Sober View of Syria

Usama Matar, an optometrist who has lived in Russia since 1983, said he did not harbor any illusions about Russia’s motives for defending Syrian Christians like himself, whom he called “small coins in a big game.” But he said there were few international players taking notice of Eastern Christians at all.

“The West is pursuing its own interests; they are indifferent to our fate,” he said. “I am not justifying the Assad regime — it is dictatorial, we know this, it is despotic, I understand. But these guys, they don’t even hide their intention to build an Islamic state and their methods of battle, where they just execute people on the streets. That’s the opposition, not just the authorities. And we are between two fires.”

--From the New York Times

I think that is by far the best explanation for Russia's position regarding Syria and it is comprehensible. Muslim regimes such as Iran and Saudi Arabia tend to be barbaric, backward, and bloodthirsty, and Syria certainly sounds like a candidate for another Islamofascist regime. In many places around the world, Islam is intolerant of other religions, of atheism, of women, of homosexuality, and of sexuality in general. Until some of these Muslims crawl out of the Middle Ages, they will not be ready for self-government. They merely would replace Assad with something worse, as in the case of Iran where the Shah was replaced by Khameini, who rules as absolute dictator and pursues the acquisition of nuclear weapons with a single-minded mania. It is better for Syria to remain in a permanent state of civil war than to emerge as another Islamofascist regime, committing assorted cruelties against women, gays, and minority religions such as Christians, Jews (if any live there), atheists and others. I am glad that so far our leaders have shown enough wisdom not to intervene. Syria is not our concern, but Syria's, and I am sure the opposition has no love for the United States. However, I do detest Assad and would like to see him get his just desserts for committing so many crimes against civilians. Perhaps there could be some way for the Syrian opposition to overthrow Assad without installing another Islamofascist regime.

Dos Equis / Heineken Does Not Honor Rebates

Anyone considering buying Dos Equis beer on the strength of their seemingly generous rebates ought to think again. They took my rebate and the UPC codes I painstakingly clipped out and mailed and threw it in the trash can, mailing me a little postcard that told me my rebate had been rejected due to "No UPC Code submitted," which was a lie. Now I will think of one thing whenever I see Dos Equis or Heineken beer, and that is their Lie, and the liars that lie about things in order to sell their product.

Ashenzari

Mummies suck at most things, so Ashenzari is the god to worship if your character is a mummy.

Incidentally, Mummies have been reformed since olden days, and now the Mummy race is very playable. I recommend trying out a Mummy Necromancer worshiping Ashenzari.

• 10-31-2012 Update:
  I have changed my mind. Nemelex Xobeh for Mummies. All the way. Until the NX altar is found, remain atheist. Because Mummies suck at everything besides Necromancy, they are in dire need of attack diversification, and Xobeh's decks provide just the remedy, not to mention Mummies are immune to many of the side effects of unlucky cards such as Famine and Poison.

The Ex

I met an ex today and felt relief that I dodged that bullet. In the past, I did not have high enough standards. There was a tendency to romanticize too much, an eagerness to experience the high of being in love. Such a high can never be a permanent condition. Once the novelty wore off, I would have made the same observations about the individual that I made today, seeing clearly without my rose-colored glasses. The word that bubbled up into my awareness was goblin.

Thirty-Three Years

Thirty-three years, the sentence of the Pakistani doctor who helped U.S. forces locate Bin Laden, speaks volumes about where Pakistan stands. All their words of friendship are exposed as lies. In reality they have been soaking the U.S. for the maximum amount of dollars while giving lukewarm, minimal support. Our leaders don't care because the rich boys that own the big defense corporations are getting richer. Who cares what happens to taxpayer money? The rich people don't pay the same tax rate we do, they pay much less percentage-wise.

Donations

Right-wingers that supported our foreign adventures should donate extra taxes to the government to pay for their wars, along with blood and body organs to support the wounded combat veterans that need those items.

The Argument Against Sanctions

The Hindu posted a strong editorial opposing sanctions against Iran. Although there may not be much evidence that Iran is producing nuclear weapons, common sense tells a different story. It is impossible to really know whether a closed, totalitarian dictatorship with nuclear capability is, or is not, in the business of producing nuclear weapons. Given Iran's behavior on the international and domestic scene, I think it is naive at best or actually stupid to claim that Iran is not interested in nuclear weapons. I think nuclear weapons are the #1 desire of everyone in the Iranian leadership. They want it more than life itself and will sacrifice anything to get a nuke. They are right now squandering Iran's economy and much of its treasure on the quest for nuclear weapons. All of Iran's problems basically revolve around the quest for nuclear weapons and a fear of the United States. So I don't buy The Hindu's argument. I would be delighted to watch Iran's leaders dangle at the end of a rope. It is what they richly deserve, based upon their capital crimes and treason against Iran itself. Perhaps Khameini's head would pop off of his body like Hussein's during the hanging due to obesity. But that is just a fantasy. In reality, the U.S. can't afford another foreign invasion. That is why we must use sanctions instead. If they work, fine. If they don't, then at least Iran is reduced economically to the level of North Korea and other pariah states, which is also a good outcome, because they will have less money to devote to terrorism, their #1 export.

