate something. I went to big top and I was really in the mood for a grilled cheese, chilli, and a Diet Coke. As I was finishing up my meal, in walked this lady and her kid with Coke bottle bottom glasses. He looked like a character. I was just reading the newspaper and the kid asked me if I played guitar and stuff. He, his mom, and I chated about my music and stuff for a few minutes and as I was saying goodbye the kid patted me on the shoulder as if he were saying everything will be okay. That little happening brighted up my morning and made me feel alot better. Then I came across a few guys at Fulton Park, one of which I knew a litte bit. He asked me what was up and offered me a beer. I gladly obliged and he started questioning about the guitar and stuff. So I showed them that I am a badass on guitar and one of the guys asked me if I cold roll. I had not smoked pot for a long time but I figured what the Hell. I didn't see it as a big crime and it seemed like a perfect time. So as we shared a doobie one of the three guys (I forgot his name and the other one with the pot I will not mention.) said that the guys with the pot could play guitar also. He also said that he wrote some songs that were really good and really funny. They tried to get him to play but he said something like "Naw naw naw. I ain't that good. Bla bla bla." So I told him "C'mon. I learn alot from guys who know even just a few chords." You see I am more of a technical player. But after we finishes the joint he said "Lemme see that guitar." He played some of the funniest songs I've ever heard. He played one song about Stepping Stone (A rehab center in Evansville.) and one about a bridge bum and how he always finds himself under the bridge drinking (I know all about that.) and a few other songs. I was rolling! My god this guy was funny. When I go back to Evansville I am going to look these guys up. I want to record this guy or get the lyrics and do the songs myself. I mean he was that good. He said he never recorded them or anything and I don't know why. And then this sweet kid hands us out these Pixie Stix. Nice gesture. This kinda made it hard for me to leave Evansville and come to Peoria. Not really but it did have a tug on me. That place was a hangout for a few of the guys and the guitar playing guy with the weed said he had to go and meet up with his girl. He rode one of those old people scooters and had anhuge umbrella duct taped to the back of it and had a git 'r done license plate on te front. The reast of us just tooks naps. We were stoned. It was a nice cool day and all so I laid my backback down as a pillow and took a nap. Then my friend Donald called and asked me to go to the Drive-In in REO. I wrote "Who is John Galt?"and "Donald Mayes is a jive ass turkey." on the picnic table. And then here came the guitar playing guy with the weed with his "ol' lady". She had a similar scooter that I guess he afro engineered for her. It was cute. So we talk for few more while waiting on Donald to pick me up. I told him that I hope to see him again so we cold play guitar and stuff again. And that night Donald, Amy, and I had a pleasant night at the drive in. Went to see Talladega nights. That night I got pretty schlozzered. Had a good night out though. Wanted my last night in Evansville for a while to be a good one. The next day I went to Peoria, IL to come and see Amy Demoss. We first met in high school, had been talking for a few months on the phone and exchanging messages. Left just like that. We got to know each other pretty well decided that we should meet again. We really didn't know each other cause she was shy and I was too in high school. But we seemed to get pretty close. So now I am here in Peoria sitting here with her being a whiny butt cause she wants to see the computer. So the rest is up to your imagination. I gotta go now though. She wants the laptop. 12:57 PM - 3 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, August 08, 2006 Chivalry/Peoria, IL Current mood: horny Yes, I really believe all that chivalry stuff. In our time, you cannot seriously ask other people to think that you believe in honor and truth, and the purity if the body, the defense of women, the sanctity of true love, and all the rest of it. But I really believe it. By the way, I am in Peoria, IL. I may be here a while. I will blog soon about my last few days in Evansville and a few other things. My last week in Evansville was great. I met this guy who played my guitar, some kind kids, and had a good time partying with my friends and musicians and stuff. But I like it here and all is well with Cliffy. Due to the constraints of time I must cut it short. Tell ya all about it later. -C- 4:44 AM - 2 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, August 01, 2006 The Primitive Sergeant Current mood: horny Category: Writing and Poetry There was a first time for everything. At some point, every custom, every practice, every ritual had to be explained to people for the first time. It must have been tricky, especially in primitive societies. For instance, the first human sacrifice. Not of the enemy, but of the first ritual killing of a member of your own tribe. Someone had to announce it to the people. Someone with authority, but probably not the top guy. A sergeant, addressing a band of early cave people-hunters, gatherers, whatever-explaining the human sacrifice. Of course, first he would have to get his other announcements out of the way. "OK, listen up! You people in the trees, you wanna pay attention? The guys in the bushes, would ya put the woman down? All right. Now, is everybody here? Andy, check the caves. Make sure everybody's out here. And Andy,... don't wake up the bears! OK? Remember what happened last time. We can't spare any more people. "OK, a few things I wanna go over, them I'm gonna tell ya about somethin' new. Somethin' we haven't tried before, so I don't want ya to be nervous. I know ya don't like new things. I remember last year