Showing posts with label pitch forks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pitch forks. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Rockin' On With My Bad Self
Beware the wrath of the vicious momma. There's a new pitch fork added to the list. This one is guilty of being a vile turd of the variety that has been an asshole pecker to my son, along with some of his peers. I don't know why he has such a problem with these kids in particular, but his actions reveal that underneath his appearance of accomplishment and contribution lies the evil heart of a pitch fork who enjoys knocking down and stabbing kids' souls. He is creepy like Jerry Sandusky and all those other "benevolent" men posing as teachers and helpers and advocates who in the shadows reveal their true depravity to their selected victims. No, this pitch fork hasn't molested my kid physically (or any others that I know about though unfortunately those who work with lots of kids tend to be the culprits). But he's still a dangerous, hateful person. And I feel sorry for his family.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Vicious Momma v. Knox County Schools, part 2
This is the follow-up to "Knox County School Violates Fourth Amendment."
Knox County Schools apparently decided that they have the authority to unreasonably seize personal property and to impound it 15 miles away from the school where it was seized. My son's cell phone fell out of his pocket at school the other day and a teacher saw him pick it up, so she seized it and sent it to the school office. Okay, fine. I understand that cell phones are not allowed to be used in class. But he wasn't using it. He was only picking it up and looking at it to make sure it wasn't damaged from falling. Anyway, I don't have a problem with them keeping it in the school office until I can pick it up, but I do have a problem with them sending it off the school grounds to some kind of "security" office, which is essentially the county's school police station.
I am probably overreacting to this situation that is ultimately pretty trivial, except that I just can't see it as trivial when our Constitutional rights are violated, even in regards to something like a cell phone. I understand that they have rules, and that they are necessary. But all of this unreasonable seizing personal "effects" and then imposing excessive and unusual punishments is just plain WRONG.
I can't see how anyone could really believe that requiring a parent to drive a 30 mile round trip to pick up a simple cell phone that was seized merely for its own existence is not excessive punishment. And "cruel and unusual" too since it was very rainy, windy and bad holiday traffic going to pick it up in the middle of one of Knoxville's worst public housing slums (where theSS security office is located). While this 30 mile round trip to pick up our illegally seized phone was not a hardship for us in the purely physical sense, there are many people for whom it would be excessively inconvenient and a hardship to do so. Some people don't have easy transportation for such things and some can't take time away from work.
It is obviously a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition of "excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments" to make a parent go to this much trouble to reclaim a cell phone that was already practically stolen by the school. Imagine if you replace "cell phone" with a $100 bill. Clearly it is an illegal theft for the school personnel to seize that money, send it away, and require a parent to go out of their way to retrieve it. Any other personal property is no different from the money and no one would stand for their money to be extorted in this way. Even people who have their cars towed or otherwise taken away for some "offense" have to sign for it. The school basically stole our phone. The school personnel are guilty of extortion and coercion.
And while those issues are big enough for a serious complaint, there is even more to the story. When I called the security office to make sure the phone was there before driving all that way to get it, I also asked for directions since I'm not so familiar with that part of town. I simply asked "where exactly is the office located?" After some vague and useless information like "in northwest Knoxville" and "off Western Avenue" from the woman on the phone, who I am assuming was the secretary, Debra Dexter, I asked if she could give me directions. If her reply had not been so incompetent and lazy I might not have been quite as angry about having to go there. This woman is a "public servant" and is paid with my tax dollars so I don't think it is unreasonable to expect her to be somewhat helpful. But no, this is what she said, "Oh, it's just too hard to describe how to get here so look it up on one of those map things on your computer." Wow. My tax dollars at "work."
There are some other small, annoying, hypocritical details about her and the other "security" staff. At the front door of the office which had a big "No Smoking" sign, there was a group of men, some of them cops, standing there smoking! Right in front of the entrance with the no smoking sign. Typical! In the office I asked why they felt it was necessary to send phones to this location, but of course, they would not give me a good answer and only continued to coerce me to sign the form stating that I was picking up our phone. I couldn't contain my anger then and did tell them that the policies are stupid and violate our 4th and 8th Amendment rights and that this isn't Nazi Germany. And now they know our names and we'll be blacklisted forever.
And you know, how do we know that they didn't examine our phone, look at the personal information contained in it, copy the SIM card information, or any other invasion of our privacy? If they think nothing of illegally seizing it then what's to stop them from further violating our rights by copying private information and so on? All of this was done without "probable cause" and without any kind of warrants, and so why should I expect that they are respecting ANY of our rights if they are so unscrupulously violating the 4th and 8th Amendments?
The Superintendent and many others will be receiving letters of complaint from me. If they do not change their policy regarding seizure of personal property then perhaps some further action will be required. I really don't want to start some big thing because I am a private person and I don't want to be dissected like other citizens who have questioned authority (Joe the plumber, for instance). But I refuse to be intimidated, extorted, coerced, bullied, violated, and abused by the people who are paid with my tax dollars to serve me and everyone else. They do not have the authority to violate my rights, my kids' rights, or anyone else's rights. Period.
Knox County Schools apparently decided that they have the authority to unreasonably seize personal property and to impound it 15 miles away from the school where it was seized. My son's cell phone fell out of his pocket at school the other day and a teacher saw him pick it up, so she seized it and sent it to the school office. Okay, fine. I understand that cell phones are not allowed to be used in class. But he wasn't using it. He was only picking it up and looking at it to make sure it wasn't damaged from falling. Anyway, I don't have a problem with them keeping it in the school office until I can pick it up, but I do have a problem with them sending it off the school grounds to some kind of "security" office, which is essentially the county's school police station.
I am probably overreacting to this situation that is ultimately pretty trivial, except that I just can't see it as trivial when our Constitutional rights are violated, even in regards to something like a cell phone. I understand that they have rules, and that they are necessary. But all of this unreasonable seizing personal "effects" and then imposing excessive and unusual punishments is just plain WRONG.
I can't see how anyone could really believe that requiring a parent to drive a 30 mile round trip to pick up a simple cell phone that was seized merely for its own existence is not excessive punishment. And "cruel and unusual" too since it was very rainy, windy and bad holiday traffic going to pick it up in the middle of one of Knoxville's worst public housing slums (where the
It is obviously a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibition of "excessive fines and cruel and unusual punishments" to make a parent go to this much trouble to reclaim a cell phone that was already practically stolen by the school. Imagine if you replace "cell phone" with a $100 bill. Clearly it is an illegal theft for the school personnel to seize that money, send it away, and require a parent to go out of their way to retrieve it. Any other personal property is no different from the money and no one would stand for their money to be extorted in this way. Even people who have their cars towed or otherwise taken away for some "offense" have to sign for it. The school basically stole our phone. The school personnel are guilty of extortion and coercion.
And while those issues are big enough for a serious complaint, there is even more to the story. When I called the security office to make sure the phone was there before driving all that way to get it, I also asked for directions since I'm not so familiar with that part of town. I simply asked "where exactly is the office located?" After some vague and useless information like "in northwest Knoxville" and "off Western Avenue" from the woman on the phone, who I am assuming was the secretary, Debra Dexter, I asked if she could give me directions. If her reply had not been so incompetent and lazy I might not have been quite as angry about having to go there. This woman is a "public servant" and is paid with my tax dollars so I don't think it is unreasonable to expect her to be somewhat helpful. But no, this is what she said, "Oh, it's just too hard to describe how to get here so look it up on one of those map things on your computer." Wow. My tax dollars at "work."
There are some other small, annoying, hypocritical details about her and the other "security" staff. At the front door of the office which had a big "No Smoking" sign, there was a group of men, some of them cops, standing there smoking! Right in front of the entrance with the no smoking sign. Typical! In the office I asked why they felt it was necessary to send phones to this location, but of course, they would not give me a good answer and only continued to coerce me to sign the form stating that I was picking up our phone. I couldn't contain my anger then and did tell them that the policies are stupid and violate our 4th and 8th Amendment rights and that this isn't Nazi Germany. And now they know our names and we'll be blacklisted forever.