Pole Arms

In Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup, I have long been a pole arm skeptic. Recently, I found out about the AutoFight key [Tab], and now I'm a pole arm convert. It is an easy matter to extend the range of a pole arm using the Tab key. Before, I thought one had to press 'V' to activate the extension, and then select a target. [Tab] is much easier. My favorite pole arm is one of dragon slaying, because it offers both defensive and offensive capabilities.

I have tried Tengus (formerly Kenkus, before there was concern over TSR's copyright on the "Kenku" name) armed with pole arms, but Tengus are far, far too fragile. I have not had one survive past level 12 or so. One little mishap wipes out a Tengu. The odds are stacked against them.

 I think the advantageous profession for Tengu is Artificer. Gain good mastery of Armour first, along with a decent suit, and then progress into spellcasting later.

Too Much Corruption

The main problem in the U.S. is corruption. I think Gore Vidal was right about that. If there could be a divorce engineered between the politicians and the business criminals, then the country might turn around and start growing again. But I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon. People are angry because they perceive that all their tax money is being wasted on pointless things like faraway wars that nobody really understands. Either our leaders are stupid or corrupt, and I'm not placing any bets on stupid.

The Cynicism of Gore Vidal

Anyone who scans the media without cynicism either isn't paying attention or isn't bright.

I think that Gore Vidal was spot on when he said that public opinion is molded by the few largely for the benefit of the few--those that already have their fortunes made for them. This was not unique, I think, only to the modern U.S., but is a global and eternal condition, as true a thousand years ago as today.

It is often that critics of Vidal misinterpret him through oversimplification of his message. My father wrote criticisms of Vidal throughout Vidal's book, "Virgin Islands." But I do not agree with his criticisms of the critic Vidal's criticisms. In many cases my father misinterpreted the meaning of individual words. For instance, to say that a man is unprincipled is not necessarily a bad thing. Principled men can be quite cruel and malicious. Being principled does not equate to being good or just. The word "unprincipled" figures in Vidal's criticism of both FDR and Clinton. My father, loyal to FDR, was unable to concede the smallest thing in his idol. Perhaps he would have conceded Clinton, however.

In reality, Gore Vidal was one of the most patriotic Americans that ever lived. He loved his country more than can be imagined. He was a man of ideas, interested in Right and Wrong, and desiring that Good prevail. I do not think Gore Vidal spared the smallest effort to apply his utmost powers of concentration, research and due diligence to the task of criticism, which is the art of distinguishing good from bad, or the better way from the worse.

Seinfeld Still the Best Comedy

All four of the regular characters in Seinfeld were brilliant. I'm particularly a fan of Michael Richards, who I think was exceptional. He was extremely well-suited to his role. I think that it is most unfortunate that he was not placed in a well-written movie or television show after the end of Seinfeld. However, nine seasons, with over twenty episodes per season, is quite a run. I don't think in the whole of television and movies there has ever been anything as funny as Seinfeld.


I regard the seasons two through seven of Seinfeld as the best. After season seven, the writing turned zany in the quest for more and bigger laughs. The actors morphed into inhuman monsters, which inspired the writers to sentence them to prison in the final episode.

New Wrinkle in the Zimmerman Case

I read today that there is a new wrinkle in the Zimmerman Case: Zimmerman was badly beaten in the fight. I don't know why that important detail was not included, or was minimized, in media reports. It is also strange that the media displayed an old picture of Trayvon, and stressed the difference in weight between the two, in order to give the impression that Zimmerman was bigger than Trayvon. This seems like an embarrassment for the media. The media either failed to report these things or omitted them or minimized their significance. It definitely indicates a bias in the media or else a flair for the dramatic, something to press the 'anger' buttons in people. Usually the media seems fair. I think so many details about the case fit a certain narrative that Northern reporters are quick to accept about a supposed racial incident in a small, Southern town. In a way, the case was a perfect storm. It would take cold blood indeed to write a story that didn't fit the narrative. There does seem to be a failure in the intelligence of reporters. They are not being objective enough. Perhaps there was a failure in communication.

Sympathy Misplaced, Perhaps

I can't help but feel sympathy for some of the big-shot, rich celebrities that get tangled up in some kind of scandal, legal dispute, or divorce proceeding due to their affair. Some of them are intelligent men, so the question arises, why do men stray? I suppose from the logical perspective, it would be best to remain 100% monogamous or (possibly better) asexual. Of course, humans are not entirely logical animals, and we are animals. I think in Humans 2.0, the next version of our species, when we roll it out of our laboratories, we will be more logical and consistent; some would say boring. But boring can be good. Boring becomes interesting as one's expectations adjust.