a lotta people freaked out when someone came up with the wheel. People went nuts! They said, Well, this is it, it's all over, it's the end of the world, bla, bla, bla. Then somebody pointed out that we didn't have any axles. I think it was Richie. He said if we really want to invent something special, we outta come up with the axle. I guess you're always gonna have a coupla wise guys. " But anyway, we went ahead and made a coupla hundred of these big stone wheels, which is kinda stupid when you think about it. The only thing you can do with 'em is roll 'em down the hill. Which isn't such a top notch idea. I think the people who live at the bottom of the hill will bear me out on that. "OK, movin' along here. It has come to my attention that some people have been drawin' pictures on the walls of the caves. Pictures of bulls, antelopes, a coupla horses. I think I even seen a goat on one wall. Listen, lemme tell you somethin'. It might seem like fun to you, but it looks awful. If ya can't keep the place clean, maybe ya don't deserve a nice cave. Ya don't see the bats drawin' pictures on the walls, do ya? No. They hang upside down, they take a crap, they don't bother anybody. "You people don't know when you're well off. Maybe ya'd like to go back to livin' in the trees, huh? Remember the trees? Competin' with the baboons and gibbons for hazelnuts and loganberries? Degrading! So there'll be no more drawin' on the walls. Coupla thousand years from now, people are gonna study these caves. The last thing they wanna see is a lotta horse pictures on the walls. "OK, continuin' on. As some of you mighta noticed, last night the fire went out. Coupla the guys on guard duty were jackin' around, playin' grabass, and one of 'em, Octavio, the short guy with the bushy hair. Well, one of the guys with the bushy hair. Anyways, Octavio fell on the fire, and the fire went out. Unfortunately for Octavio, he died in the incident. Unfortunately for us, he was the only one who knew how to light the fire. So we're gonna have a contest. The first guy to get a fire goin', and keep it goin', wins a prize. It's a hat. Nothin' fancy. Just a regular hat. The kind with earlaps. "OK, next item. We're startin' to get some complaints from the women about dating procedures. This mainly concerns the practice of clubbin' the women on the head and draggin' 'em back to the cave by the hair. They would like to discontinue this practice, especially the hair part. It seems some of them go to alot of trouble and expense to fix up their hair for a date, and they feel the draggin' had a negative effect on their appearance. As far as the clubbin' is concerned, they'd like to eliminate that too, because what happens is a lot of 'em have an enjoyable date, and they can't remember in the mornin'. Movin' right along. As you all know, it's been our practice when we find a new plant that looks good to eat, we test it on the dogs to see if it's poison. Does everyone remember the berries we tested on the big brown dog? How many ate the berries simply because the dog didn't die that day? Quite a few. Well, I got bad news. The dog died last night. Apparently it was slow-actin' poison. Yes Laszlo? You didn't eat the berries? But this mornin' you ate the dog. Well, Laszlo, ya got about a week. Food chain! How many times do I gotta tell you people? Food chain! By the way, anyone who's gettin' into that new cannibalism crap-I won't mention any names-I'd strongly suggest not eatin' Laszlo-or anyone else for that matter. "All right, now we gotta talk about the Hated Band of Enemy people Who Live in the Dark Valley. As some of ya might know, they snuck into camp last night and stole a bunch of our stuff. They got those sticks we were savin'. They got the rocks we piled up near the big tree. And they also took sixteen trinkets; the ones we got in a trade with the Friendly Bent-over People from the Tall Mountain Near the Sun. I think it was them. It was either them or the Guys with the Really Big Foreheads Down by the River. Anyways, as I recall, we came off a cool two hundred animal skins for those trinkets, and frankly the Chief and I think we got screwed. By the way, speakin' of screwin', they also stole several of our women last night. Along with a couple of those sensitive men we've been usin' as women. "OK, a new problem has come up that we're gonna have to deal with. It concerns the growin' menace of the people chewin' the leaves of the dream plant. It's gotten completely outta hand. At first it wasn't so bad. After a long day of huntin', or gatherin'-whatever-people would chew a couple leaves to relax. Recreational chewin'. No harm, no foul. But then some guys couldn't leave it alone. They would chew way too much and lose control. Some of them became verbally abusive. Of course, they couldn't help what they were sayin'. It wasn't them talkin'. it was the leaves. But, hey, nevertheless. "Then we found out some people were chewin' on the job. Not only endangerin' the lives of their co-hunters or co gatherers-whatever-but also lowerin' the amount of food we acquire, while somehow, at the same time, greatly increasin' the rate of consumption of their own food. One of the gatherers, a short guy with bushy hair, I think it was Norris, got whacked outta his skull on leaves last week, and he came home from gatherin', with a grand total...get this...a grand total of six berries and one nut. And this guy had been out in the bushes eight days! "But now we're runnin' into an even more serious problem. It seems that some of the people are chewin' the leaves and then runnin' around in circles at high speed. As a result we're startin' to get a huge increase in the number of accidents. People are crashin' into each other. Please! Try to remember. Chewin' and runnin' around in circles at high speeds don't mix. If you're gonna chew run around in circles, don't chew; and if you're gonna chew, for God's sake, don't be runnin' around in circles. Designate someone. "So try to