And you know, how do we know that they didn't examine our phone, look at the personal information contained in it, copy the SIM card information, or any other invasion of our privacy? If they think nothing of illegally seizing it then what's to stop them from further violating our rights by copying private information and so on? All of this was done without "probable cause" and without any kind of warrants, and so why should I expect that they are respecting ANY of our rights if they are so unscrupulously violating the 4th and 8th Amendments?
The Superintendent and many others will be receiving letters of complaint from me. If they do not change their policy regarding seizure of personal property then perhaps some further action will be required. I really don't want to start some big thing because I am a private person and I don't want to be dissected like other citizens who have questioned authority (Joe the plumber, for instance). But I refuse to be intimidated, extorted, coerced, bullied, violated, and abused by the people who are paid with my tax dollars to serve me and everyone else. They do not have the authority to violate my rights, my kids' rights, or anyone else's rights. Period.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Knox County School Violates Fourth Amendment
Fourth Amendment to the US Constitution:
Carter Middle School in Knox County, TN, has violated my and my son's Fourth Amendment guarantee against unreasonable seizure of personal property. His cell phone was confiscated by the School Gestapo and has been sent to the County's "central security office," whatever the hell that is. I understand that cell phones and so on are a distraction at school and that students are not supposed to use them during school hours. However, my son was not using his phone. It fell out of his jacket pocket, and because it had been unintentionally left on, a teacher confiscated it and sent it to the office. I went in this morning to pick it up, and that's when they told me it had been sent off because this was his "second offense." The first was when he had my video camera at school which was also confiscated and demanded that I delete any "unauthorized" photos/videos he might have taken at school. What country is this anyway? Seems like Nazi Germany or Totalitarian USSR. Outrageous!
I was furious but did not make a scene. I've found it is unnecessary to do that because I am capable of expressing my displeasure with my eyes only.
Now I have this dilemma. Do I just do as they expect and cower to their unreasonable policies? This is surely what they want everyone to do... they want us to be intimidated and comply with their oppressive methods. They don't want us to question this erosion of our fundamental rights and protections. That cell phone is our personal property which they have very unreasonably seized and impounded. Clearly and obviously, their actions are way beyond a reasonable response to the "offense."
I think that goes against the Eighth Amendment:
Yeah, I really do think that requiring me to drive all the way down to some office near the old Rule High School, which is in the middle of one of the worst and most dangerous public housing projects in the city, to reclaim my wrongfully seized personal property is an excessive, cruel, and unusual punishment for my son's trivial mistake.
I need a Constitutional attorney. I swear. If people can sue McDonald's for hot coffee and so forth, then I should be able to sue the Knox County Schools for violating our Fourth and Eighth Amendment Constitutional rights. I think we need to take this all the way to the Supreme Court.
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.
Carter Middle School in Knox County, TN, has violated my and my son's Fourth Amendment guarantee against unreasonable seizure of personal property. His cell phone was confiscated by the School Gestapo and has been sent to the County's "central security office," whatever the hell that is. I understand that cell phones and so on are a distraction at school and that students are not supposed to use them during school hours. However, my son was not using his phone. It fell out of his jacket pocket, and because it had been unintentionally left on, a teacher confiscated it and sent it to the office. I went in this morning to pick it up, and that's when they told me it had been sent off because this was his "second offense." The first was when he had my video camera at school which was also confiscated and demanded that I delete any "unauthorized" photos/videos he might have taken at school. What country is this anyway? Seems like Nazi Germany or Totalitarian USSR. Outrageous!
I was furious but did not make a scene. I've found it is unnecessary to do that because I am capable of expressing my displeasure with my eyes only.
Now I have this dilemma. Do I just do as they expect and cower to their unreasonable policies? This is surely what they want everyone to do... they want us to be intimidated and comply with their oppressive methods. They don't want us to question this erosion of our fundamental rights and protections. That cell phone is our personal property which they have very unreasonably seized and impounded. Clearly and obviously, their actions are way beyond a reasonable response to the "offense."
I think that goes against the Eighth Amendment:
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
Yeah, I really do think that requiring me to drive all the way down to some office near the old Rule High School, which is in the middle of one of the worst and most dangerous public housing projects in the city, to reclaim my wrongfully seized personal property is an excessive, cruel, and unusual punishment for my son's trivial mistake.
I need a Constitutional attorney. I swear. If people can sue McDonald's for hot coffee and so forth, then I should be able to sue the Knox County Schools for violating our Fourth and Eighth Amendment Constitutional rights. I think we need to take this all the way to the Supreme Court.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
No Sympathy From Me
In a stunning display of wrongly placed tribute and sympathy, the Huffington Post pays memorial to one of their writers, the suicide murderer, Carol Anne Burger.
Burger apparently stabbed her ex-lover 222 times with a Phillips-head screwdriver, stuffed the body in a car trunk, abandoned the car, and then shot herself before police could question her. Yeah, such a great person really deserves a sympathetic tribute. If it had been a conservative writer you know that the media would be all over it with their twisted acrimony and spiteful conviction of "conservative values."
Burger apparently stabbed her ex-lover 222 times with a Phillips-head screwdriver, stuffed the body in a car trunk, abandoned the car, and then shot herself before police could question her. Yeah, such a great person really deserves a sympathetic tribute. If it had been a conservative writer you know that the media would be all over it with their twisted acrimony and spiteful conviction of "conservative values."
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Golden Fiddle
(this has nothing to do with the website of the same name)
Welcome to the readers of goldenfiddle.tumblr.com! Please allow me to explain that this posting is somewhat snarky and tongue-in-cheek.
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" originally by Charlie Daniels Band:
Of course, Johnny earned his golden fiddle by accepting the Devil's challenge and out-fiddling the Devil, but what the story doesn't say is that anything you get from the Devil, whether you've earned it or not, isn't really free and isn't really yours to keep forever. You can't take it with you when you die.
A lot of people in the last couple of decades have "earned" their golden fiddles, too. But now that they are trying to cash them in they are learning that they are truly worthless. They built entire empires upon the wealth (and talent, or luck, or whatever) they thought their golden fiddles represented. However, not even modern high-tech people can really outwit or win any bet with the Devil, despite all of their humanistic, postmodern, intellectual, and other philosophical hubris. Mankind has not really evolved so much in the last few thousands of years.
Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? Well, we can't really expect those who reject religion and faith and proclaim that it is evil and irrational to actually read the scriptures and learn that it is full of such sociological and historical wisdom. That particular passage from the Bible pretty accurately describes all the behaviors that have caused the fall of every great empire. It's kind of funny that so many so-called intellectuals have ignored such a valuable resource and have remained ignorant of these causes-and-effects that recur every so often. They are not so smart, and their minds don't function all that great after all. In their delusions of grandeur they have fallen into the exact same traps as so many before them.
And the Devil always gets the last laugh. And he always gets his golden fiddles back somehow. But this time the Devil is coming to all of America to reclaim all those golden fiddles so he can redistribute them. Unfortunately, he is also taking much more than some ill-gotten golden fiddles. He wants to take all the other fiddles too, including those humble homemade heirlooms that were never touched by the Devil at all.
Welcome to the readers of goldenfiddle.tumblr.com! Please allow me to explain that this posting is somewhat snarky and tongue-in-cheek.
"The Devil Went Down to Georgia" originally by Charlie Daniels Band:
Of course, Johnny earned his golden fiddle by accepting the Devil's challenge and out-fiddling the Devil, but what the story doesn't say is that anything you get from the Devil, whether you've earned it or not, isn't really free and isn't really yours to keep forever. You can't take it with you when you die.
A lot of people in the last couple of decades have "earned" their golden fiddles, too. But now that they are trying to cash them in they are learning that they are truly worthless. They built entire empires upon the wealth (and talent, or luck, or whatever) they thought their golden fiddles represented. However, not even modern high-tech people can really outwit or win any bet with the Devil, despite all of their humanistic, postmodern, intellectual, and other philosophical hubris. Mankind has not really evolved so much in the last few thousands of years.