Political Advice from JP Morgan

I'd like to know who is going to listen to the CEO of JP Morgan after that fool's fools lost $2 billion dollars playing with investor's money like it was monopoly money. A monkey could make better investment decisions. Thanks but no thanks for your advice. Next!

Pain is Good

One thing some people don't realize is that Pain is Good. It warns and reminds us of internal injury. I saw in the grocery store that most brands of topical antibiotic, such as Neosporin, Bacitrin and generic brands, now contain pain reliever along with the antibiotics.Without pain, one is oblivious to potential problems lurking within a wound. Infections can spread as a result of avoiding an insignificant, manageable amount of pain. If a scratch or abrasion continues hurting without subsiding, then that is information I want to know, because it is abnormal, and indicates there is a continuing problem. Either the wound needs to be cleaned again or it may be that professional medical attention is required.

Cuba Surprises

Castro and Cuba have surprising, enlightened views on gays and even on gay marriage. Republicans could learn an important lesson about human rights--and health care--from the country that they like to demonize.

Tired of Chess Cube

Chess Cube has been going downhill for a long time. There have been no new features in at least a year, but what's worse is that the game history prior to March 2012 was deleted for all users. I had a lot of games stored in my paid VIP account that were lost as a result of their incompetence. So, that nixed any chance I would renew my VIP membership. How can I trust a game site that loses my games? I also experienced random disconnects on a sporadic basis on chess cube. I guess the straw that broke the camel's back was that a moderator in one of the chat rooms decided to use his power as a soapbox for all his backward notions on gays. I don't need to pay a membership fee to be insulted. I was reluctant to leave Chess Cube because I liked the design and homey, small-town feel of the site, but I really don't see that I have any reasonable choice in the matter at this point. Time to buy a membership at another chess site and forget about Chess Cube. I am purchasing a year's membership on chess.com today. Some businesses need to learn that insulting and offending gays is not good business. I am more than happy to vote with my dollars if it will help with the learning process.

Facebook

I read that one of the founders of Facebook renounced his U.S. citizenship to avoid paying any taxes. Just like I've been saying all along, plenty of U.S. executives and owners are traitors, wiling to abandon either the country or the workers at the first opportunity, while expecting plenty of protection from all branches of the U.S. government. Mitt Romney is a classic example of this type of owner. I suppose their ultimate goal is to transform the U.S. into a carbon copy of China, a kleptocracy where the elite steal everything they want and nobody is allowed to talk about it.

The Reality of Gay Marriage

The reality of gay marriage will be that it will not catch on like wildfire. Younger gays will not be in a rush to marry, no more than their straight counterparts, many of whom view marriage with wariness. Mainly the partakers of gay marriage will be older couples who have been together forever. Older couples have every reason to marry--legal and property rights, security and stability. I would like to see some of these opponents of gay marriage get stripped of their hospital visitation rights, home, bank account, and car, and health insurance, and see whether they like that. How about if I vote on whether they have they right to see their wife in the hospital? Maybe their marriage isn't good enough and they don't deserve hospital visitation rights. Maybe they don't deserve the house they lived in for fifty years. These are the type of questions that arise when one questions who is "fit" to marry and who is not. If old monogamous gay couples aren't "fit" to marry, then who is? I really like the question of gay marriage, and I hope it becomes the #1 issue in the Presidential election, because it casts the Republicans in the position of evil. Republicans hate marriage, they hate love, and they want to keep people down and make people unhappy. They want to be the ones saying, "No, you're not family, you can't come in" when a spouse of fifty years comes to visit his husband in the hospital. They want to be the ones stealing the house from him after his spouse dies. They are the thieves and the liars.

Gay Marriage and Personal Lives

I sure wish that some of these opponents of marriage would get the spotlight focused on their own personal lives and whether they are moral or not. I bet in half the cases, unpleasant things would be brought to light about their personal lives. These people who hate marriage for gays (or hate gays, same thing), they like to point the finger at others, but when they do, there are three fingers pointing back at them. The hate-mongers are busy putting evil laws on the books, having nothing better to do with their lives. What is needed is for the hate-mongers to be exposed for what they are. It is a lengthy process. One by one, the hate-mongers are exposed as hypocrites, liars, criminals, drug addicts, and worse. Time is what is needed, time to expose them all. These people hate gays, they hate marriage, they hate people, they hate everything that is good, and they hate God, in that order, and their actions are motivated by those hatreds.

Mitt Romney, Bully

Turns out Mitt Romney was a gay-hating bully in his younger days. I guess being born into a mountain of money wasn't good enough for Mitt. He wanted to control all the people around him, too, and dictate what they could wear and how their hair could look. Here's another article on Mitt Romney's gay-bashing days. No wonder he's opposed to gay marriage. He's full of hate and that's what drives him as a human being.

