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| | Why is it... | | | Tuesday, June 17, 2008 (6:59 PM)
(I'm feeling confused) | | let me throw a scenario out at you...you decide to open a business....say making widgets for lack of a better term. you choose the location of your business and study all the ways of this industry and get to work. you start slow but you've done your homework and things really take off. as time goes by you are making more money than you thought possible, your competition is almost non-existent and the public just cannot get enough of your product. there is nothing you are doing that is illegal or unfair. you treat your employees well and they are benifitting from your idea. your profits continue and you invest well and your fortune grows. the american dream achieved. but your fortune draws attention. local politicians begin to question your hiring practices. federal agencies and congressmen begin making statements regarding the "fairness" of your business. unions begin to picket outside your plant even tho your employees are well compensated, happy and loyal. "activists" begin to make statements about you and your company...how can one make so much money when there are so many unfortunate people out there...so now they decide to pass a law to tax you higher than everyone else or any other business because you make too much money...
what am i getting at? i have a problem, and maybe i'm in the minority on this website, but why is it, when you are really good at some things everyone loves you. but if you are really good at making money, you become demonized? now i'm not saying i fit that category, far from it. there is alot of talk about civil liberties being trounced on, but its okay to change the rules to "take" as much from a successful business as one sees fit. it seems to me that, if a small company is making its way up the ladder they are looked upon favorably, but as soon as they are succesful they become targets. targets of people who dont have the talent to do so themselves. targets of people looking to make a name for themselves. hey i hate $4 gas too and if you project it out what it will do to this economy, but why should a company have to pay "extra taxes" for being good at what they do. why should certain industries be forced to foot the bill for people unwilling to make changes in their own lives and thus carry them along to make the rest of the population feel good about themselves? boil it down, if you are good at making money they take more of it from you...to help who? the unfortunate? the unlucky? or the unwilling...
if this is a free economy, shouldnt the government stay out of the way?
or wait...isnt it an election year? how silly of me to try and make sense when people are willing to say anything to get that job....
obama said he will cut taxes on the middle class this week, after swearing he has to raise taxes throughout the primaries...mcain called windfall taxes a failed policy of the seventies this week, even tho in march he said its an idea that needs to be reconsidered....wow, i cant wait for this election to really heat up....uhg....
sorry for the rant...but hey it could have been worse right? it could have been about bush...or bubba or pappa bush or ronnie ray-gun or jimmy...or the never elected guy or tricky dicky or....ahh never mind | | | 41 Views | 2  Thumbs Up | 2 Comments |  |
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| | why is there so much frickin green crap everywhere? | | | Monday, May 26, 2008 (9:06 AM)
(I'm feeling congested) | | i know its allergy season but....
going to go cut the grass....
yeah, i've wanted to write a meaningless blog...not that my other ones had meaning mind you...but in the words of a kindred spirit...."What the hell!"
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| | did they really do that? | | | Friday, May 16, 2008 (9:59 PM)
(I'm feeling cynical) | | While waiting for my fish burrito to finally leave me alone...
So Sen Arlen Spector (PA) has decided he wants congressional hearings to investigate the New England Patriots filming of opposing teams signals and the way the NFL handled it. Now i am as one can assume, a St Louis Rams fan, and have a deep dislike for the Patriots for obvious reasons, but congressional hearings? Its bad enough we all sat thru the Roger Clemens steroid nonsense a few months back, to the point that they showed them live on CNBC (never understood that one). Is this now going to be the rage in sports? I can see it now, Sen Chuck Schumer (NY) calling on hearings to discuss whether or not Sydney Crosby did in fact dive during the Stanley Cup second round game one vs the NY Rangers...look, i know congress and politicians are all about grand standing, but with $4 gas, and food prices skyrocketing, shouldnt these frickin guysknow better? these hearing cost money...yeah he's getting paid anyway...but sheesh, at least go on a trip to some exotic third world country and pretend to care... if i'm him (spector) i'm holding hearings on things that really matter, like is there anyway to take the speculators out of the oil market without killing liquidity...or is this just a bit of the old political ploy of distraction.