be aware of the signs of leaf abuse. If you're chewin' in the mornin', you got a problem. If you're chewin' alone you got a problem. It's no disgrace. Get some help. Say no to leaves. "OK, now, like I said earlier, we got a new thing we're gonna be doin', and I wanna announce it today. It's gonna be a custom. Remember customs? Who can name a custom? Nat? Goin' to sleep at night? Well, that's close, Nat. That's almost like a custom. Who else can name a custom? Killing the animals before we eat them? OK, Jules, that's more like a necessity, isn't it? More like a necessity. Lookin' for a custom. Another custom. Dwayne? Washin' the rocks and dryin' them off before you throw them at the enemy durin' a rock fight? Well, I guess that wouuld explain the disproportionately high number of rock injuries in your squad, wouldn't it? Anyway, this new custom is quite different, and it might come as somethin' of a surprise to ya, so make sure you're sittin' down. Or at least leanin' on somethin' firm. You people standin' over near the cliff, you might wanna drift over this way a little. "Now. I want ya to remember that no matter what I say, this is gonna please the Corn God. OK? [Slowly, as if to children] The new custom...is gonna help... with the corn. Remember a coupla years ago we had no corn, and we hadda eat the trees? And a lotta people died? How many wanna go back to eatin' the trees? OK, I rest my case. Yeah? Dwayne? You thought the trees were pretty good? Ya never disappoint me, me Dwayne, ya know that? Folks, ya don't have to look very far for a tragic example of abusin' the dream plant, do ya? "All right, here's the new thing we're gonna do, it's called a human sacrifice. Each week, too appease the Corn God, we're gonna kill one member of the tribe. All right, calm down! C'mon, sit down! Hey! Hold on! Hear me out on this, would ya? Just relax and hear me out on this. We're gonna start havin' a human sacrifice every week, probably on Saturday night. That's when everybody seems to loosen up pretty good. So startin' next Saturday night, about the same time we run out outta berry juice, we're gonna pick one person, probably a young virgin, and we'll throw her in the volcano. All right, girls! Please! Siddown! Please! Stop with the rocks!! Calm down, ladies. We're not gonna do it today. I promise. Relax. "OK, so we throw the virgin in the volcano. By the way how many remember the volcano? Remember the fire? Remember the lave? What word comes to mind when we think about the volcano? Hot! Right. The volcano is hot. What's that, Dwayne? No. No way. If this idea's gonna work at all, it's gotta be done while the volcano is actually erupting. I don't think the Corn God is gonna be impressed if we throw some chick in a dormant volcano. It's meaningless. I think he's lookin' for somethin' with a little more screamin' involved. "OK, so we throw the virgin in the volcano. What's that? How does this help with the corn? Good question. Look, Morley, I just make the announcements, OK? I'm not involved with policy. It came down from the high priests, that's all you need to know. This is one of those things you just gotta accept on faith. It's like that custom we started last year of cuttin' off a guys head to keep him from stealin'. At first it seemed severe, am I right? But ya gotta admit, it seems to work. "OK, one last point: You say, Why does it have to be a young virgin; why can't we throw a wrinkled old man in the volcano? Lemme put it this way. Did y'ever get a real good, close look at the high priests? OK. Once again, I rest my case. "Now, the only problem we anticipate with this new custom is the distinct possibility of runnin' out of virgins. Ya gotta figure best case scenario we're not gonna see any corn till late next year, so it looks like we're gonna be waxin' virgins at quite a clip. And hey!...girls, don't take this the wrong way...but we don't have many virgins to begin with, do we? Ha-ha-ha-ha!! No offense, girls! Really! No, hey, you're very lovely. "Well, that's it folks. Thanks for listenin' Good night. Walk home slowly. And walk safely. In case you didn't notice, the sun went down, and it's completely fuckin' dark." 7:07 PM - 1 Comments - 2 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Brillo Current mood: horny My girlfriend says her friend's boyfriend trims his pubes, and now she wants me to do it. I'm not a macho dude, but this doesn't seem like the kind od thing a man does. Am I being unreasonable? -Kevin, 22 Carson City, NV Yes. You'd better trim that stuff. This isn't the Dark Ages. Women don't want a cave man-they don't want to fight eight inches of Brillo down there. A man should trim and be extra clean down there. They make antibacterial soap for a reason. I hate it when a guy gets in the shower and is outta there in three minutes. What can you do in three minutes? No girl wants to suck a smelly penis. -The First Lady of Sex 5:51 PM - 1 Comments - 1 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Tuesday, July 25, 2006 A.K.S. Current mood: confused Category: Writing and Poetry The Clod and the Pebble William Blake c. 1794 "Love seeketh not itself to please, Nor for itself hath any care, But for another gives it ease, And builds a heaven in hell's despair." So sang a little clod of clay, Trodden with the cattle's feet, But a pebble of the brook Warbled out these metres meet: "Love seeketh only Self to please, To bind another to its delight, Joys in another's loss of ease, And builds a hell in heaven's despite." Kaitlin Kaitlin Kaitlin 4:53 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove Monday, July 24, 2006 Frere Jacques Current mood: okay I made this song up one time. It is for all you tweekers out there. By no means does this mean I am on drugs. I used to be. But I have taken a break from them indefinitely. This song came to me when I used to do methamphetamines. I used to have alot of fun on them with my girlfriend. Meth makes people hypersexual. And boy do you get freaky! But some folks tend to get paraniod and stuff. One last thought about drugs. Just because yoy use them does not mean you are a loser. As a libertarian I feel you can go do you heroin good luck with it. Just leave you grubby hands off my wallet. But there are many functional users out there and some you would never even know it. I think that as long as you don't hurt anyone but yourself, don't involve children, and don't make a wreck of you life and your health then you are okay with me. Here it is. Frere Jacques-Version by Clifford G. Coultas-All rights reseverd Are you tweeking? Are you tweeking? Brother John. Brother John. Don't look out the window. Did you hear a car door? What was that? What was that? 3:27 PM - 1 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove

Friday, July 07, 2006 Becky's stuff. I just wanted to share some of my friend's stuff with you. I think she is really great. Not just because she is a fellow libertarian but she spends alot of time writing and stuff and I think she is... well.. fantastic. Ain't no hoe Oprah aint no hoe. And I guess it comes as no surprise that the Queen of the Soccer Moms has been hating on hip hop. This may come as quite a shock to some of youbut come onOprah is one of the whitest people on the face of the planet. Yuppie Goo seeps through her pores. I can tell you right now what she has on her iPodand it mainly consists of soft rock and Michael Bolton. Now some of the brothers have been beating up on Oprah for not having any rappers on her show. Ill get to the snivels of those millionaires a little later But back to Oprahshe claims to have nothing against hip hop. Well she is an African-Americanshe had a back alley abortionshe claims to have toked up a bit in the pastwhich may partly be an explanation of her ballooning --but she is from the Southnot the hoodeven though her show comes out of Gangsta Chicago. Hip hop and rap are not in Oprahs comfy zoneAfrica is cool enough for herbut American black culture is something she filters through her self-righteous snotty viewpoint. She claims to like Hip Hopeven says that Mary J. Blige is a friend. And way, way back McHammer appeared on the show and did his gig for a whole hour. Recently Ludacris was invited as part of a group to talk about Crash. But Oprah had to get all politically correct on him because he likes to rap about hoes. And then she had to edit out a lot of the comments he made in response. Oprah is part of an old traditionand Im not black so I best not go tossing around terms like unclebut let me just explain what I mean Most of you know about Muhammad Alithe greatest boxer of all timemost everyone likes him nowbut not in the dayhe gave uppity a whole new meaning. The problem was he was not a credit to his race. The great white hope was this black guyFloyd Pattersonhe wasnt any Muslim draft dodgerin fact the guy was a Catholic and I think a Republican. But he wasnt much of a hopeAli caved in his face on a pretty regular basis. But he was respectablejust like those dapper waiters in the Pullman cars. And we were talking about musicso how about jazz--the white folk started liking that Dixieland versionand Louis Armstronghe knew betterbut he needed a buckand whos to blame him--so he would toke up and go out there and give the folks some sanitized New Orleans riffs. Of course-- how can we forget Elvishe was the record producers dreama white boy that could rock---but Ed Sullivan still wasnt quite ready to let America see his hips. The rappers started bitchin at Oprahthough they offend every politically correct bone in her body she was able to muster up a controlled response: I respect other peoples rights to do whatever they want to do in music and artI dont want to be marginalized by music or any form of artI feel rap is a form of expression--as is jazzI am not opposed to rap. I am opposed to being marginalized as a woman. If she needs any decoding---Oprah doesnt like woman being called bitches and hoes. Since I am a woman I can comment on thiswho gives a rat's ass? But I guess Im just a misguided hoe who happens to like hip hop and with my repressed brain think it is a valid form of expression emanating from the American hood. And guess whatI am real familiar with what the term marginalized meansbut I dont have a clue what Ms. Winfrey is talking aboutexcept that it sure sounds like a lot of PC bullshit. Now lets talk about some of the hip hop Oprah complaintssome of these well heeled gangstas seem genuinely offended she doesnt like them and doesnt want them on her show. It started with Ice Cube.he bitched and moaned Shes had damn rapists, child molesters and lying authors on her show---and if Im not a rags-to riches story for her who is? Wellboo-hoobut there was more.Luda, 50 Cent, Killer Mikethey all spoke out against her disdain for the culture. In a way its a bit oddsince for the most part hip hop has always loved Oprahrhymed about her and wished to conquer her. Its been no secret that it has been Jay-Zs lifetime dream to get on her showand now it seems a lot of the brothers feel the same way. But then they had to get all nasty about it commenting that only old black ladies watched Oprahand she had to run to the media and make her marginalized" pitch. But who would have ever thought back in the NWA days that Ice Cube would go running to mainstream Entertainment magazines bellyaching that he couldnt get a gig on Oprah. And for me that is the real problem. My god brosif Oprah wanted you on her showthen you would have something to worry aboutthe fact that you want to get on there should be worrisome enough. You all are beginning to sound like you need to take a spin on the Dr. Phil show. So you know whatthis hoe is pretty damn disappointed in the whole bunch of ya --bye bye-- Thursday July 6, 2006 - 08:58pm (EDT) Permanent Link | 6 Comments The Commish vs. The Sinners Teddy Roosevelt was a bully. I dont care if the guy has his mug carved into the side of a mountain in South Dakota--still