Two-Headed Ogres

Two-headed ogres might be an interesting new player-character race for Dungeon Crawl. They could wear two amulets and wield two large weapons. They would not be as good at magic as regular ogres, and would progress in levels at a slower pace. Their throwing ability would be poorer as well.

Self-Driving Car

A legitimate reason to buy a new car has finally surfaced, a self-driving feature. It is nice to see that cars have finally progressed in a major way after forty years of stagnation.

Revenge

The prostitute at the center of the Secret Service scandal savors something that is quite rare in this world for working people: revenge, sweet revenge. I had a chuckle this morning reading her blast against the men who refused to pay her. That blast was trumpeted around the world on television and throughout the media. She spoke on behalf of every worker that has been stiffed, in a manner of speaking, by her employer. She really is quite pretty with oriental features. She is probably right about what she says. She reminds me of a modern-day Boudica.

Applicant Tests

I've taken tons of applicant tests and aced them and gotten nothing for all my time and effort. Finally I figured out why companies give applicants skills tests. The reason is not to assess skills, but to disqualify all applicants, because the boss man has a buddy in line for the job and does not want to hire anybody else. The skills tests cover his behind from a legal and political standpoint. He will claim to his superiors and colleagues that everybody else failed the tests except for his buddy. I've changed my policy on tests and refuse to take them anymore because they are just a giant waste of time and energy. It is a more efficient use of time to clip coupons.

Human Rights Issues

Recently, Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo defended China's human rights record. "On this issue, we still have differences," he said. "Human rights issues … should not be used as an excuse to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries."

I believe human rights issues absolutely should be a reason to "interfere" in the internal affairs of other countries. It is the very best of all reasons, because it subscribes to the moral and universal interest. Those who feel that human rights are not a legitimate issue lack morality and cannot be trusted to behave in an ethical manner. That would include many in the Chinese government, who feel like lying, stealing, and committing acts of violence are perfectly okay.

You might remember that China is the place where all the jobs were sent by the traitors American CEO's, who were looking to save a nickel or two.

Yahoo CEO Lied About Tech Credentials

The CEO of Yahoo lied about having a bachelor's degree in computer science. That's not surprising, because it's tough to earn a bachelor's degree in computer science, and CEO's are as stupid as the day is long. The only reason they become CEO is because they are part of the good old boys club. I can't imagine any CEO actually sitting down and learning how things work. They pay other people to do all the thinking for them. The job of a CEO is simply to have lunch with other CEOs, schmooze, booze, and take all the credit for all the work done by the workers, prior to downsizing the workers and shipping the jobs off to China.

Tanning Salons

Yes, kids should be banned from tanning salons. I don't understand why anyone would want to use a tanning salon. Tanned skin is damaged skin. It is not healthy, and the result of tanning is wrinkles later in life. I meet a lot of older people, and I can tell right away if they were the tanning kind or if they exercised a little common sense by taking measures to protect their skin.

There is nothing wrong with being white.

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup

Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is a hidden gem among computer games. I suppose many modern game players would eschew it for its relative lack of 3D graphics or sound effects, but for an older gamer, imagination supplies whatever is lacking in visual and auditory representation. I particularly like the fact that the game is being actively developed with new features being added all the time. I have yet to find fault with any of the changes that have been made, although many changes have resulted in making the game more difficult by eliminating various dodges and workarounds I had learned over the years.

What I like most about Crawl is its variety. One can play a Spriggan Enchanter in one game or an Ogre Hunter in the next, using completely different strategies for each character. Lately I have found Ogre Hunters to be great fun, especially when equipped with a giant spiked club of piercing. A few thumps with that club are enough to vanquish just about anything. The high amount of damage a giant spiked club metes out is worth foregoing the protection of a shield; however, it is no easy feat to keep an ogre alive without the protection of a shield.

Cops Gone Bad

This article points out a number of ways that law enforcement in the U.S. is seriously out of control.

I wish the writer had not resorted to coarse language in order to make his points, however.  By doing so, he will alienate many people he could have hoped to persuade. Jon Stewart on the Daily Show commits the same error on a regular basis in order to ingratiate himself with young people who don't know any better. I think that many on the left fail to appreciate the value of civil language. Profanity gains nothing, but discredits the user in the eyes of those who are inclined to hold a different view.

I think many of the abuses cited by the writer are the direct result of people voting right-wing Republicans into office. Republicans tend to be very naive and gullible. I don't think the Republic will last if people keep voting Republicans into office, gradually eroding our liberties. Eventually the time will come when a tyrant will use all of the powers granted to him by previous Republican office-holders. He will abolish elections and use the police as his own personal force to silence all of his opponents.

I think it conceivable that the U.S. may one day resemble Syria. We seem to moving toward a Syrian-style state, where individual liberty is curtailed and the people in power simply take whatever they want for themselves and their buddies, while passing new laws to make life more difficult for the working class. Congress seems extremely concerned about how to make rich people richer, but not at all concerned about how to help the working class.