2 Timothy 3
Godlessness in the Last Days
1 Remember that there will be difficult times in the last days. 2 People will be selfish, greedy, boastful, and conceited; they will be insulting, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, and irreligious; 3 they will be unkind, merciless, slanderers, violent, and fierce; they will hate the good; 4 they will be treacherous, reckless, and swollen with pride; they will love pleasure rather than God; 5 they will hold to the outward form of our religion, but reject its real power. Keep away from such people. 6 Some of them go into people's houses and gain control over weak women who are burdened by the guilt of their sins and driven by all kinds of desires, 7 women who are always trying to learn but who can never come to know the truth. 8 As Jannes and Jambres were opposed to Moses, so also these people are opposed to the truth—people whose minds do not function and who are failures in the faith. 9 But they will not get very far, because everyone will see how stupid they are. That is just what happened to Jannes and Jambres.
Sounds pretty familiar, doesn't it? Well, we can't really expect those who reject religion and faith and proclaim that it is evil and irrational to actually read the scriptures and learn that it is full of such sociological and historical wisdom. That particular passage from the Bible pretty accurately describes all the behaviors that have caused the fall of every great empire. It's kind of funny that so many so-called intellectuals have ignored such a valuable resource and have remained ignorant of these causes-and-effects that recur every so often. They are not so smart, and their minds don't function all that great after all. In their delusions of grandeur they have fallen into the exact same traps as so many before them.
And the Devil always gets the last laugh. And he always gets his golden fiddles back somehow. But this time the Devil is coming to all of America to reclaim all those golden fiddles so he can redistribute them. Unfortunately, he is also taking much more than some ill-gotten golden fiddles. He wants to take all the other fiddles too, including those humble homemade heirlooms that were never touched by the Devil at all.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
"Emergency" Senate Pork
I've actually taken some time to read through the Senate version of the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008". Every interested person who wants to express an "educated" opinion about it should actually read it.
The basic bill is not very different from the original House bill, but it's still full of porcine garbage. For example:
Now seriously, this is supposed to be the 'biggest national crisis' since the Great Depression, and they're wasting time talking about a "carbon audit" of the tax code? But that's not all of it. There's so much more, including funding for race tracks! (look it up!) Well, how about a carbon audit of the race tracks too? ;-)
On the more reasonable side, there are some extensions of some current but about to expire tax credits and other incentives meant to stimulate business. Those are supposed to make the socialism a little more palatable to the conservatives, but I think it still looks like lipstick on a pig that still stinks really bad. ;-)
As for that carbon audit at a cost of $1.5 million, I guess that's supposed to look like pocket change compared to hundreds of billions. Great. So some climate scientists will get more funding to waste time studying something that is completely irrelevant and unimportant.
My prediction is that this bill with pass the Senate tonight, and then it will go back to the House to have even more "emergency" pork added to it, and then back to the Senate again. But honestly, the way that everyone has chastised the "ordinary" Americans for not supporting the bailout is just scapegoating us because it's easy. But the real villains here are those Congress members who are delaying this "urgent" legislation to avert "catastrophe" by squabbling over carbon audits, wooden toy arrows, race tracks, "substance use disorder" benefits, TV and film production tax breaks, and lots of other non-emergency nonsense.
The basic bill is not very different from the original House bill, but it's still full of porcine garbage. For example:
SEC. 117. CARBON AUDIT OF THE TAX CODE.
(a) STUDY.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to undertake a comprehensive review of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to identify the types of and specific tax provisions that have the largest effects on carbon and other greenhouse gas emissions and to estimate the magnitude of those effects.
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the National Academy of Sciences shall submit to Congress a report containing the results of study authorized under this section.
(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $1,500,000 for the period of fiscal years 2009 and 2010.
Now seriously, this is supposed to be the 'biggest national crisis' since the Great Depression, and they're wasting time talking about a "carbon audit" of the tax code? But that's not all of it. There's so much more, including funding for race tracks! (look it up!) Well, how about a carbon audit of the race tracks too? ;-)
On the more reasonable side, there are some extensions of some current but about to expire tax credits and other incentives meant to stimulate business. Those are supposed to make the socialism a little more palatable to the conservatives, but I think it still looks like lipstick on a pig that still stinks really bad. ;-)
As for that carbon audit at a cost of $1.5 million, I guess that's supposed to look like pocket change compared to hundreds of billions. Great. So some climate scientists will get more funding to waste time studying something that is completely irrelevant and unimportant.
My prediction is that this bill with pass the Senate tonight, and then it will go back to the House to have even more "emergency" pork added to it, and then back to the Senate again. But honestly, the way that everyone has chastised the "ordinary" Americans for not supporting the bailout is just scapegoating us because it's easy. But the real villains here are those Congress members who are delaying this "urgent" legislation to avert "catastrophe" by squabbling over carbon audits, wooden toy arrows, race tracks, "substance use disorder" benefits, TV and film production tax breaks, and lots of other non-emergency nonsense.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
White Trash and Proud of It
Canadian columnist, Heather Mallick, has called Sarah Palin's supporters "white trash" and has said Alaska is full of "drunks and crazy people," as well as saying very insulting things about Palin's teenage daughter's boyfriend.
Well, Ms. Mallick, I'm a white trash redneck and proud of it. And I think you and all of your Canadian elitists should be taken out behind the woodshed, or outhouse, ;-) and be whipped with some hickory branches, or maybe even some thorny blackberry branches. What you people just don't have is any respect for anyone who is different from you, and to me, that is much, much worse than being a country bumpkin or redneck.
I'm really shocked at the hatred directed at all of us normal people. But I guess I'm not that shocked about the hypocrisy spouted by so-called feminists and other rabid liberal opinionists.
Now here's this Mary Mitchell who says,
Well, you know what, Obama makes me sick with all his lies and cheap shots and fake "change" based on what, class conflict and pitting the "haves" against the "have-nots" instead of focusing on the the real source of the trouble which is the very corruption in which he's been so entrenched and well-funded. Call me a racist if it makes you feel better, but it's not the color of his skin that makes me sick. It's his actions and character, or lack thereof. And there is no way you can compare me to that black columnist who hates Palin just because she's a white woman who "stole" Obama's "mojo."
And Wendy Doniger, Professor of the History of Religions, University of Chicago’s Divinity School, goes so far as to say this:
Wow, now what exactly is the liberal feminist definition a woman? This is insane! I can't believe someone who is supposed to be well-educated could be so stupid. Well, actually, I'm not that surprised because of how many of these types I've encountered in my perusal of some "academic" blogs. Anyway, thirty years ago in the black community Obama wouldn't have been consider a "real" black because of his white mother. Oh, but I'm not allowed to say anything like that because that would make me a racist or something. Oh, God forbid I should even hint at some mildly race-related comment about the liberal SacredCow Pig, Obama.
And then there are other snobbish, elitist "academics" who proudly proclaim their hatred for Sarah Palin and try to defend their hatred by diminishing all of Palin's accomplishments by saying that she's just a "token feminist." And also claims that her hatred is justified because she thinks Palin is "rich." Great, that's such a perfect "academic-like" reason for hating anyone. ;-)
And really, all of this proud hatred is just completely stunning and unprecedented. I'm pretty sure that there wasn't even a fraction of this kind of elated hatred spouted so blatantly and cavalierly about black people back in the days when the civil rights movement was just beginning. I mean, wow, I just can't believe it.
You know what I really think, and this is not because of any hatred for anyone, is that all those who are so proud of their intolerance and ill will towards "white trash" or "rednecks" or Sarah Palin who actually does represent a great many normal, average women should be gathered up and whipped to shreds with those thorny blackberry branches until they learn the real meaning and consequences of their hatred.
Call me an evil conservative bitch if you like, but it's about time that those of us who have been so denigrated for so long stood up and said, "Enough, already!"
After all, no one ever said that democracy was supposed to be easy. ;-)
The Vicious Momma has spoken. Amen, go in peace. ;-)
PS In case anyone reads this and is somehow disappointed, please understand that the point of this post is to hold up a mirror and reflect back to all those intolerant haters exactly how ugly their hatred looks. To my liberal friends whom I love and don't want to offend, I know that not all liberals, feminists, etc are so full of hatred as the examples in this post.