a bully. He also made a lifetime commitment to being a mans man--now you know what they say about guys who try too hard along this line--they're mens men alright---though this may be interesting for a girl to ponder late at night after being dumped by the latest he-man--it is more important to recognize TR was a bully first and foremostand darn proud of it. Teddy bullied everyone--the Republic--the World--the Republican Party--the free market--civil libertarians--pretty much anyone who didnt agree with him. Sometimes he liked to browbeat other countries into becoming a part of imperial Americaand he never lost his covetous relationship with Canada. It was no coincidence his splinter party was known as the Bull Moose Party or that he ran around yelling bully all the time. Like most political bullies Roosevelt justified his behavior as being a champion of the people. I often wonder what this means. I am a people--and most of the time I feel left out when I hear them talk about me. When politicians talk of doing something on behalf of the people I do not wish their help, support or sympathy. And in most the cases the only people they care about is the one they see in a mirror. Usually these champions of the people have a moral agenda--and most often it is a narrow brand of Puritanism Teddy was no different that the rest of the lot. During his acceptance as the presidential nominee of the Bull Moose Party he proclaimed We stand at Armageddon and we battle for the Lord--the crowd broke into a rendition of Onward Christian Soldier--bully peuk. Mao was a Chinese bully on behalf of the people---was a puritan (at least as it applied to the people--bullies are often not consistent in their personal lives)he was also a bit of a he-man ---as when he swam the Yangtze. But Mao was such a bully he had to murder about twenty million of his countrymen--for the benefit of the people. TR was not quite this bad. But what he did do was create the modern Imperial Presidency--and it lives today. When he ran as the candidate of the Bull Moose Party he was really running to become Tyrant of America. He advocated massive growth and bullying by the federal government--proposing the welfare state---which thanks to his defeat would not come to fruitation until the election of his distant cousin three decades later. And so the demagoguery of this spoiled rich boy lives with us today. It is a good thing to look back to where these political bullies came from. Sometimes this can help identify up and coming champions of the people. If we catch them early enough we can swat them like a gnat. Left too long-- we find ourselves with a Bull Moose in the kitchen. Roosevelt had his first executive experience as the Police Commish of New York. He was appointed Commissioner in May of 1895. At that time the city was what moralists despairingly call wide open--there was drinking--whores--gambling--and the Chinese had some opium dens. Of course there were laws against much of this but the police were often too busy taking bribes to notice. The Commish was deeply offended--he did not express this on a personal level--his disgust was based upon this affront to the people. What is this all about? Most people dont participate in much of this--nor does it affect them--so what is the problem? Well a few of the self-righteous see some behavior they dont agree with and are compelled to get laws passed against it--some become psychotic about it and set off on quests to protect the morals of the people. You see--when you are a champion of the People you often have to impose on the people a set of morals--and this is for their own good. So Roosevelt set out to clean up Dodge--he called this a mans work. He started walking beats himself. Sometimes he would have reporters tag along--tyrants like to have their good deeds publicly proclaimed. One time he found some cops in a bar at 2:30 in the morning. The Commish demanded to know what they were doing there. They told him to fuck off--and he then proceeded to lecture them on the performance of their duty. He later remembered these jaunts: These midnight rambles are great fun--I get a glimpse of the real life of the swarming millions. This is a telling example of two things about champions of the people--often they dont know what a great many of the people are doing---and just as often-- no matter how many of the people are doing something-- if it does not fit into what they think the people should be doing then it must be prohibited. The Commish decided to crack down on Sunday drinking. This had been an old blue law which was not enforced--and this offended the sensibilities of the Police Commissioner. Manhattanites were forced to flee to Coney Island to drink a beer. German Americans--missing their beer gardens--held an anti-Roosevelt parade. Two mail bombs arrived at his office. Then his fellow Republicans decided to jump on the Commish bandwagon---the moral majority is nothing new. They passed a law to crack down on what little drinking remained--which was mostly at hotels. The new drinking law mandated that "the people" could only drink at hotels ---which in order to serve drinks--had to have ten rooms and serve a meal. Every bar--salon--whore house--dance hall-- in the City transformed itself into a hotel. Teddy groused Ten beers and a hard-boiled egg scarcely constitute a meal--but the judges sided with the sinners. But even more frustrating to TR was that whores--and OMG--unmarried couples--began renting those ten hastily constructed rooms--and by the hour! And then the Commish pretty much ran out of steam--TR spent most of his time giving out police awards for stopping run away carriages. He lasted only fifteen months as Commissioner--and then prevailed upon president-elect McKinley to give him a job. His legacy as Commish?