Torture by the DEA

The Drug Enforcement Agency tortured a person in San Diego, denying him access to food, water, light, or even a toilet for several days. They even fed him methamphetamine, demonstrating their moral hypocrisy. I hope that the inevitable lawsuit, when it comes, is taken directly out of the agents' salaries rather than the taxpayers having to foot the bill for the malicious incompetence of the DEA. There are some agents at the DEA that are psychopathic criminals and belong behind bars. Who could believe for one second that agents "forgot" about someone they brought into their building? Faced with discovery of their malicious torture, the agents concocted a story in order to protect their careers. Every single person connected with the arrest should be fired immediately, top to bottom, and then arrested on charges of attempted premeditated, first-degree murder. Had the suspect died, then first-degree murder should have been the charge. An example needs to be made so that the DEA begins to learn about the rule of law. There seem to be a psychopathic crew of sadists in San Diego.

Chat with a Pakistani

I had a brief chat with a Pakistani discussing the situation in Syria, where I expressed hope that Assad's regime would fall and that Syria would get some kind of republic. He seemed cool overall to that idea and said, "Yes, but it's their land," as if to remind the American not to think of Syria as another invasion opportunity.

I think that the perception of America is that we interfere in other people's lands and tend to think of the world as ours to govern. There is a concern in other countries that America will interfere in this or that area, even in Syria, though I don't think it is likely. In Pakistan, I think a more humble viewpoint prevails that there is no point interfering around the world.

Afghanistan was never more than a punitive invasion intended to punish Al Qaeda and the Taliban for harboring Al Qaeda. Rich people got all in a lather about their fancy towers getting blown up, so they decided to drop a trillion dollars worth of bombs and bullets on the faraway country where their enemies were hidden. Revenge is damned expensive, and the people paying for the rich people's revenge are ordinary Americans who can't find any decent jobs in today's economy.

Chen Guangcheng

Chen Guangcheng exposed nothing less than a crude eugenics program operated by Steve Jobs' buddies the Chinese tyrants. Forced abortions and sterilizations in a poor rural village--what else can that be but eugenics of the style that was implemented in several European countries prior to WW2?

Violence Won't Work in the U.S.

I'm opposed to any political violence in the U.S. for several reasons, chief among them being that that any such deed would backfire in a major way. Anyone who engages in violence will immediately attract negative media attention to their cause. In fact, there is a real risk that the opposition could frame a movement by pretending to carry out violent acts in its name.

These Cleveland anarchists simply provided fodder for the right wing and justified the salaries of the agents of our enormous security apparatus.

It is also a fact, an indisputable fact, that the security apparatus by and large operates in general adherence to a set of rules put in place by the political authority, and that these rules make sufficient allowance for human rights. A few pepper-spraying incidents here and there do not constitute a police state, nor does the busting up of a couple medical marijuana collectives, lamentable though these cases may be.

Although there may be various injustices and indignities perpetrated against minorities or the working class, that has always been the case throughout history, as anyone who has studied history knows. I have to wonder whether the Cleveland anarchists ever cracked open a history book. There are many cases in history where political violence has backfired or failed to achieve any worthwhile objective, and a few cases where political violence has succeeded in some degree, but those cases tend to be ones where there is already widespread popular support for the objectives behind the political violence.

I would endorse political violence in Iran and Syria, and possibly a few other countries in the world that I haven't heard much about. In China, although the authorities are far more corrupt and there is less regard for human rights, there is also a real risk of violence backfiring against the perpetrators. There may be cases in China where political violence is justified, but not in every instance.

We are blessed in the U.S. with a system that is amenable to gradual change. It may not work very well in all cases, but when and where does a governmental system work very well in all cases? I think the current system is probably better than the system of a hundred years ago, and the American system is certainly better than that in Malaysia or China. I think that if anyone feels like political violence is the answer, they should move over to China and see what life is like in that country, before leaping to any ill-founded conclusion about their own country.

I think that some men have a real problem with a cycle of hatred and brooding that gets out of hand, in part because they tend to associate with others that reinforce that manner of thinking. It is very important to associate with people that are good and to avoid the company of fools and people that are filled with negative emotions. Good people exert a powerfully positive influence upon the mind, and their company is a gift in itself, in many ways superior to therapy or medication.

The Good Guys

One thing we can be thankful for in the U.S. is that our police tend to be "the good guys" protecting us from "the bad guys," crazy criminals that commit every manner of mayhem. In other countries, such as China, the police are "the bad guys," controlled by corrupt politicians. I like the fact that I can rest at night without worrying about a home invasion, burglary or other crime visiting my household. There's always a slight chance, of course, but the odds are slim in this country that one will be the victim of a violent crime or even a property crime, and property crimes tend to be minor for the most part. The most I've ever lost to crime has been a bicycle. I lost two or three bicycles, as a matter of fact, but one was recovered by the police after the perpetrator was arrested on other charges.

