Today, I choose to have a good day.
Jason
PS - Yesterday (e:Ladycroft) came thru with some of those awesome zucchini squares and some tomato so I don't starve to death. We chilled and whatnot - I wasn't thinking about my problems! You the bomb Timika!
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08/22/2005 09:46 #23547
Choices08/21/2005 15:58 #23546
How Do You Get Peace?Category: peace
Someday I hope the world can be war-free. I believe it is wholly unnatural for human beings to fight each other. I also believe the Iraq war was a mistake, as our priorities should have been in Afghanistan. This all being said, I'm not naive enough to think that war is eradicated and replaced with peace by holding peace vigils, lighting candles, holding signs, drafting UN resolutions, or getting into the drum circle.
A number of you believe that nothing, not even your own freedom, is worth fighting for. That's fine. So then it would follow that you would believe that the free world has no responsibility to the world in terms of making sure that nobody is oppressed, and that people all over the planet have basic human rights and living conditions. You're not alone, as evidenced by the world's deafening silence as people in Darfur execute "population control". It is also manifested in the silence regarding North Korea. I can go on and on. There are many situations where if we were a caring, compassionate race, it would enrage all of us to the core, and boots would be on the ground. It has come to my attention that in fact we are not a caring, compassionate race, and that we are willing to ignore atrocities all over the world to ensure we don't have to sacrifice anything.
All of the hope, the vigils, the protests will continue to amount to jack shit as long as there are people in the world who want to fight and kill to maintain power and control the populace. I'll take off my right-winger hat for a moment. I want to open my ears and listen to the leftists out there. I want to know how those of you on the left think we can attain world peace.
Jason
A number of you believe that nothing, not even your own freedom, is worth fighting for. That's fine. So then it would follow that you would believe that the free world has no responsibility to the world in terms of making sure that nobody is oppressed, and that people all over the planet have basic human rights and living conditions. You're not alone, as evidenced by the world's deafening silence as people in Darfur execute "population control". It is also manifested in the silence regarding North Korea. I can go on and on. There are many situations where if we were a caring, compassionate race, it would enrage all of us to the core, and boots would be on the ground. It has come to my attention that in fact we are not a caring, compassionate race, and that we are willing to ignore atrocities all over the world to ensure we don't have to sacrifice anything.
All of the hope, the vigils, the protests will continue to amount to jack shit as long as there are people in the world who want to fight and kill to maintain power and control the populace. I'll take off my right-winger hat for a moment. I want to open my ears and listen to the leftists out there. I want to know how those of you on the left think we can attain world peace.
Jason
metalpeter - 08/22/05 19:58
Some people belive that you have to have an army to create peace. China used to be a bunch of tribes or armies depending on how you look at it. There where verry blody and viscus wars untill One army took over all of china and made it one nation. That is the only way you will have peace in the world. It has been close to happening before. One could argue that if the US decided not to get invovled in WWII until we where attacked one could also argue that we would have let the rest of the world be one big empire and us Mexico canada would have been at peace and the end of wars would mean we would be at peace.
There have been others who have Taken over large areas fo the world but they have fallen eventully. I think that is the only real way for there to be world peace.
Some people belive that you have to have an army to create peace. China used to be a bunch of tribes or armies depending on how you look at it. There where verry blody and viscus wars untill One army took over all of china and made it one nation. That is the only way you will have peace in the world. It has been close to happening before. One could argue that if the US decided not to get invovled in WWII until we where attacked one could also argue that we would have let the rest of the world be one big empire and us Mexico canada would have been at peace and the end of wars would mean we would be at peace.
There have been others who have Taken over large areas fo the world but they have fallen eventully. I think that is the only real way for there to be world peace.
dcoffee - 08/21/05 16:16
It sounds like you might be interested in something I posted recently. it's about the problems in Iraq and policies that could lead us out of that mess.
It sounds like you might be interested in something I posted recently. it's about the problems in Iraq and policies that could lead us out of that mess.