--- He introduced a bicycle squad and pistol shooting practice. But as the grateful people of the Republic and the World would find out--he was not through. PS--and this is for my friend: STNRGRRL oooooooooooooooo ~Becky Thursday July 6, 2006 - 03:01am (EDT) Permanent Link | 11 Comments Catholic Girls Kick Ass OkI knowwe did something like this a few days agobut I thought probably you were all a little tired of my libertarian rantingif there is any antidote for too much liberty it is a good healthy dose of the Catholic Church. For those of you who are new around hereCatholic Girls Rule or variations thereofis a regular feature on the blogthe drivel you read comes from a mind molded by years of Catholic School indoctrination---and I am returning the favor as a second grade teacher at St. Josephs Elementary School. But I hope everyone had a good Fourth of JulyI didwe went into Boston and saw the Boston PopsSteve Tylerand god only knows why Dr. Phil was on the stage. We fought the crowd to the Half Shell along the Charles Riverand got a good seat though we got there quite late. If you want to get through a crowd two of the best people to bring along are my sister and Iwe alternately beguile them and kick assyeahCatholic GirlsJ Howeverif you are expecting a lot of original witticisms todayyou best fold up that idea and stuff it whereverI am a little burnt outand it isnt just from too much liberty. If you wanna know more about that take a look at Independence Day So pretty much what I have to offer today is a collection of tidbits illustrating why Catholic Girls not only rulethey kick ass... First off-- out of Freehold, Iowa we have an item: Baptist Boys Seduced by Lewd Attire and Shocking Behavior of Local Catholic Girls Local News Freehold, Iowa - "One of those Catholic girls bit my son in the ear!" shouted David Wright, during a meeting of Landover Deacons earlier this month. His son had a close encounter with one of Freehold, Iowa's notorious Catholic girls. Sassy young Mary worshipping ladies have been a longstanding problem in the Freehold community. Their vices, and their complete disregard for authority of any kind, has reached an almost intolerable level. They cut class so they can walk the streets during the day, and they fill up on liquor so they can "get loose" and lure Baptist boys into the alleys at night. Their intent is alarming to those of us who are not familiar with their flippancy toward anything Godly. Clearly they serve their own sinful nature, and parade about in scantily clad attire, with only the Devil's purpose in mind. That purpose is to lure the naturally attractive Baptist young person, into a world of reckless abandon. To draw the Godly towards the Satanic fire that burns in the furnace of every Catholic Church in the world. Underneath their burdensome skirts lies a lustful wound that is trained to ensnare within it's drenched cavity the very soul of our innocent youth. The Church of Mary, Queen of Heaven - unfortunately located in downtown Freehold Iowa, houses a corn-a-copia of seductive young nuns. These contemptible daughters of Satan make it their life's work to train innocent young women in the ways of Babylonian erotica. They turn chaste lasses into saucy vixens faster than it takes a Mexican to down 10 shots of tequila. When the hounds of Hell are finally let loose on the street, they sweat misbehavior at every turn. We believe that young Catholic girls are a spotted stain on America. They are impolite, shameful, lewd, and exhibit shocking behavior wherever they roam. These smart-aleck, snippy, irreverent teens need a good hard spanking. We don't intend to lose any more of our young boys to these sirens of Rome. Landover Baptist Church is proud to be taking a stand. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And following up on this here is a guy who is doing something about the scourge of Catholic Girls--this is "Mighty Believer v. the Catholic Girls": ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --a big thing in Catholic School is what Saint do you want to be. I took a test and the results are belowI hope some of you do the same and let me know what kind of souls read me: Which Catholic Saint Are You? You are Mary Magdalene, The Patron Saint of Prostitutes, Tanners. Mary Magdalene's sainthood was achieved in a political coup that demonstrated for the first time her formidable business prowess. In exchange for allowing the medieval church to taint her image with the false brand of a prostitute, she arranged for the church to finance her dream of being a writer for a major television show. Her show, a 7 season TGIF smash hit called Full House, earned both her and the church sizeable income, and thusly she was named saint of Prostiutes and Tanners (That's Danny, DeeJay, Stephanie, and Little Michelle!). Take this quiz! Quizilla | Join | Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code You can take the sainthood exam at http://quizilla.com/users/thevanisher/quizzes/Which%20Catholic%20Saint%20Are%... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --I dont need to tell you --us Catholic Girls are pretty neurotic about mortal sin. So I did some more soul searching on how evil I really amagainplease let me know what kind of sinners I attract: Your Deadly Sins Wrath: 60% Lust: 20% Pride: 20% Envy: 0% Gluttony: 0% Greed: 0% Sloth: 0% Chance You'll Go to Hell: 14% You will die, after conquering the world as an evil dictator. How Sinful Are You? --Some of you think I should rename this blog Adventures of Spanko Girland you think a big part of the problem is of coursethe Catholic ChurchwellI did another personal inventoryand I am not quite there yetbut please let me know how you come out---I try to tailor the content of the blog to the taste of my readers: Casual Spankophile You are 36 % a Spankophille Spanking definetly interests you but for you its more of a fun little thing you like to do on occasion rather then a serious interest. You would prefer to be with someone into spanking but its certainly not a requirement. My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 16% on variable 1 Link: The Spankophile