China's Abyssmal Human Rights Record

The more we hear about persecution, corruption and human rights violations in China, the more China resembles Mao's old Red China. The Communist Party is a bunch of barbarians with no regard for their own laws, determined to steal the maximum amount of money from the State for self-enrichment and having no regard for human life or freedom.

I think that American CEO's like Steve "Jobs" (so-called) who have transferred jobs from the U.S. to China should be recognized for what they are: traitors, pure and simple, who stabbed their countrymen in the back. They demand protection from the U.S. government and the U.S. military for their property and their precious business interests, but they're not willing to give back in the form of jobs for Americans or even sufficient taxes. They are just like their compatriots in Red China: determined to steal the maximum amount they can get away with while doing the minimum amount of work required to fulfill that narrow objective.

 Meanwhile, Malaysia isn't looking too good, either. Malaysia still has not learned how to hold a fair election. Chalk that up to the corrupt and inept Muslim-dominated government. Wherever there is Islam, there is tyranny.

A Sopranos Guide to Crane Accidents in New York City

Anyone who has watched The Sopranos before knows what happened in the case of the judge who found a construction company owner not guilty in a recent trial.

I find more sympathy for a defendant like Zimmerman than for yet another greedy and incompetent business criminal who is willing to sacrifice human lives in his quest for quick and easy profits. At least Zimmerman can say he acted in the heat of the moment and made a mistake based on real fear. The business owner made a cold and calculated decision placing money above human lives with fatal and tragic consequences.

The Walking Dead Misogynistic?

Seems to me like all the female characters in The Walking Dead are major buzzkills, good for nothing save weeping, screaming and carrying on. I'd give the show a C- on the writing. The main reason I watch it is because I like movies featuring the undead. I also find almost all the characters attractive--yet not too attractive. Yes, it is actually important for characters in a show to not be too attractive, because then the audience can relate with them better.

Most women are not half as weepy as television makes them out to be.

Homeowners Associations = Communism

I couldn't have said it better myself. A home owner in one of these god-forsaken Homeowners Associations has described life in that community as the equivalent of living under communism. That's exactly my sentiment.

Homeowners Associations are just a bunch of uptight, paranoid, money-grubbing morons intent on making everyone as miserable and uptight as they are.

Namecheap

Today was the final day that Namecheap dragged its feet before transferring my domain over to a competent registrar and web host. I have no further dealings with Namecreep, and I guarantee it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever do business with Namecreep again. A more incompetent host would be difficult to imagine. Their entire outfit is just a bunch of clowns.

The Walking Dead

I have watched the first season of "The Walking Dead" and like it save for gaping holes in the head plot. The show is illogical. A single human being such as myself could fend off an entire world populated by zombies, even if I had no access to firearms, even if every bullet in existence were already spent. The simple fact is that, at least in season one, zombies are stupid. They are not even as cunning as animals. Therefore, all one has to do is secure a building, hilltop, or other point that is difficult to access, such as an island, and then cultivate a source of food via gardening or herding. Zombies could not storm a castle because they do not know how to construct ladders, ballista, catapults or any other device or tool. They know nothing of siege weapons or indeed of any weapons. Therefore the premise of the show, that zombies have overwhelmed all the world's armies, is laughable. Another problem is that zombies do not reproduce. Therefore, their numbers would quickly dwindle along with any reduction in the human population.

Heroin and Euthanasia

What I would like to see in the future is more progress in gay rights and also the legalization of most drugs, with the possible exception of horrible things like meth or crack, which have no legitimate purpose. I was going to add heroin to the list, but heroin may indeed have a legitimate purpose for those that have reached the end of their life and are suffering from intense pain or depression. I see no reason to deny heroin to the terminally ill. Heroin was used for medicinal purposes in the past, and in the case of the terminally ill, anything that might ease their passage should be provided to them without interference.

I think euthanasia should be allowed to those of sound mind who want it. There must be a comfort and a consolation to know the precise hour of one's passing. If this luxury is afforded to those condemned by the legal system, then surely it can be permitted to those who have harmed no one.

One envisions a hospice where the dying are high on smack and gleefully marking down the days to their carbon monoxide-assisted demise. Most strange it would be, to be sure, but I think it might be a better and more civilized method of passing from this world.

Foreign Aid, a Poor Investment

There is adequate technical information available about agriculture. No country in the world needs aid. Giving aid to countries such as Uganda and Zimbabwe is counter-productive. I don't see any point in worrying about Uganda. Charity begins at home.