Well, Ms. Mallick, I'm a white trash redneck and proud of it. And I think you and all of your Canadian elitists should be taken out behind the woodshed, or outhouse, ;-) and be whipped with some hickory branches, or maybe even some thorny blackberry branches. What you people just don't have is any respect for anyone who is different from you, and to me, that is much, much worse than being a country bumpkin or redneck.
I'm really shocked at the hatred directed at all of us normal people. But I guess I'm not that shocked about the hypocrisy spouted by so-called feminists and other rabid liberal opinionists.
Now here's this Mary Mitchell who says,
"Sarah Palin makes me sick. I hate that she was able to steal Barack Obama's mojo just by showing up wearing rimless glasses and a skirt."
Well, you know what, Obama makes me sick with all his lies and cheap shots and fake "change" based on what, class conflict and pitting the "haves" against the "have-nots" instead of focusing on the the real source of the trouble which is the very corruption in which he's been so entrenched and well-funded. Call me a racist if it makes you feel better, but it's not the color of his skin that makes me sick. It's his actions and character, or lack thereof. And there is no way you can compare me to that black columnist who hates Palin just because she's a white woman who "stole" Obama's "mojo."
And Wendy Doniger, Professor of the History of Religions, University of Chicago’s Divinity School, goes so far as to say this:
Her greatest hypocrisy is in her pretense that she is a woman.
Wow, now what exactly is the liberal feminist definition a woman? This is insane! I can't believe someone who is supposed to be well-educated could be so stupid. Well, actually, I'm not that surprised because of how many of these types I've encountered in my perusal of some "academic" blogs. Anyway, thirty years ago in the black community Obama wouldn't have been consider a "real" black because of his white mother. Oh, but I'm not allowed to say anything like that because that would make me a racist or something. Oh, God forbid I should even hint at some mildly race-related comment about the liberal Sacred
And then there are other snobbish, elitist "academics" who proudly proclaim their hatred for Sarah Palin and try to defend their hatred by diminishing all of Palin's accomplishments by saying that she's just a "token feminist." And also claims that her hatred is justified because she thinks Palin is "rich." Great, that's such a perfect "academic-like" reason for hating anyone. ;-)
And really, all of this proud hatred is just completely stunning and unprecedented. I'm pretty sure that there wasn't even a fraction of this kind of elated hatred spouted so blatantly and cavalierly about black people back in the days when the civil rights movement was just beginning. I mean, wow, I just can't believe it.
You know what I really think, and this is not because of any hatred for anyone, is that all those who are so proud of their intolerance and ill will towards "white trash" or "rednecks" or Sarah Palin who actually does represent a great many normal, average women should be gathered up and whipped to shreds with those thorny blackberry branches until they learn the real meaning and consequences of their hatred.
Call me an evil conservative bitch if you like, but it's about time that those of us who have been so denigrated for so long stood up and said, "Enough, already!"
After all, no one ever said that democracy was supposed to be easy. ;-)
The Vicious Momma has spoken. Amen, go in peace. ;-)
PS In case anyone reads this and is somehow disappointed, please understand that the point of this post is to hold up a mirror and reflect back to all those intolerant haters exactly how ugly their hatred looks. To my liberal friends whom I love and don't want to offend, I know that not all liberals, feminists, etc are so full of hatred as the examples in this post.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Told You So
The following is a quote from a 2-2-07 post in which I suggested that the banking and insurance industries were the source of many social evils:
Of course I was just spouting off and not really giving any justification for my intuition. However, turns out I was right anyway, but now that the shit has hit the fan I won't get any kind of credit for my perception and wisdom. Well, I'm pretty used to that by now. ;-)
Okay, I just wanted to say, "I told you so!"
And why is ExxonMobil the only scapegoat bad guy here? It's one of the biggest publicly traded companies in the world, number 6 according to this Forbes list. What too many people don't stop to think about is that if you hurt a large publicly owned company you are hurting everyone. Well, it's just like global warming, right? ;-)
Let me go off on a little tangent here about the top five on that list.
1 Citigroup United States (Banking)
2 General Electric United States (Conglomerates)
3 Bank of America United States (Banking)
4 American Intl Group United States (Insurance)
5 HSBC Group United Kingdom (Banking)
Banking and Insurance. Yeah. Like those are pristine industries that do nothing to harm and exploit the poor and elderly and the environment. If I were a well-paid journalist I'd do a fancy, in-depth expose on those industries in comparison to ExxonMobil, and I suspect that the results would show that overall ExxonMobil is a choirboy in moral comparison to the evil that the banking and insurance companies do to all of us. But I'm not a well-paid anything. I'm just a random blogger, so sorry, I can't invest the time and energy on that project for free. I'm a capitalist at heart. ;-)
Of course I was just spouting off and not really giving any justification for my intuition. However, turns out I was right anyway, but now that the shit has hit the fan I won't get any kind of credit for my perception and wisdom. Well, I'm pretty used to that by now. ;-)
Okay, I just wanted to say, "I told you so!"
Friday, August 8, 2008
08-08-08
I don't know if there is any mystical significance to today's date, though 8 on its side is the same as the symbol for eternity. Triple Eternity. Trinity. Oh, whatever. I'm having some problems with my brain this week. It wants to confuse me about what is a delusion and what is only a possibility but not necessarily a probability. Are you confused yet too? ;-)
Well, I always got a "Bill Clinton" vibe about John Edwards, and I'm sure that I mentioned it to someone back when he was stilling running for the Dem. nomination. By "Bill Clinton vibe" I mean, "adulterer." I know I predicted to at least one person that such a scandal would come out about him before the election, but she might not remember that I said it. Okay, so adultry isn't the worst thing a person can do, except maybe when his wife is suffering from cancer... Anyway, I knew this about him from one of my "bizarre intuitions" and I have to admit that I do feel a little vindicated about it.
Another prediction/intuition I've had that has turned out to be even more accurate than I first imagined is that banking is corrupt and causing lots of the problems in our society. Well, look at the mortgage mess and all the reverberations. Correct again, if I may say so.
Those are only two examples of how spontaneous insights that seemed far-out at first ended up being true. There are others. There are always others that fade from memory until some random news reminds me that I knew that already. This is a curse. I used to wish that I knew the future and could read people's minds, but we really must be careful what we wish for because when we get it, it never looks the way we expected or hoped. Like the Shadow who "knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men," I can see the internal Pitch Forks. ;-) Yes, maybe I'm just another crazy with delusions of grandeur, and to be frank, I hide about 90% of my "bizarre" thoughts from my friends and family because I fear their perception that I've completely lost my mind. But really, more often than not they are true. I just know things.
Being right most of the time makes it especially difficult to talk myself out of some new bizarre insight or intuition or delusion or whatever you want to call it. Sometimes things look so obvious and sensible, but of course there are some times when they really are completely false and unfounded. What percentage of time does being right overcome being wrong? How do I know unless I look for explanations and ask questions, sometimes really weird and maybe even disturbing questions? My husband isn't too surprised or bothered anymore when I ask him some crazy question to check myself. And for his willingness to endure this I am very grateful, and more sane.
I guess those of us with faulty brains just have misfiring neurons or some other neural events that cause us to create wild ideas. Sometimes creativity is great, but others it is very problematic. No one wants to listen or take seriously or deal with anything out of the ordinary, and so much of it is suppressed or otherwise hidden. Blah, blah, blah. I'm just trying to explain what goes on in a crazy mind.
Next week school starts so we'll be busy with all of that. I really don't care for the school schedule these days because they get out too soon in May and go back too soon in August.
Well, I always got a "Bill Clinton" vibe about John Edwards, and I'm sure that I mentioned it to someone back when he was stilling running for the Dem. nomination. By "Bill Clinton vibe" I mean, "adulterer." I know I predicted to at least one person that such a scandal would come out about him before the election, but she might not remember that I said it. Okay, so adultry isn't the worst thing a person can do, except maybe when his wife is suffering from cancer... Anyway, I knew this about him from one of my "bizarre intuitions" and I have to admit that I do feel a little vindicated about it.
Another prediction/intuition I've had that has turned out to be even more accurate than I first imagined is that banking is corrupt and causing lots of the problems in our society. Well, look at the mortgage mess and all the reverberations. Correct again, if I may say so.