Speaking of political ploys and distractions, Pres. Bush spoke to the Israeli Knesset to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the state of Israel. During his speach he spoke of appeasment and the follies of a foreign policy based on such. He then stated there are certain people who believe that we should meet with and negotiate with terrorists and terrorist states (read Iran, Syria and Hamas). Well, Barak Obama, the front runner and soon to be Democratic Presidential candidate, took this to mean him, and as politicians are like to do, used it to attack Bush and link Republican nominee John McCain to Bush. There is an "unwritten" rule of presidential campaigning that one does not make politcal statements on foreign soil. WTF? "unwritten rules"? This summer is going to go right down the toilet...this campaign has been going on for 3 1/2 years already...and the leading candidates are supposedly two guys who want to "change" things by working towards non-partisan government? i understand that its all rhetoric but come on...am i the only one sick of both sides? i lean to one way on certain issues (money and security) and to the opposite direction on others (sep of church/state, gun control, etc) but dammit they both have me more than a little annoyed, to the point of apathy...it really is depressing (Rudy? you coulda been a contender!)
The junta run government of Myanmar (formerly known as Burma) finally allowed shipments of aide into the country last weekend. The aide was summarily confiscated, and re-boxed with the names of the generals who run the govt printed on them. Wow. This one is classic. It seems to me that these dictators (chavez is another that comes to mind) are so absolutely pathetic and transparent it would seem obvious to everyone? What i conclude is that these nations are filled with such ignorance and misinformation one could say anything and it is believed (as long as the guy saying it owns the guns).
ok, i feel a little better...maybe it wasnt the burrito i had for lunch and was that evil red wine i drank last night
all for now... | | | | 49 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 2 Comments | |
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| | Pope abducted by Aliens? | | | Wednesday, May 14, 2008 (6:46 AM)
(I'm feeling silly) | | I wonder what Galileo would think.....
VATICAN CITY - Believing that the universe may contain alien life does not contradict a faith in God, the Vatican's chief astronomer said in an interview published Tuesday.
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The Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the Jesuit director of the Vatican Observatory, was quoted as saying the vastness of the universe means it is possible there could be other forms of life outside Earth, even intelligent ones.
"How can we rule out that life may have developed elsewhere?" Funes said. "Just as we consider earthly creatures as 'a brother,' and 'sister,' why should we not talk about an 'extraterrestrial brother'? It would still be part of creation."
In the interview by the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, Funes said that such a notion "doesn't contradict our faith" because aliens would still be God's creatures. Ruling out the existence of aliens would be like "putting limits" on God's creative freedom, he said.
The interview, headlined "The extraterrestrial is my brother," covered a variety of topics including the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church and science, and the theological implications of the existence of alien life.
Funes said science, especially astronomy, does not contradict religion, touching on a theme of Pope Benedict XVI, who has made exploring the relationship between faith and reason a key aspect of his papacy.
The Bible "is not a science book," Funes said, adding that he believes the Big Bang theory is the most "reasonable" explanation for the creation of the universe. The theory says the universe began billions of years ago in the explosion of a single, super-dense point that contained all matter.
But he said he continues to believe that "God is the creator of the universe and that we are not the result of chance."
Funes urged the church and the scientific community to leave behind divisions caused by Galileo's persecution 400 years ago, saying the incident has "caused wounds."
In 1633 the astronomer was tried as a heretic and forced to recant his theory that the Earth revolved around the sun. Church teaching at the time placed Earth at the center of the universe.
"The church has somehow recognized its mistakes," he said. "Maybe it could have done it better, but now it's time to heal those wounds and this can be done through calm dialogue and collaboration."
Pope John Paul declared in 1992 that the ruling against Galileo was an error resulting from "tragic mutual incomprehension."
The Vatican Observatory has been at the forefront of efforts to bridge the gap between religion and science. Its scientist-clerics have generated top-notch research and its meteorite collection is considered one of the world's best.
The observatory, founded by Pope Leo XIII in 1891, is based in Castel Gandolfo, a lakeside town in the hills outside Rome where the pope has a summer residence. It also conducts research at an observatory at the University of Arizona, in Tucson.