Why some Americans feel the compulsion to go interfering in Afghanistan, Iraq, Uganda, Gambia, Zimbabwe, and all the other little countries of the world is completely beyond me. We can't even run our own country properly. Every time we try to tinker with foreign countries, they wind up hating our guts anyway. Wasted time and money is the only result of trillions of dollars of foreign aid. If some of that money was properly invested at home, then maybe people here would have jobs. Instead, about a fifth of the country is out of work, a problem that will have profound consequences for generations of Americans. It's serious business when unemployment is in the double digits, and it has been for years, and the government has been lying about the real unemployment figures.

Our leaders may have graduated from Harvard. They may have graduated from Yale. They don't know anything. They did not learn a lesson from Viet Nam. Instead, they keep repeating the same mistake over and over again. And that is why the country is in the lousy economic situation it is in--poor leadership. We just have a bunch of blowhards at the top that are interested in ego gratification and lining their own pockets. They don't give two hoots about which direction the country goes, as long as they look good.

Marine Le Pen

The media keeps referring to Marine Le Pen as far-right, with little or no explanation, and that made me suspicious, so I looked her up on Wikipedia. Turns out that far-right in France has no relationship to the far-right in the U.S. She actually sounds pretty reasonable, at least on Wikipedia, and I could envision myself voting for her. The only thing I read that raised question marks was her opposition to euthanasia, but one never finds a politician that concurs with 100% of one's political and social views. The reason the media hates Le Pen is obvious. She's against free trade, and the rich boys make a whole lot of money manufacturing things via cheap labor overseas and selling it in the West, and they don't want anybody to mess with their cash cow. So every time that Le Pen is mentioned in print, she is condemned with the term "far-right" which evokes Nazis and fascists. She sounds to me like a moderate Democrat.

The media is controlled by those who steal money from the government and the people on a regular basis. To the media, "far right" can be translated as "a candidate opposed to stealing."

Media Darling, Steve Jobs

The media continues in its lionization of Steve Jobs, who betrayed the country of his birth by stealing jobs away from his fellow countrymen. In later years, he will be recognized, not for what the right-wing media is saying now about their little darling, but for what he really was, yet another amoral CEO who made a lot of money by firing American workers and sending those jobs overseas to take advantage of cheap labor. He enjoyed all the advantages of living in the U.S. and having his big fancy company protected by the U.S. government, but gave back nothing. Everytime I see an I-phone, I think about Americans with college degrees standing in line at the job fair looking for minimum wage jobs. There's really nothing more to be said about the ironically misnamed "Jobs," who should have been named "Traitor" instead.

Time Team Dumbed Down in 2012

As far as I'm concerned, the last Time Team episode aired in 2011. There are no more Time Team shows worth watching. I read that whoever is in charge hired a model as a co-host (what was wrong with the current host? nothing at all), fired a bunch of archaeologists, and dumbed down the show by cutting much of the archaeological information.

Blithering idiots!

Another great show with scientific content has been gutted by executives who do not understand anything!

Hiring a former model as a co-host insults my intelligence, and I cannot accept that. I liked the old host Tony Robinson, he was superb. I don't give a damn that he is old and pudgy. Wrinkles make a host wiser. I liked Mike Aston as well and all the other crew.

I will never watch the new Time Team, but my consolation is that there are 18 great seasons to choose from, 1994 - 2011. Anything 2012 and onward will be stupid and not worth watching.

It is remarkable, when I think about it, that Time Team ever existed at all as a television program, because TV executives tend to be drooling idiots who cannot tie their shoelaces and their shows tend to reflect that. Who watches TV anymore other than stupid people? Most of the educated set spends all their evenings on the Internet with just an occasional foray on television to catch Mad Men or Downton Abbey.

Eighteen seasons offers quite a lot to choose from, however. I look forward to catching up on all the shows I missed.

Ted Nugent

Ted Nugent is no gent, judging by his recent remarks threatening the President of the United States. His name makes more sense without the "gen."

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments

Mary Kay

The Mary Kay Cosmetics program is a curious mixture of God, money, and sex, capitalizing upon the fact that women dig all three.

I am aware of the tendency among certain churches of a right-wing persuasion to equate moneymaking with divinity. Capitalist Christianity contradicts the early history of the Church. In truth many of the early Christian martyrs were aesthetes who renounced the material world and possessions altogether. The monastic tradition carried on with this practice for quite some time.

The middle echelons of the Mary Kay organization seem an excessively happy bunch. Happiness is alright in general, but happiness generated by greed and the prospect of separating fools from their money is not. I do not like to hear people boasting about the size of their paycheck and in the next breath talk about God smiling on their deeds.

I find the Mary Kay program suspect because it promises riches with little effort and all of it sanctified and ordained by God. I find it distasteful when people recruit God as just another low level manager trying to turn a buck. To say that God cares about money is demeaning not only of religion but also of the human race.