Test written by Spankophille on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test --------------------------------------------------------------------- Butyou know something--- --see ya later-- ~Becky Wednesday July 5, 2006 - 02:39am (EDT) Permanent Link | 23 Comments Independence Day Happy Fourth of July! You will notice I don't have the Stars & Stripes flying today. On July 4, 1776 it had not yet been adopted by the Continental Congress. There were several revolutionary flags at the time of the first Independence Day. But my favorite is the "Don't Tread on Me." Ironically the original is now in the care of a museum in Bedford--in the Peoples Republic of Taxachusetts--just a few miles down the road from me. On July 4, 1776 the revolutionary manifesto we now call the Declaration of Independence was publicly read in Philadelphia. Essentially it told the limey bastards to fuck off. But that small band of Americans knew the most powerful empire on the planet would not take kindly to their kiss off. They were well aware if they did not win-- the document would be of little signifigance--except as their death warrant. The Declaration contained a number of gripes which the signers felt justified armed revolt against their government. But what was most remarkable about the document was they proclaimed all individuals had certain inherent natural rights--and these flowed not from the state--but were naturally bestowed by our Creator--and if ever a government treaded and trampled on those rights--then the people had the right to arm themselves--demolish that government--and institute a new governing body. This is not really the Birthday of America. The Republic would not be formed for another eleven years with the adoption of the Constitution. It was a divorce. I am not sure how to celebrate a divorce. In Of a Fire on the Moon Norman Mailer starts with a story of the celebration of his divorce--he dumped and buried the family car. On this Fourth of July the only thing I know of that will be dumped are some replica tea bales tossed into Boston Harbor from the Tea Ship tiered to a Boston wharf. The tea bales have ropes attached to them so the costumed patriots can retrieve them once the show is over. It seems to me of late what we have been doing is the dumping of a lot of our individual rights to the central government. In this type of thing there is not usually much of a rope attached to retrieve them. I hope this at least crosses the minds of some folks on this day. Like I said-- the guys of the Continental Congress recognized those rights as being natural--they were not given to them by any govenment--govenment can only take away rights. And that is the principle of the Constitution which was later adopted by the new states in 1787. A written constitution is a compact between the people to give up a few rights--which is necessary to form a government and establish social order.The people of the thirteen original states did that---but specifically recognized that any rights not mentioned in the document were retained by the people. In the adoption of the Bill of Rights as part of the Constitution some of the basic principles of the Revolution were codified--those rights were so important they were specifically spelled out as a clear warning to the government not to attempt to tread on these liberties. But there are a few things I would like to see dumped on this Independence Day--about three quarters of the United States Code--ninety- five percent of the Federal Regulations--all of the IRS Code. But anyway--I have my day planned out--I am getting up early and going skinny dipping in my pool--and then I am going out to the firing range--we will then catch a local parade--I hope to fit in a viewing of "Superman"--then it is barbecue time--and off to Boston to see the best fireworks in the country--and for the first time in several years I am gong to smoke some pot--I was thinking about how much I used to like to watch fireworks high--and so we will finish off the day watching the show on the banks of the Charles River--and hopefully somewhere in there I will have time to think about and thank God for those revolutionaries of 1776-- --I hope all of you have a very happy Fourth---I only have one suggestion--if you haven't done it lately--take a read of the Declaration of Independence (click to get to a readable copy): ------Have a Wonderful Day America!!!! A special Independence Day treat: Monday July 3, 2006 - 08:16pm (EDT) Permanent Link | 11 Comments Boys are Stupid Hi Everyone-- This post is inspired by one of my Yahoo 360 acquaintances. I shall not be naming the gentleman--this is the kind of thing that can get a girl deleted. In fact-- I may already be treading dangerously here--oh no. So I will not go into specifics on why it might be appropriate to toss a few rocks this individual's way. This topic can get you into trouble all around these days. Last year I bought my daughter this T-shirt "Boys are stupid--Throw rocks at them". She thought it was pretty funny. Of course I am not-- as usual-- tuned into the politically correct vibes of the country. I send her off to this day camp wearing the shirt. That day she comes home and tells me the counselor says she can't wear it because it makes her into a bully. I tell her no way--I have been to law school--the truth is an absolute defense. The next day she asks if she can wear the offensive T-shirt. In my cocoon of a world I did not realize the forces I was unleashing and told her sure. Then I get a call from the counselor questioning what kind of mother I am. She wanted to know whether I condoned violence against little boys. The lady wanted to know how I would feel if my husband wore a shirt advocating the stoning of woman. And I start to respond--Well so long as he didn't actually start tossing any rocks...She cuts me off and tells me how pathetic I am--and a disgrace to womanhood and motherhood. So feeling pretty much backed in a corner--I tell