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| | What the hell is that sound? | | | Wednesday, May 7, 2008 (6:37 PM)
(I'm feeling amused) | | | So we got home the other day from an appoinment, i took the day from work, so this is the middle of the day, kids at school. Walk into the kitchen and there is this rattling sound coming from the hood/fan thingy above the oven. Its a scratching kind of sound on metal, intermitent and would stop if you made noise or spoke in the vicinity. It was pretty obvious that an animal or bird had gotten into the vent in the wall which is behind the fan. Believe it or not there is wildlife in this part of NJ, but logic told us it was either a bird or a squirrel. We have a family of squirrels in the trees in our backyard. If it was a squirrel we would have a problem, i wouldnt really want to try and get one of those out myself...not afraid mind you, but they certainly could do some damage if it got loose in the house. So while contemplating whether or not to call pest control...i pointed a flashlight into the grill above the fan...couldnt see anything but an aluminum flap of some kind in the wall. So i remove the fan, which drops out of the hood thingy and leaves about an 8 inch circle opening directly above the oven. The flap is closed but the scratching sound is louder now. I still need to see what it is behind there, hoping it was just a bird. I jab a screw driver into the flap and it will only move about a centemeter, which makes sense, because if the fan is on, that is plenty of space, and in the winter, the cold air doesnt get in. Anyway, when i open the flap, out pops a beak! YES! just a bird, no problem. Now after an argument with a certain other LV member who lives here, i decide to take her advice and try and remove this creature myself.She leaves me to screw it up on my own. I get a bucket and a lid, open the back door, and grab a log flat wrench to prop open the flap, while holding the bucket up against the hole where the fan was. Problem, i cant see in when i hold the bucket...but what the hell. I prop/bend open the flap...and hear the damn thing hopping around...then silence. Is it in the bucket? It certainly couldnt fly up the vent. Nothing....wait....minute goes by (very long time for someone from this part of the world)....okay..i'll just tilt the bucket and peek in...fuck! where'd it go...not in bucket, not in vent anymore. Woosh! it jumps down from the edge of where the fan was and flies into the kitchen!!!! Not a big bird or even a pretty bird, just average size, all black...."FUCK!!!! get out get out!!!" It flies into the family room, bounces off a mirror and turns back toward the kitchen...i run to the slider and pull it open all the way....it veers towards the door, just misses the light fixture and thankfully my head...and out it went....dumb fuckin bird. Yeah...thats all i got... | | | | 35 Views | 1 Thumb Up | 1 Comment | |
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| | Fiscal Responsibility -- You owe to yourself Part1 in a series | | | Thursday, March 13, 2008 (4:49 PM)
(I'm feeling annoyed) | | This will hopefully be a series of short blogs about some of the things that I would hope most people would already know. I have found in my experience that sometimes the obvious needs to be stated or in this case written.
Giving money to people you meet online is never cool no matter the circumstances.
This may sound obvious to most, but I am not so sure anymore. I am not talking about the spam we've all received over the years asking for money with the promise of a great return or some fortune in a third world country tied up in legal procedings that you can help...blah blah blah. I am talking about the con artists that are out there at this very moment pretending to be your friend. If you have met anyone on the internet and made friends with them and they ask you for money, even though you think you know them, and their circumstances seem dire, DO NOT send them anything. No matter how much you think you know this person, they are not what they seem to be. Politely tell them, I am sorry but i just cannot do that. Ask yourself, would you ask an "e-friend" for money if you were stuck? I myself have never been hit up for cash by anyone I have involved myself with. I would be extremely irresponsible to my family and myself if I were to do what at the time may seem like the right thing to do and send cash to that person. This site is no different than any other website out there. The people you consider friends are only a minute representation of what they really are. Look, I'm not trying to preach here, and if you know me, well thats kind of funny to read. Seriously though, there should never be a reason to be asked for money by friends on live video. If this has happened to you, you really need to examine this friendship. If you are reading this and saying to yourself "no shit", then fantastic. If you've been asked and given, do not feel ashamed either. A con-artist is exactly that, an artist. They will go to extreme lengths, waiting patiently, building confidence (hence the old label "confidence man") in you.Just realize it was a mistake and never repeat it. You were had, and that "friend" has no respect for you, even though i am sure you were thanked profusely.