Those are only two examples of how spontaneous insights that seemed far-out at first ended up being true. There are others. There are always others that fade from memory until some random news reminds me that I knew that already. This is a curse. I used to wish that I knew the future and could read people's minds, but we really must be careful what we wish for because when we get it, it never looks the way we expected or hoped. Like the Shadow who "knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men," I can see the internal Pitch Forks. ;-) Yes, maybe I'm just another crazy with delusions of grandeur, and to be frank, I hide about 90% of my "bizarre" thoughts from my friends and family because I fear their perception that I've completely lost my mind. But really, more often than not they are true. I just know things.
Being right most of the time makes it especially difficult to talk myself out of some new bizarre insight or intuition or delusion or whatever you want to call it. Sometimes things look so obvious and sensible, but of course there are some times when they really are completely false and unfounded. What percentage of time does being right overcome being wrong? How do I know unless I look for explanations and ask questions, sometimes really weird and maybe even disturbing questions? My husband isn't too surprised or bothered anymore when I ask him some crazy question to check myself. And for his willingness to endure this I am very grateful, and more sane.
I guess those of us with faulty brains just have misfiring neurons or some other neural events that cause us to create wild ideas. Sometimes creativity is great, but others it is very problematic. No one wants to listen or take seriously or deal with anything out of the ordinary, and so much of it is suppressed or otherwise hidden. Blah, blah, blah. I'm just trying to explain what goes on in a crazy mind.
Next week school starts so we'll be busy with all of that. I really don't care for the school schedule these days because they get out too soon in May and go back too soon in August.
"Right Place Wrong Time" by Dr. John
I been in the right place, but it must have been the wrong time
I'd have said the right thing, but I must have used the wrong line
I been in the right trip, but I must have used the wrong car
My head was in a bad place, and I'm wondering what it's good for
I been the right place, but it must have been the wrong time
My head was in a bad place, but I'm having such a good time
I been running trying, things get hung up in my mind
Got to give myself a good talking-to this time
Just need a little brain salad surgery
Got to cure my insecurity
I been in the wrong place, but it must have been the right time
I been in the right place, but it must have been the wrong song
I been in the right vein, but it seems like the wrong arm
I been in the right world, but it seems wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong
Slipping dodging sneaking creeping hiding out down the street
See me life shaking with every who I meet
Refried confusion is making itself clear
Wonder which way do I go to get on out of here
I been in the right place, but it must have been the wrong time
I'd have said the right thing, but I must have used the wrong line
I'd have took the right road, but I must have took a wrong turn
I'd have took the right move, but I made it at the wrong time
I been on the right trip, but I took it in the wrong car
My head was in a good place, and I wonder what it's bad for.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Vicious Momma Gang Sign
update: This post has been linked in a paranormal forum thread about strange body markings, and some whackadoodles have suggested that I was somehow paid to post this to "discredit" the people who think aliens are branding them. Sorry, folks, but there is absolutely NO conspiracy going on here. I simply had an accident with a hair dryer and thought it was funny and wanted to share my experience and complain about a really bad hair dryer design. DUH!! Some people have way too much time to sit around worrying about alien conspiracies. And I would bet a chunk of money that nearly all of the "mysterious markings" that people claim are caused by aliens are just self-inflicted cries for attention.
The mark (3 cm) is still there after 8 days. I've been putting stuff on it to help it heal and hopefully reduce the scarring.
Poll Results
What is the mark on my neck?
A. alien ownership branding 1 (6%)
B. allergic reaction to fetish collar 2 (13%)
C. bite mark of robot vampire 1 (6%)
D. gang initiation sign 2 (13%)
E. accident with made in China hairdryer 9 (60%)
Total Votes: 15
I guess I made the outlandish options a little too outlandish. ;-) Indeed, I was burned by a hairdryer, but in my prejudice against made in China crap I erroneously assumed the offending, defective appliance was made in China. But it was made in Costa Rica. (I couldn't edit the poll after I discovered my error.) I didn't know they made anything there. ;-) Okay, evidently they make lots of stuff there, including evil hair products:
As you can see the metal on the end of the dryer extends past the plastic housing. I think it is clearly a bad and dangerous design. I've had this dryer for probably 10 years though I haven't used it a lot since most days I let my hair air-dry. I've checked the government lists of recalled products, but it isn't listed. It should be. Let me explain how easy it was for me to get burned. Last Monday I was in a hurry and upset because my dad had been put in the hospital with bad pneumonia. Somehow while drying my hair the dryer slipped out of my hand and barely brushed my neck. It happened very fast and at first I didn't think I was burnt that bad because the contact with my skin was so quick. But within an hour the burn was very obvious and painful. I don't know how hot that metal gets, but it must be very hot in order to burn like that.
If I was the suing kind, I think I'd have a decent claim of product liability. I might could even get enough money to pay off the swimming pool. But I kind of think it's immoral to sue just because you can. Well, maybe I'm just an idiot who's passing up a chance to get some money?
Anyway, so all week I've been joking about it being a gang sign or something like that. Some of the most practical advice surprisingly came from my sister who told me to just "wear it with pride." Yeah, what other choice is there? ;-) I've done some research into symbolism and discovered that my mark is pretty similar to the Native American medicine wheel:
But it most resembles a weapon's crosshairs:
Well, I've decided to call it my Vicious Momma gang sign (for leader of the GESDVMs), but some might rather call it the Mark of the Beast, especially considering how evil I was last week. Hopefully, no one will see it and think it is literally a target to shoot. I do think it's kind of ironic how it all went down. In my own personal and private imagination it really does seem like a shamanic initiation mark with some powerful symbolism. For many years I thought I wanted a tattoo but never could decide what and where exactly. Looks like as soon as I got over my desire for a tattoo, I ended up with something anyway. Maybe it won't really be a permanent scar, but I suspect that it will.
The mark (3 cm) is still there after 8 days. I've been putting stuff on it to help it heal and hopefully reduce the scarring.
Poll Results
What is the mark on my neck?
A. alien ownership branding 1 (6%)
B. allergic reaction to fetish collar 2 (13%)
C. bite mark of robot vampire 1 (6%)
D. gang initiation sign 2 (13%)
E. accident with made in China hairdryer 9 (60%)
Total Votes: 15
I guess I made the outlandish options a little too outlandish. ;-) Indeed, I was burned by a hairdryer, but in my prejudice against made in China crap I erroneously assumed the offending, defective appliance was made in China. But it was made in Costa Rica. (I couldn't edit the poll after I discovered my error.) I didn't know they made anything there. ;-) Okay, evidently they make lots of stuff there, including evil hair products:
As you can see the metal on the end of the dryer extends past the plastic housing. I think it is clearly a bad and dangerous design. I've had this dryer for probably 10 years though I haven't used it a lot since most days I let my hair air-dry. I've checked the government lists of recalled products, but it isn't listed. It should be. Let me explain how easy it was for me to get burned. Last Monday I was in a hurry and upset because my dad had been put in the hospital with bad pneumonia. Somehow while drying my hair the dryer slipped out of my hand and barely brushed my neck. It happened very fast and at first I didn't think I was burnt that bad because the contact with my skin was so quick. But within an hour the burn was very obvious and painful. I don't know how hot that metal gets, but it must be very hot in order to burn like that.
If I was the suing kind, I think I'd have a decent claim of product liability. I might could even get enough money to pay off the swimming pool. But I kind of think it's immoral to sue just because you can. Well, maybe I'm just an idiot who's passing up a chance to get some money?