Oh, they were very smooth talkers, some of them, and they made well-rehearsed speeches. Perhaps they persuaded some of the women. I found their program objectionable on grounds of very poor taste and limited--or nonexistent-- social utility. I heard speaker after speaker boast of how they quit a job in which they were nurses and teachers in order to sell cosmetics to their friends and family. That does not seem like a worthwhile transition to me. It is noble and useful to society to be a nurse or a teacher. I hold nurses and teachers in high esteem. By contrast, selling cosmetics is a negligible contribution to the world. It is certainly nothing to brag about. I think that a janitor is a hundred times more useful to the world than anyone who merely sells cosmetics.

I sneezed and coughed when exposed to the products of Mary Kay. The question is what kind of allergens are put into Mary Kay products, and why do Mary Kay products cause me to sneeze and cough? Perhaps my philosophy has seeped into my marrow so that not only my mind but my body rejects Mary Kay.

The Power of Melatonin

For a long time, my body's been moanin' for melatonin. Last year, I announced an experiment whereby I would attempt to sleep in a completely dark room for 7+ hours in order to allow my body to manufacture sufficient quantities of melatonin. For some reason, according to my sources on Wikipedia and elsewhere, darkness is required, but the body is not a psychic and is not in tune with the Moon, so you can fool the body by simply wearing a patch over the eyes during the daylight hours. Apparently there are photosensors in our retinas independent of rods and cones. I heartily recommend the purchase of an eye patch for anyone who works the graveyard shift and needs to sleep during daylight hours.

I have had several weeks of full, blissful sleep wearing my eye patch and I do indeed feel a difference, possibly from the increased amounts of melatonin. I suspect I do have more melatonin, because my circadian rhythm is much more pronounced. No longer is it simple (or mandatory) for me to stay up late at night, past 3 AM. Instead, I find I can get to sleep at midnight without much difficulty. Also, I wake up feeling refreshed and reinvigorated.

I was talking to an unemployed gentleman the other day who informed me he had to quit factory work because the factory had a mandatory swing shift of two weeks 8 AM - 7 PM followed by two weeks of 11 PM to 10 AM. Anyone whose productivity declines is reprimanded or fired.

It is physically impossible to adjust to alternating sleep schedules that change in such a drastic manner on such short notice. Swing shifts are simply sadistic, no two ways about it, a means of humiliating and beating down the working class, and I think that factory owners should be required to alter their sleep schedule as well.

There is no logical reason to have a swing shift. Personally, I would be willing to work either day shift or night shift, but not both; the human body needs to adjust to one or the other. It is possible to adjust to the graveyard shift through the use of an eye patch and a soundproof bedroom. People with children should work the day shift, while single, childless and retired people can work the night shift and be paid a small premium to do so ($1/hour). There are plenty of single people in the world and it should not be difficult to fill a night shift. If I were a factory worker given the choice, I would volunteer for night shift simply because it is cooler during the summer and pays slightly better.

Business owners should make modest and reasonable attempts to create a  nurturing, positive working environment for their employees. Those that fail to do so find their businesses highlighted in the media for the wrong reasons. I am willing to wager that many cases of workplace violence or labor discontent could have been avoided by the simple and cheap expedient of rendering the interior design more hospitable to human beings. Business owners should consult with an interior designer, someone that knows how to create a positive and nurturing space. Decisions that are made on the purchase of furniture, decor, and lighting will persist for decades, and typically the wrong decisions are made with long-lasting and invisible consequences. Valuable employees leave the company, and the manager is scratching his head wondering why, because the troll is clueless about the ugliness of his cave. One should take pride in his work and his workspace.

Consolation

I've never harmed another being in this world, and that is a great consolation to me at times when I reflect upon my life, because I know that my conscience is clean, and if anything I have assisted the cause of good.

I shudder to imagine the sleepless nights, the fitful dreams of those who have done unto others, who have added to the sum of sorrow in the world. Why be borne at all, why live, if one is going to do wrong? The only purpose that is worthy is to increase the sum of happiness and beauty in the world. To do otherwise is a betrayal not only of others but of self and of one's own family; past, present and future. I know that my ancestors would approve of me and that means a great deal to me.

One of the tragedies of modern life is that morality was hijacked by cults, and so many people feel they cannot talk about morality without inserting cult symbols and cult names into their speech, crediting to a prophet or deity what is obvious and just and rational to every man. I think it is better to talk about morality without the accoutrements of superstition and mythology, to defend common sense using nothing more than reason and compassion and honesty. Superstition muddies the waters and causes many to assume that morality, like superstition, is bunk.

I am a small being of limited awareness and ability. Perhaps there are superstitions somewhere in the world or in the ages of man that have or once had a bit of veracity to them; perhaps there is magic that is real. Even if this is granted, even if I say, your religion may be true, it is still beside the point. Morality is and must be nevertheless. Morality must be independent of your god, because there are many gods and many beliefs. Morality must be universal and godless, so that all may believe. Morality was the original reason, the original motive, and religion was the product. Without morality, there can be no religion. Yet there can and must be morality without religion.

by igor 04:20 8 replies by igor 09:32 6 comments