Like I said already, under no circumstances should anyone ever ask you for money. Under no circumstances should you ever give it.
Part 2 coming soon "Pay your fucking bills" Again the obvious....but maybe not so anger provoking. | | | | 75 Views | 6 Thumbs Up | 7 Comments | |
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| | Changing the rules as they go along? | | | Monday, March 10, 2008 (10:35 AM)
(I'm feeling confused) | | VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Thou shall not pollute the Earth. Thou shall beware genetic manipulation. Modern times bring with them modern sins. So the Vatican has told the faithful that they should be aware of "new" sins such as causing environmental blight.
The guidance came at the weekend when Archbishop Gianfranco Girotti, the Vatican's number two man in the sometimes murky area of sins and penance, spoke of modern evils.
Asked what he believed were today's "new sins," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano that the greatest danger zone for the modern soul was the largely uncharted world of bioethics.
"(Within bioethics) there are areas where we absolutely must denounce some violations of the fundamental rights of human nature through experiments and genetic manipulation whose outcome is difficult to predict and control," he said.
The Vatican opposes stem cell research that involves destruction of embryos and has warned against the prospect of human cloning.
Girotti, in an interview headlined "New Forms of Social Sin," also listed "ecological" offences as modern evils.
In recent months, Pope Benedict has made several strong appeals for the protection of the environment, saying issues such as climate change had become gravely important for the entire human race.
Under Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, the Vatican has become progressively "green."
It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change, widely blamed on human use of fossil fuels.
Girotti, who is number two in the Vatican "Apostolic Penitentiary," which deals with matter of conscience, also listed drug trafficking and social and economic injustices as modern sins.
But Girotti also bemoaned that fewer and fewer Catholics go to confession at all.
He pointed to a study by Milan's Catholic University that showed that up to 60 percent of Catholic faithful in Italy stopped going to confession.
In the sacrament of Penance, Catholics confess their sins to a priest who absolves them in God's name.
But the same study by the Catholic University showed that 30 percent of Italian Catholics believed that there was no need for a priest to be God's intermediary and 20 percent felt uncomfortable talking about their sins to another person.
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| | hmmm...maybe god wants us to legalize this stuff | | | Tuesday, March 4, 2008 (9:35 AM)
(I'm feeling amused) | | JERUSALEM (AFP) - High on Mount Sinai, Moses was on psychedelic drugs when he heard God deliver the Ten Commandments, an Israeli researcher claimed in a study published this week.
Such mind-altering substances formed an integral part of the religious rites of Israelites in biblical times, Benny Shanon, a professor of cognitive psychology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem wrote in the Time and Mind journal of philosophy.
"As far Moses on Mount Sinai is concerned, it was either a supernatural cosmic event, which I don't believe, or a legend, which I don't believe either, or finally, and this is very probable, an event that joined Moses and the people of Israel under the effect of narcotics," Shanon told Israeli public radio on Tuesday.
Moses was probably also on drugs when he saw the "burning bush," suggested Shanon, who said he himself has dabbled with such substances.
"The Bible says people see sounds, and that is a clasic phenomenon," he said citing the example of religious ceremonies in the Amazon in which drugs are used that induce people to "see music."
He mentioned his own experience when he used ayahuasca, a powerful psychotropic plant, during a religious ceremony in Brazil's Amazon forest in 1991. "I experienced visions that had spiritual-religious connotations," Shanon said.
He said the psychedelic effects of ayahuasca were comparable to those produced by concoctions based on bark of the acacia tree, that is frequently mentioned in the Bible.
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| | CHIG | | | Saturday, February 9, 2008 (12:30 AM)
(I'm feeling indifferent) | | | There is a channel on LV called Chig. He puts up powerpoint slideshows of pictures he claims to have taken. I have learned that he is actually a sad old man living in a retirement home outside of Naples, Florida. Please be nice to him as his life is very sedate and his current joys consist of flavored oatmeal and fruitcups. His channel is spelled C H I G. Thanks for understanding, though he has stolen the identity of a former Tom Petty look alike living somewhere in the southwestern desert, I don't really think that guy minds. | | | | 111 Views | 6 Thumbs Up | 7 Comments | |
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