Anyway, so all week I've been joking about it being a gang sign or something like that. Some of the most practical advice surprisingly came from my sister who told me to just "wear it with pride." Yeah, what other choice is there? ;-) I've done some research into symbolism and discovered that my mark is pretty similar to the Native American medicine wheel:
But it most resembles a weapon's crosshairs:
Well, I've decided to call it my Vicious Momma gang sign (for leader of the GESDVMs), but some might rather call it the Mark of the Beast, especially considering how evil I was last week. Hopefully, no one will see it and think it is literally a target to shoot. I do think it's kind of ironic how it all went down. In my own personal and private imagination it really does seem like a shamanic initiation mark with some powerful symbolism. For many years I thought I wanted a tattoo but never could decide what and where exactly. Looks like as soon as I got over my desire for a tattoo, I ended up with something anyway. Maybe it won't really be a permanent scar, but I suspect that it will.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Told You So
Okay, in the spirit of Vi Mo and some cruel tutelage, let's look at the current economic "crisis" centered on the housing "crunch" or whatever they are calling it now. A big part of the problem was that the crooked banks were giving people insane loans to "buy" more house than they could really afford. You see, this variable interest thing has been around for a long time, but only in the last few years have many people been fooled or just plain stupid enough to fall for it. And you can be certain that the banks were pushing these loans very hard, though I really have trouble understanding why an industry would shoot itself in the foot like that, unless they just refused to acknowledge that ignoring long term risks while focusing on short term profits is not a good plan.
I mean, imagine that you're a banker with some money to loan on a big house that is really more than the buyers can afford, but you decide that even if they default on this loan you'll have this house to cover it. You've assumed that the house will either retain its value or go up in value, so it seems like a pretty fair deal. But the buyers really need a more affordable payment, so you offer them a variable rate loan with an "introductory" very low or practically non-existent interest rate for a couple of years. Everybody's happy, right?
But if we think about it a little more, even if the economy doesn't falter and the house doesn't go down in value, can you really expect that the buyers will have the money to pay the higher payments in a couple of years? Nothing in history tells me that anyone should depend on such things. In their greed the banks and the buyers have shot themselves in the feet. I don't want to pay for their mistakes.
While some dummies want to blame Capitalism itself for these problems, they too are just being too short-sighted and narrow-minded. Saying that all capitalists are greedy and crooked like some bank executives is just as stupid as saying that all Muslims are terrorists. There are bad apples in every bunch but you can't say that all apples are rotten. Duh!
Well, it might be tempting to blame the consumers and call them all stupid, but that would also be too simple and wrong. I do feel some empathy for those who were pressured into bad loans because we all have had experiences of being "sold" on a bad thing. However, when it comes to homes and ownership, there have been a lot of 'get rich quick' schemes around that have encouraged people to "invest" in homes and rental properties, etc. I guess I'm conservative enough to keep my "investments" (in the liquifiable sense) separate from my basic needs, such as shelter. Anyway, good advice is always "buyer beware," and it's unfortunate that nowadays buyers must beware of even those who are supposed to be helping, like real estate agents who certainly do make arrangements with lenders to push certain types of loans.
My solution to this particular problem with the bad loans, etc., is to say to the banks, "You should have known better." Who else but financial institutions should be most careful with money? I think that they should foot the bill for the whole mess that they were mostly responsible for creating. We have trusted them to use our money (which ultimately it is our money that they've been carelessly lending out) wisely but they haven't. I would say, "You play, you pay."
We don't use a traditional bank anymore. We use a credit union. Maybe big banks are becoming obsolete in the same way as labor unions.
I mean, imagine that you're a banker with some money to loan on a big house that is really more than the buyers can afford, but you decide that even if they default on this loan you'll have this house to cover it. You've assumed that the house will either retain its value or go up in value, so it seems like a pretty fair deal. But the buyers really need a more affordable payment, so you offer them a variable rate loan with an "introductory" very low or practically non-existent interest rate for a couple of years. Everybody's happy, right?
But if we think about it a little more, even if the economy doesn't falter and the house doesn't go down in value, can you really expect that the buyers will have the money to pay the higher payments in a couple of years? Nothing in history tells me that anyone should depend on such things. In their greed the banks and the buyers have shot themselves in the feet. I don't want to pay for their mistakes.
While some dummies want to blame Capitalism itself for these problems, they too are just being too short-sighted and narrow-minded. Saying that all capitalists are greedy and crooked like some bank executives is just as stupid as saying that all Muslims are terrorists. There are bad apples in every bunch but you can't say that all apples are rotten. Duh!
Well, it might be tempting to blame the consumers and call them all stupid, but that would also be too simple and wrong. I do feel some empathy for those who were pressured into bad loans because we all have had experiences of being "sold" on a bad thing. However, when it comes to homes and ownership, there have been a lot of 'get rich quick' schemes around that have encouraged people to "invest" in homes and rental properties, etc. I guess I'm conservative enough to keep my "investments" (in the liquifiable sense) separate from my basic needs, such as shelter. Anyway, good advice is always "buyer beware," and it's unfortunate that nowadays buyers must beware of even those who are supposed to be helping, like real estate agents who certainly do make arrangements with lenders to push certain types of loans.
My solution to this particular problem with the bad loans, etc., is to say to the banks, "You should have known better." Who else but financial institutions should be most careful with money? I think that they should foot the bill for the whole mess that they were mostly responsible for creating. We have trusted them to use our money (which ultimately it is our money that they've been carelessly lending out) wisely but they haven't. I would say, "You play, you pay."
We don't use a traditional bank anymore. We use a credit union. Maybe big banks are becoming obsolete in the same way as labor unions.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Lord Have Mercy
A Tsar Is Born
Time's Man of the Year is Russia's Vladimir Putin. When I first heard it I was a little puzzled, but after reading and thinking more about it I see that it is a fair choice. He certainly has the power that many men wish for, especially the wannabe world dictator, Al Gore. ;-)
Interesting facts from the Time article:
He has never sent an email in his life.
Despite growing up in an officially atheist country, he is a believer and often reads his Bible.
He comes from a very modest, poor background.
He has a black belt in judo.
He is quick to aggitation and has little patience for small talk, jokes, and social niceties. He is generally ruthless and cold.
He complains about how he thinks America treats Russia as "an uninvited guest at a party."
But at the end of the article the writer explains:
Well, I have to say that if one acts like that then it's rather natural to assume that Russians "are a little bit savage still." You see, even we backwards Tennessee hillbillies know better than to end a dinner before the dinner is even served. In fact, we would be very insulted if a guest up and left before the main course was served, and we would expect a guest to be equally insulted if we kicked them out too soon.
Runs In the Family
Britney Spears' 16 year old sister, Jamie Lynn, has announced that she is pregnant. You would think that she might have learned what not to do by watching her big sister's series of screw-ups. And what about their mother? Has she never explained to her daughters what happens when you have unprotected sex? I was about to give their mother the benefit of the doubt with one daughter that didn't turn out so great, but now that both daughters appear to be defective one must place some blame on the mother, genetically and environmentally. Actually, I think that Mrs. Spears probably sold her and her daughters' souls to the Devil in order to gain fame and fortune. But as most of us know, when the Devil makes deals they aren't as good as you think they will be.
Time's Man of the Year is Russia's Vladimir Putin. When I first heard it I was a little puzzled, but after reading and thinking more about it I see that it is a fair choice. He certainly has the power that many men wish for, especially the wannabe world dictator, Al Gore. ;-)
Interesting facts from the Time article:
He has never sent an email in his life.
Despite growing up in an officially atheist country, he is a believer and often reads his Bible.
He comes from a very modest, poor background.
He has a black belt in judo.
He is quick to aggitation and has little patience for small talk, jokes, and social niceties. He is generally ruthless and cold.
He complains about how he thinks America treats Russia as "an uninvited guest at a party."
"We want to be a friend of America," he says. "Sometimes we get the impression that America does not need friends" but only "auxiliary subjects to command." Asked if he'd like to correct any American misconceptions about Russia, Putin leans forward and says, "I don't believe these are misconceptions. I think this is a purposeful attempt by some to create an image of Russia based on which one could influence our internal and foreign policies. This is the reason why everybody is made to believe...[Russians] are a little bit savage still or they just climbed down from the trees, you know, and probably need to have...the dirt washed out of their beards and hair."
But at the end of the article the writer explains:
Back at the dacha, with snow falling lightly outside, our dinner and discussion continue. Putin has been irritable throughout, a grudging host. Suddenly, at 10 o'clock, he stands and abruptly ends the evening. "We've finished eating, there's nothing more on the table, so let's call it a day," he declares. Actually, the main course (choice of sturgeon or veal) and dessert ("bird's milk" cake)—lovingly printed in gold ink on the prepared menu cards—haven't yet been served. The Russian President's brusqueness is jarring. Have our questions angered him? Bored him? Does he have another appointment? It's not clear. "Bye bye," says Putin—in English—as he walks briskly out of the room.