her ok my daughter won't wear this bully shirt to her camp any more. She then informs me this is not good enough--she wants that T-shirt off my daughter's back right now. I tell her --well I don't really think it would be appropriate for her to run around the camp topless---somehow that seems like it might be a PC problem. Of course this bitch is not amused. And I then get the idea she wants me to drive out to the camp and deliver some politically correct clothing. So I just tell her to stuff it. She is then going to report me to god only knows who. And then starts the guilt trip--your daughter is crying--well who in the fuck caused that? So finally I relent since they were now abusing my daughter. But I decided she shouldn't wear the T-shirt anyway--I am saving my rocks to toss at stupid feminist girls who mentally abuse little children in the name of righteous thinking. However-- now I know I am really out of it. There was a big campaign against the T-shirts launched by all of the usual suspects--but this time they were joined by the male rights guys. Here is a short dispatch from a Seattle newspaper. Notice how they have even indoctrinated the little kids into being little PC robots and bad mouthing the stupid boy idea: SEATTLE - We teach kids to be nice to each other. But some parents don't think a T-shirt that reads "Boys are stupid, throw rocks at them." sends kids the right message. The T-Shirt is sold at the local Bon-Macy's. But some parents who saw the Bon Macy's ad this Sunday thought that's the last thing kids should wear. We wanted to ask kids. Listen to the students in a View Ridge Elementary 4th grade class: "Why would these big stores be advertising something like this? It's inappropriate," said Anya Tudisco. It wouldn't be fun having someone walking around wearing that T-shirt," added Cooper Cearns. School counselor Susan Guralnick says the shirt's message is the opposite of what she teaches in her anti-bullying classes. Even though we think they're kidding and it's just clothing, it goes into our thinking, our collective thinking. It's very unkind," she said. ---------------------------------- ---drivel-- drivel--drivel--- ------ and this is from one of the guy rights activists: Glen Sacks a radio commentator in Los Angeles and Seattle says Im sorry if I sound like a humorless zealot, but I just dont see the humor in it, Sacks said. My 11-year-old son, whatever the joke is, he just doesnt understand it, either. Anti-male violence? Sacks argues that the Boys Are Stupid products promote anti-male violence; some of his supporters have challenged groups that combat domestic violence against women to endorse their campaign. His complaints make sense to Joe Kelly, president of Dads and Daughters, a Duluth, Minn.-based organization that often opposes marketing pitches it views as detrimental to girls. Theres a stupid notion that being pro-girl is being anti-boy it just isnt so, Kelly said. I can see where parents and kids of both genders would be offended. ------------------------------------- --At first I thought I was just insensitive to the male plight--now I realize I am such a stupid boob I don't understand that the stupid boy T-Shirt is offensive to womanhood as well -- --What I am going to do is get a T-shirt: "Becky is Stupid-- Throw Rocks at Her"-- -----It is hard understanding these things when you're a libertarian cyberpunk--- but I have learned my lesson: bye-- ~Becky PS--This is kinda off topic--but I just ran across an Internet article by a guy named Lora Manuels on ways to celebrate the Fourth of July. He correctly points out the Fourth of July is all about Independence--so these are some ways to celebrate Independence and Freedom: Hire anyone you believe is qualified to do the job. Do not check for credentials, do not pay social security/medicare and for the sake of all that is good, do not withhold money from their paycheck. Better yet, pay cash. Buy gold or silver. What better way to secure your dollars from the decaying hands of the Federal Reserve than by buying historically sound money? Sell hot dogs and lemonade to your neighbors, or have a garage sale. Do not obtain a license and do not pay sales tax. Make it as simple as possible and enjoy totally free transactions between friends and family, as it should be. Teach the kids the value of work, money and freedom. Obtain fireworks and set them off. If your state government believes (oh, the horror) that you are better off not having them, find some anyway through an intermediary or just drive to the state border Buy a gun from someone not behind a counter. Then keep it on you. (Try to) travel without an ID. This great victimless crime is a prime example of the States desire to control everything and everyone. Conform or be jailed. Deliver first class mail around your block. Make it a fun walk and bring your kids. Yes, this is a bit silly, but the Feds have monopolized the delivery of first class mail in the country. Some private guys have tried but it was shut down. Do not ever try to do evil things such as deliver mail, for the government hates competition. Install and use software with strong encryption and enjoy secretive email and instant messaging. Sure, there could be ways of cracking the code and revealing the messages but its the thought that matters. Drive without your license while talking on your cell phone without wearing your seatbelt or helmet. Start a home improvement project: build a pool, a new room, a bigger garage. Its your house and land right? You do not need permission from your local tyrant or council or any of their thugs and beasts to use your own property or add to it. Monday July 3, 2006 - 04:19am (EDT) Permanent Link | 20 Comments Add Just a Girl in short shorts talking about whatever to your personalized My Yahoo! page: About My Yahoo! & RSS View: Text & Photos | Photos only | Text only 1 - 5 of 62 First | < Prev | Next > | Last 3:49 AM - 0 Comments - 0 Kudos - Add Comment - Edit - Remove