08/21/2005 10:23 #23545
He Wouldn't Want To Live This WayCategory: euthanasia
We heard this argument in defense of the killing of Terri Schiavo. Let me pose the following question to you all: If someone doesn't like the situation they are in, if they don't want to live they way they are living, is it A-OK for that person to go to a doctor and be "put down" for lack of a better phrase, to end their suffering?
What do YOU think?
Jason
What do YOU think?
Jason
metalpeter - 08/21/05 12:01
I say it is not ok to put them down. The reason for that is often the state of mind or stress that person is in effects how they see the situition. For example what if I got attacked by a wrestler and had to use a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I love to walk places and hate being a burden on people and being staired at when I get on busses. So at the time I might not want to live. But once I adjusted to it I might be able to deal with it. My dealing with it would eventully make me mentally and emotionaly stonger.
Secondly there are ways to change the way they are living. I don't know exactly how since I don't know how they are living. I saw a movie once that made a great point about decideing to live on your own terms. This guy was getting ready to kill himself. When these two guys come and try to kill him. So I think that he would just let them, but no all movie he fights them. See he was saying I chose when I die not someone else, it was his decision of if he wanted to die and how he dies not theirs, that is a powerfull message.
The problem with Shivo was there where two differant belifes or ideas on what her wishes where. I know people say that there was braindamage that couldn't be undone. But we don't know as much about the brain and mind as we think we do. What if in 15 years there is some breakthrough and they find a way to make nerves and braintissue regrow.
I say it is not ok to put them down. The reason for that is often the state of mind or stress that person is in effects how they see the situition. For example what if I got attacked by a wrestler and had to use a wheelchair for the rest of my life. I love to walk places and hate being a burden on people and being staired at when I get on busses. So at the time I might not want to live. But once I adjusted to it I might be able to deal with it. My dealing with it would eventully make me mentally and emotionaly stonger.
Secondly there are ways to change the way they are living. I don't know exactly how since I don't know how they are living. I saw a movie once that made a great point about decideing to live on your own terms. This guy was getting ready to kill himself. When these two guys come and try to kill him. So I think that he would just let them, but no all movie he fights them. See he was saying I chose when I die not someone else, it was his decision of if he wanted to die and how he dies not theirs, that is a powerfull message.
The problem with Shivo was there where two differant belifes or ideas on what her wishes where. I know people say that there was braindamage that couldn't be undone. But we don't know as much about the brain and mind as we think we do. What if in 15 years there is some breakthrough and they find a way to make nerves and braintissue regrow.
ladycroft - 08/21/05 11:53
That is a negatory ghost rider. I mean each case is entirely its own, but as a whole, no. Particularly in this case, the woman is going to die of starvation and dehydration. Yah, that’s just the ‘peaceful’ way I want to go. Ask anyone who has had a near death experience in a desert, dying this way is not peaceful, even in an incapacitated state. People die every day from simple things, from complex things…and people survive horrible injury and illness to make random recoveries. We can’t foresee each individual’s outcome so who are we to think we have the capacity to pass judgment?
That is a negatory ghost rider. I mean each case is entirely its own, but as a whole, no. Particularly in this case, the woman is going to die of starvation and dehydration. Yah, that’s just the ‘peaceful’ way I want to go. Ask anyone who has had a near death experience in a desert, dying this way is not peaceful, even in an incapacitated state. People die every day from simple things, from complex things…and people survive horrible injury and illness to make random recoveries. We can’t foresee each individual’s outcome so who are we to think we have the capacity to pass judgment?
08/21/2005 10:12 #23544
JoshyCategory: rant
Leave your comments to yourself. I'll just go and delete them anyway. I'm not interested in your frothing at the mouth counter arguments. I did not sully your pristine, shinier than shiny name. I did not drag your name through the mud. If that were my intention I would have brought up many other more personal, more scathing things that have pissed me off over the past years, and my words would be full of bitterness, not sorrow.