Well, I have to say that if one acts like that then it's rather natural to assume that Russians "are a little bit savage still." You see, even we backwards Tennessee hillbillies know better than to end a dinner before the dinner is even served. In fact, we would be very insulted if a guest up and left before the main course was served, and we would expect a guest to be equally insulted if we kicked them out too soon.
Runs In the Family
Britney Spears' 16 year old sister, Jamie Lynn, has announced that she is pregnant. You would think that she might have learned what not to do by watching her big sister's series of screw-ups. And what about their mother? Has she never explained to her daughters what happens when you have unprotected sex? I was about to give their mother the benefit of the doubt with one daughter that didn't turn out so great, but now that both daughters appear to be defective one must place some blame on the mother, genetically and environmentally. Actually, I think that Mrs. Spears probably sold her and her daughters' souls to the Devil in order to gain fame and fortune. But as most of us know, when the Devil makes deals they aren't as good as you think they will be.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Psalm 56
Just out of curiosity last night I opened the Bible to a random page and this was what I found:
Coincidence or not, it was very appropriate for the day. I think it's funny-weird and interesting that good people have been persecuted and tormented by the Godless evil people for a very long time. But it's also a little sad that even after all these centuries and technological, educational, "rational" and other advances, there are still mean, rotten pitchforks in the world who just can't resist being hateful to those who actually try to be good and moral, and especially to those who try to instruct others about goodness and morality. Well, it's just too bad. I guess evolution hasn't been any more successful at cleaning up the human population than religion or any other pillars of civilization.
Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me;
Fighting all day long he oppresses me.
My foes have trampled upon me all day long,
For they are many who fight proudly against me.
When I am afraid,
I will put my trust in You.
In God, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust;
I shall not be afraid.
What can mere man do to me?
All day long they distort my words;
All their thoughts are against me for evil.
They attack, they lurk,
They watch my steps,
As they have waited to take my life.
Because of wickedness, cast them forth,
In anger put down the peoples, O God!
You have taken account of my wanderings;
Put my tears in Your bottle.
Are they not in Your book?
Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call;
This I know, that God is for me.
In God, whose word I praise,
In the LORD, whose word I praise,
In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid.
What can man do to me?
Your vows are binding upon me, O God;
I will render thank offerings to You.
For You have delivered my soul from death,
Indeed my feet from stumbling,
So that I may walk before God
In the light of the living.
Coincidence or not, it was very appropriate for the day. I think it's funny-weird and interesting that good people have been persecuted and tormented by the Godless evil people for a very long time. But it's also a little sad that even after all these centuries and technological, educational, "rational" and other advances, there are still mean, rotten pitchforks in the world who just can't resist being hateful to those who actually try to be good and moral, and especially to those who try to instruct others about goodness and morality. Well, it's just too bad. I guess evolution hasn't been any more successful at cleaning up the human population than religion or any other pillars of civilization.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Leaks
Yesterday we learned that due to some government idiot's leaking of information to the media we have lost a valuable internet source of intelligence about terrorist plans and activities. What is wrong with people? Don't they have any integrity anymore? I think whoever was responsible for this leak should be charged with treason. We don't know how many planned attacks might have been prevented because of the information from that source. And now it's gone, so if an attack happens the leaker/traitor should be executed. Yes, that's harsh, but it's really inexcusable for someone working for the people to do something so irresponsible and stupid and dangerous. If they made such a big to-do about the Valerie Plame thing then this should be an even bigger to-do.
Addendum:
"There’s no more ignominious fate for these once-powerful titans than irrelevance." Pat Sajak, in The Media and Fred Thompson
I like Pat. He's smart. And in his article about the media and Thompson he pretty well skewers the big media outlets for their crooked attempts to remain relevant in these changing times. A "dwindling handful of sclerotic media outlets" is what he calls them. Sclerotic means something like "old, stiff, and immovable" or the opposite of supple. I like that word, supple. Anyway, I think it does relate to the story above about the leaks to the media. I hope that these kinds of stunts, like releasing a secret video when told not to, will backfire in securing media relevance if enough people will realize how absolutely irresponsibly the media behaves. Enough already. Maybe these media types who air secret videos should be charged with treason too.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Free Speech and Thanking Jesus
I've just learned of the controversial "thank you" speech that Kathy Griffin made at the Emmys.
Then I watched a gooberly video made by a boy who says he "hates conservative white men" and defends Griffin's "free speech" to say "Suck it Jesus" on TV and further explains that he doesn't see what the big deal is and blah, blah, blah. He's complaining about the "censorship" of her remarks and encourages people to sign some kind of petition and lots of other liberalish gibberish. He basically is complaining about the "free speech" rights of those who found her comments offensive and expressed their offense. (God forbid anyone should ever say anything offensive to a liberal or atheist!) He's complaining that her "militant atheist religion" is being criticized. Well, welcome to the club of persecution, dude.
You know, I fully realize that Kathy Griffin is a comedian and she tries to be funny and many times humor is found in the offensive. Okay, fine. But on national network TV there are standards of decency and things that aren't allowed to be said. I'm pretty sure that "Goddamn" isn't allowed, so "Suck it Jesus" is about the same thing or maybe even a little worse. Sure, people can say that it's silly to censor language on TV, but when protecting the rights of everyone we sometimes must place some limits on our own freedom. When will people realize this very basic fact?
I'm no "holy roller" or whatever, though I do have a "personal relationship" with what I can call God. If that is enough to offend a liberal or atheist then they are extremely immature and stupid. Similar to that boy in the video, I don't see what's so offensive to atheists when someone expresses thanks to God or Jesus. Why should they even care? See, that argument can be flipped around on the liberals too.
It's so unfortunate that these "militant atheists" cannot accept that freedom goes both ways. They have the choice to believe or not, just like everyone else has that choice. By belittling and berating those who choose differently from them, they are revealing just how narrow-minded and illogical they really are.
I really don't have a problem with atheists or liberals as long as they don't go around expecting special treatment or privileges. I can respect their rights and choice of beliefs, or lack thereof, as long as they can respect mine. But I've noticed that generally (not always, but too often), atheists (and liberals) don't, can't, and/or won't respect the choices of others. And true and unfortunate enough, the same can be said about most people and that is why it's sometimes necessary to limit freedoms to prevent chaos. (I think that might be some kind of natural law or something.) ;-)
Anyway, thanks to God and Jesus and Allah and Whatever for the opportunity to say these things. ;-)
And no, I haven't given up all pork. Only unhealthy pork from substandard and contaminated pigstys. ;-)
Then I watched a gooberly video made by a boy who says he "hates conservative white men" and defends Griffin's "free speech" to say "Suck it Jesus" on TV and further explains that he doesn't see what the big deal is and blah, blah, blah. He's complaining about the "censorship" of her remarks and encourages people to sign some kind of petition and lots of other liberalish gibberish. He basically is complaining about the "free speech" rights of those who found her comments offensive and expressed their offense. (God forbid anyone should ever say anything offensive to a liberal or atheist!) He's complaining that her "militant atheist religion" is being criticized. Well, welcome to the club of persecution, dude.
You know, I fully realize that Kathy Griffin is a comedian and she tries to be funny and many times humor is found in the offensive. Okay, fine. But on national network TV there are standards of decency and things that aren't allowed to be said. I'm pretty sure that "Goddamn" isn't allowed, so "Suck it Jesus" is about the same thing or maybe even a little worse. Sure, people can say that it's silly to censor language on TV, but when protecting the rights of everyone we sometimes must place some limits on our own freedom. When will people realize this very basic fact?
I'm no "holy roller" or whatever, though I do have a "personal relationship" with what I can call God. If that is enough to offend a liberal or atheist then they are extremely immature and stupid. Similar to that boy in the video, I don't see what's so offensive to atheists when someone expresses thanks to God or Jesus. Why should they even care? See, that argument can be flipped around on the liberals too.
It's so unfortunate that these "militant atheists" cannot accept that freedom goes both ways. They have the choice to believe or not, just like everyone else has that choice. By belittling and berating those who choose differently from them, they are revealing just how narrow-minded and illogical they really are.
I really don't have a problem with atheists or liberals as long as they don't go around expecting special treatment or privileges. I can respect their rights and choice of beliefs, or lack thereof, as long as they can respect mine. But I've noticed that generally (not always, but too often), atheists (and liberals) don't, can't, and/or won't respect the choices of others. And true and unfortunate enough, the same can be said about most people and that is why it's sometimes necessary to limit freedoms to prevent chaos. (I think that might be some kind of natural law or something.) ;-)
Anyway, thanks to God and Jesus and Allah and Whatever for the opportunity to say these things. ;-)
And no, I haven't given up all pork. Only unhealthy pork from substandard and contaminated pigstys. ;-)
Friday, August 31, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
A Little Birdie Told Me
It seems that my presence in the pig sty has been greatly missed to the point that they are imagining a whole spectrum of me. Well, if the pig wasn't such a filthy pig he would easily free his sad readers of their delusions. Sorry little piggies, but it really hasn't been me gracing the pig sty. And I'm sure the big pig CIP knows the truth.
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Snakeoil Sales in the Marketplace of Ideas
Lubos recently posted an interesting and stimulating essay on the market of ideas and how it might work better in science. Well, I'm not really going to talk about that detailed of a topic but more of a survey of one of the problems with a market of ideas. (We're only wading in here since my intellectual tide is so low. ;-) )
Every market that has ever existed has had its share of snakeoil sales. This is just one of the inherent traits of an open and free market in which all types can participate. There will always be room for less than honest people trying to make a buck off of gullible and/or desperate people, whether they are offering some miracle cures for ailments, a utopian sociopolitical system, a perfect religion, a scientific theory, or any other good, service, or idea (or combination of those). It would be nice if I'd go and list a bunch of examples of each type and how and why they fall into the snakeoil sales category. But can't everyone already think of some examples? Besides I don't want to get caught up in some "debate" about which examples are or aren't snakeoil. That's not my point here. (I'm using that reason because I learned it from an "intellectually serious" person. ;-) )
Okay, now what was I going to say? Sometimes I crack myself up and lose my train of thought. It's an occupational hazard to being the Sacred Fool. ;-) Well, crap. That train's done left the station. I'll have to wait until it comes back around. Sorry.
La, la, la, la, la. Well, here comes another.
The previously mentioned Lubos essay got me into a miscommunication with someone. I was trying to help him save some time by telling him that something was snakeoil and why it was snakeoil. I was only trying to tell him the "bottom line" but he didn't want to hear it for some reason. Some people are like that though. I'm like that too, actually. I like to think things out on my own before I decide if some advice is valuable or not. Anyway, some people too readily dismiss some ideas which is as much a problem as too readily accepting them. Sometimes it is hard to know which is the snakeoil and which really is a good new thing. But things being hard to do shouldn't mean that we shouldn't try to figure them out.
So now what? We know that snakeoil will always exist and that some people will buy it right up without any thought and that some people will quickly know that it's snakeoil and not buy it at all. And we know that sometimes fights break out when the two different types of people start talking about the snakeoil. But we also know that sometimes fights break out because some people who make snakeoil will say that the good stuff isn't good in an attempt to make more money. It's all part of that dishonesty trait that all snakeoil salesmen have.
Well, what in the world can you do to maintain some peace in the marketplace when there is all of this fighting? And how do the customers know who to believe and what to buy? How do the good guys convince the people that the snakeoil guys are lying and not to waste their money? Testimonials. (See, I'm the Great Wizard of Hoes, and I'm giving out prizes to the fearless few who dare to listen. ;-) )
Testimonials are when someone tells you from their own experience that something works well and is a good value. I guess testimonials vary in value too depending on the giver's and receiver's own traits, and that is why they aren't always successful. (And why my own testimonial was dismissed in the previous miscommunication.) Of course, the snakeoil salesmen can make up and/or buy fake testimonials too, and that further complicates things.
You know, that train just stopped. I think I'll get off of it and see about another one. Wait a minute. Why am I talking about trains when we're supposed to be wading in a low tide?
Okay, sorry, this is how things go when you are constantly interrupted with "momma, momma, momma" when you're trying to think and write.
Maybe what I was going to say is that sometimes there are people who just have to try that snakeoil for themselves just so they know for sure, even when they've been told plenty that it really is snakeoil. And even though that is going to cause problems in the marketplace, if it's going to be a truly free and open marketplace then they should have that freedom to try the snakeoil if they really want to. Of course, we must have laws to protect people from things that are obviously more dangerous than not, but I don't want to get in a debate about examples of those right now either. ;-) (I've already covered some of those in the past anyway.) And there will always be a few people who just don't ever realize that the snakeoil is exactly that. Maybe they like it? But it is their choice, I suppose.
So there you go. I hope your feet aren't too soggy, but maybe it wasn't too hard to see the point of wading instead of diving (not that there's anything wrong with diving). I haven't "solved" any specific problems here, but I hope I've at least shown that when looking at certain concepts it is necessary to accept some "pre-existing conditions" (or "assumptions", I guess, is what the serious people call them ;-) ), like the existence of snakeoil. You don't have to dive too deep to see the bottom when you're wading in the low tide. And sometimes that's a good thing.
The fine print: In case it's not obvious, I really did intend to use the Wizard of Oz, a snakeoil salesman himself, as an ironic allusion.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
The Dark Side
The dark side's callin' now, nothin' is real
"On the Dark Side" by John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band
Sometimes I have the opposite of Messianic fantasies. Sometimes I wish I could be the vigilante anti-hero who rids the world of all the asshole bullies running around being mean and nasty. If I had the gumption to write fiction I'd tell the story of Rae the Emasculator, a modern female incarnation of Vlad the Impaler. But instead of impaled bodies the Emasculator would string up all the nuts of the asshole bullies. Of course, my weapon of choice would be a hoe. ;-) Maybe sometimes it would be a razor sharp one for when time is at a premium, and maybe sometimes it would be a dull, rusty one for when I want to devote a little more time to my task (and want to inflict more pain.) Some men truly do not deserve to have testicles.
You can't have light without dark. Just last night I was watching a show and heard a guy say that if you played a guitar on Mercury you wouldn't hear the sound because there is no atmosphere to transmit the sound waves. Well, of course, I had learned that in school but hadn't thought about it since then. It was one of those "oh yeah" moments. Just because we have no way of detecting or sensing something does not mean it doesn't exist. Those guitar strings are still vibrating and sending out waves of energy even though we can't hear them. We all have a dark side even if we don't recognize it or acknowledge it. The Universe has its Darkness too.
Not to sound all Star Wars or anything, but this light and dark balance stuff has been around a lot longer than George Lucas. When I was a kid I sometimes secretly wanted to be Darth Vader. The power of the dark side is seductive. The ability to crush your enemies with your mind was very appealing to a girl who was frequently by bullied by boys. Before the boys grew bigger than me I used to kick them between the legs when they were mean to me. (the Emasculator tendency started young) But after they outgrew me I had no physical means of fighting back. But if I could have crushed their nuts with my mind, there would presently be quite a few sterile bullies in the Southeast.
Well, I suppose I've frightened every male who has happened to read this. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about as long as you are nice. And why would you expect anything less from a Vicious Momma? ;-)
PS Another little bit of disclosure: the truth is unfortunately that I am genetically 25% pitch fork.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Prostitute Killed In Hoe Attack
(via Tayster)
Wow, the world really must be about to end. A hoe has been implicated in the murder of a transvestite prostitute in California.
I have to say that hoes are just not well-suited for violence and especially not murder. What a mess it must have been! Yuck!
I think that hoe must have been part pitch fork or something. Most hoes are quite peaceful and kind. This is such shocking news.
Wow, the world really must be about to end. A hoe has been implicated in the murder of a transvestite prostitute in California.
I have to say that hoes are just not well-suited for violence and especially not murder. What a mess it must have been! Yuck!
I think that hoe must have been part pitch fork or something. Most hoes are quite peaceful and kind. This is such shocking news.
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