This is MY SPACE, the ONLY SPACE that I have in the world to air my grievances, as neither you nor any of our friends are interested in hearing me out whenever I have a problem. If I'm upset I am forced to bottle it up and let it fester. Do you really think that I'm going to let you manipulate what I say on here, by showing me your obsessive/compulsive behavior when someone says something that pisses you off, no matter how true it is? Do you really think that you can make me "check myself" on my own journal?
To paraphrase Jesus, it is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him, it is what comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean, because what comes out of a man's mouth comes from his heart. I think about this very carefully before I say something about someone. Do you? I did not do you wrong. I laid out a factual account of my grievances and I'm sorry that you're upset but what do you expect when I can't talk to you about any of this? You don't want to listen to me. It's either I air this stuff out somehow, or I lose my shit altogether.
Jason
PS - Contrary to what you might think, yes I am depressed.
This is MY SPACE, the ONLY SPACE that I have in the world to air my grievances, as neither you nor any of our friends are interested in hearing me out whenever I have a problem. If I'm upset I am forced to bottle it up and let it fester. Do you really think that I'm going to let you manipulate what I say on here, by showing me your obsessive/compulsive behavior when someone says something that pisses you off, no matter how true it is? Do you really think that you can make me "check myself" on my own journal?
To paraphrase Jesus, it is not what goes into a man's mouth that defiles him, it is what comes out of his mouth that makes him unclean, because what comes out of a man's mouth comes from his heart. I think about this very carefully before I say something about someone. Do you? I did not do you wrong. I laid out a factual account of my grievances and I'm sorry that you're upset but what do you expect when I can't talk to you about any of this? You don't want to listen to me. It's either I air this stuff out somehow, or I lose my shit altogether.
Jason
PS - Contrary to what you might think, yes I am depressed.
08/20/2005 23:46 #23543
IPTV and EnergyCategory: business
Here is an article from National Review about IPTV:
I like the idea of being able to tailor-make your tv environment. I don't watch most of what's on tv. If I could have sports, educational programming, history channel, discovery, sci fi - I would probably have everything I want. I wonder how this will play out in the future, given that companies eschew technology advances when it won't make them money.
I don't like the fact that we don't have choices when it comes to certain things - like electricity and cable tv. It's true, Adelphia owns Buffalo. You can't get away from their advertising (I noticed that the big screen on Chippewa (e:Paul) posted about recently pimped Adelphia). Cable TV and other business sectors own monopolies all over the USA. In general I like my Adelphia internet - it is much much better than DSL and costs the same. I also like my digital cable. I've discovered lots of programming that I never knew existed. One thing I know for sure is that if other cable providers were allowed to compete with Adelphia in the Buffalo market we all would get better service and better prices. Will that ever happen? HA! No way - like the article says local governments are complicit in this kind of travesty.
When are utilities or cable providers ever subject to competition, like every other kind of business? I'm beginning to move toward the left when it comes to regulating certain industries - it is obvious we are being taken for a ride when it comes to energy. I remember back in Jamestown - the city of Jamestown has its own electricity company, under the authority of the city government. Service is great and prices are cheap. Oil companies are making record profits. Energy companies make backroom deals with politicians to screw us over.
I'm beginning to think that certain industries are too important to leave to our capitalist structure - energy being the most important. We also will be slow to receive technological advances in this industry because of profit concerns. There are so many political decisions made in the interest of keeping our energy needs intact. I can't wait for the day when we can tell the middle east FUCK OFF, KEEP YOUR DIRTY OIL. I am not naive enough to think this can happen overnight, but we should be making a serious push to a near-future of energy independence. Well, at least as long as it isn't in our own back yard!
Jason
I like the idea of being able to tailor-make your tv environment. I don't watch most of what's on tv. If I could have sports, educational programming, history channel, discovery, sci fi - I would probably have everything I want. I wonder how this will play out in the future, given that companies eschew technology advances when it won't make them money.
I don't like the fact that we don't have choices when it comes to certain things - like electricity and cable tv. It's true, Adelphia owns Buffalo. You can't get away from their advertising (I noticed that the big screen on Chippewa (e:Paul) posted about recently pimped Adelphia). Cable TV and other business sectors own monopolies all over the USA. In general I like my Adelphia internet - it is much much better than DSL and costs the same. I also like my digital cable. I've discovered lots of programming that I never knew existed. One thing I know for sure is that if other cable providers were allowed to compete with Adelphia in the Buffalo market we all would get better service and better prices. Will that ever happen? HA! No way - like the article says local governments are complicit in this kind of travesty.
When are utilities or cable providers ever subject to competition, like every other kind of business? I'm beginning to move toward the left when it comes to regulating certain industries - it is obvious we are being taken for a ride when it comes to energy. I remember back in Jamestown - the city of Jamestown has its own electricity company, under the authority of the city government. Service is great and prices are cheap. Oil companies are making record profits. Energy companies make backroom deals with politicians to screw us over.
I'm beginning to think that certain industries are too important to leave to our capitalist structure - energy being the most important. We also will be slow to receive technological advances in this industry because of profit concerns. There are so many political decisions made in the interest of keeping our energy needs intact. I can't wait for the day when we can tell the middle east FUCK OFF, KEEP YOUR DIRTY OIL. I am not naive enough to think this can happen overnight, but we should be making a serious push to a near-future of energy independence. Well, at least as long as it isn't in our own back yard!
Jason
metalpeter - 08/21/05 09:33
I love my digital cable. There are a couple new Indemand chanels now. You can find almost any interest on cable with all the stations they have.
I do remeber that there used to be competion. In the City you got TCI the suburbs where Adelphia there where actully differant packages of chanels depending on where you lived in the burbs there where 2 differant Adelphia's. I belive Cable Vision and TCI competed for some time. There where rummors of Warner Brothers cable coming into buffalo and competing. Adelphia bought out TCI. Not sure if Adelphia was bought or if it merged. There is competion but it is in a dish. I know there are two companies and maybe a 3rd small one.
I think competion is good. It helps keep prices down and would get more options of picking stations. One thing I do have to say about Direct TV is they do have the NFL package that almost got me to try it. I want to look into what NFL on demand is that Adelphia is offering it was free for a little whiele when there wasn't a NFL Season. NFL network came on so late the season was basicly over but this season I did watch some of the Bills scrimadge. I look forward to seeing what it has. I wish Adelphia would get WWE 24/7 I might get it depending on price. There are a lot of stations out there we don't get that if there was competetion we might. Like why don't we get all the local candian stations and a couple more NYC stations.
I love my digital cable. There are a couple new Indemand chanels now. You can find almost any interest on cable with all the stations they have.
I do remeber that there used to be competion. In the City you got TCI the suburbs where Adelphia there where actully differant packages of chanels depending on where you lived in the burbs there where 2 differant Adelphia's. I belive Cable Vision and TCI competed for some time. There where rummors of Warner Brothers cable coming into buffalo and competing. Adelphia bought out TCI. Not sure if Adelphia was bought or if it merged. There is competion but it is in a dish. I know there are two companies and maybe a 3rd small one.
I think competion is good. It helps keep prices down and would get more options of picking stations. One thing I do have to say about Direct TV is they do have the NFL package that almost got me to try it. I want to look into what NFL on demand is that Adelphia is offering it was free for a little whiele when there wasn't a NFL Season. NFL network came on so late the season was basicly over but this season I did watch some of the Bills scrimadge. I look forward to seeing what it has. I wish Adelphia would get WWE 24/7 I might get it depending on price. There are a lot of stations out there we don't get that if there was competetion we might. Like why don't we get all the local candian stations and a couple more NYC stations.
Joshy has something for you from Death Valley!
You go guy!