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July 5, 2009 - Sunday 

Current mood:  amused
Category: Religion and Philosophy
Get this:

"ISTANBUL (Reuters) – What happens when you put a Muslim imam, a Christian priest, a rabbi and a Buddhist monk in a room with 10 atheists?
Turkish television station Kanal T hopes the answer is a ratings success as it prepares to launch a gameshow where spiritual guides from the four faiths will seek to convert a group of non-believers."


Golly-gee! What a fantabulous idea! What do I win if I get to be the special chosen evil heathen sinner to go? God! It's almost like winning a car on Price is Right, but without actually winning anything.

Awesome thing about this little shabang,... apparently it "doesn't matter which religion you believe in. The important thing is to believe". So all you have to do is pick a flavor. You can have god served up with curry, Matzah Ball soup, Persian rice cakes, Jeezits and wine, or plain ol' fried chicken for those favoring the Southern Baptist taste. Just be sure not to remain a non-believer, as they "don't approve of anyone being an atheist".

Funny how it's alright for someone to say that regarding atheists,... but gawds forbid if I were to openly proclaim that I don't approve of anyone being, say... Jewish. I'd be cast down as a horrid anti-Semite. But hey, who needs consistency when you can take god home as a door-prize?

I have to wonder what would motivate a non-beleiver to take part. Convert and get a free vacation. Don't convert, and... um... a copy of the home game? I'd say that the atheists are there just to try to get the free trip, but "A team of theologians will ensure that the atheists are truly non-believers and are not just seeking fame or a free holiday." There's just no way a evil heathen could pull one over on them... after all, it's not like they are gullible enough to believe in talking snakes or zombie-like resurrections. Right?

What's next? A show giving away long ICU stays to the first contestant to get malaria?

Having likely pissed off a good number of believers who read with my sarcasm, I'm off to fix some grub for the rugrat.

Side note: since when do Buddhists go out of their way to convert? That is something i've yet to encounter...
Currently watching:
Cars (Widescreen Edition)
Release date: 2006-11-07
8:38 PM 
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June 21, 2009 - Sunday 

Current mood:  sleepy
Category: Life
A few things I have seen/experienced/curioius about lately, but have had no time or motivation to expand upon. When life gets busy and chaotic, the blogging is pretty much the first thing to go...

1. Earlier today I observed a scene that makes me both laugh, shake my head, and question the nature of the human population in the south. As I drove home from McDonalds (don't give me that look, I bought an unsweet tea and watched my kid play in the AC'd playplace) I was graced with a sight from my neighbors that literally urged me to such a rubbernecking double-take that I almost ran off the road: in the most torn up lawn chairs you could imagine -- ass sinking through the bottom from massive rump size coupled with torn plastic support fibers... a family (at least 8, from infant to geriatric) parked in the middle of their driveway, smoking cigarettes, sipping a beverage from a paper bag, and watchign the young ones run around without shoes on.

No joke.

This wouldn't be so damn bizarre and insane if it wasn't nearly 100 degrees here today with UNGODLY humidity. What is it with the south and these kinds of ass backward sights? I wish I could say I don't see this all the time, but I do. What would possess you to take your small baby and 80 year old Grandpa BillyJack out into the Georgia heat on such a humid, hot, and generally horrid day?



I'll never quite fit in here,...thankfully.

2.This country is GAY.

Can't you feel it? I can... after all, it IS the offical moth to celebrate gayness.



Thank you, Obama, for giving sexuality preference an entire months celebration. Gay indeed. Ridiculous beyond measure, honestly.

I'm not "proud" to be straight. It's not a decision I make, nor do those who like goodies the same as their own. Like nationalistic 'pride', it makes not a damn bit of sense. It's like being 'proud your second toe is longer than your first; you don't get a flippin say in the matter, so accept it, find contentment, and spare us the parade of 'uniqueness'. You're special, just like everyone else.

I officially nominate August as mutant long second toe month, in honor of the nonsensical holiday designation this country has gotten crazed with.. and my toe. George Carling says it best...



3. I've been trying to watch my diet lately. It has really brought to my attention how deceptive marketing is.

For lunch today, I warmed up a low fat microwave lasagna meal. On the cover, a delicious cheesy culinary prize. The result after peeling back the cover was quite the opposite.... a small pile of vomit sprinkled with cheese.  Definitely not worth the 250 calories and fighting of the gag reflex I had to be troubled with.



It's a consistant thing in life... what you buy is never quite what you get.

4. Did you know there are creatures that produce spermies bigger than they are? Craziness. "Fruit flies are a just a few millimeters long, but their sperm are 6 cm long. To top that, a human male would have to shoot out sperm that are up to 60 meters long."





5. TOmorrow is fathers day... and I'll definitely be showing appreciation to the person who helped me to produce and raise the best thing I'll ever have in my life: my boy. To deadbeat dads: you are scum and can sit and spin until you decide to pull your head out and live up to your responsibilities.



MANY MANY kudos who didn't bail on thier kids.

Anyway, on that note.... I could use a bit of tips from mommies and daddies who have had to deal with potty training. I am more frustrated than an legless ethiopian watching a doghnut rolling down a hill. Honestly.









Out of time and energy.


Currently watching:
True Blood: The Complete First Season (HBO Series)
Release date: 2009-05-19
2:57 AM 
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May 25, 2009 - Monday 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: News and Politics
I was conversing a few weeks ago with someone about the state of the economy, the insurance debaukle, and the wonderous beauty of sushi... when I was informed of a 'program' that is being employed to better the 'health' of our nation....

Free boners for the unemployed!

Oh yes, it's funny..... until you realize it's true.

"Pfizer Inc. is unveiling a new program Thursday that will let people who have lost their jobs and health insurance keep taking some widely prescribed Pfizer medications — including Lipitor and Viagra — for free for up to a year." [source]



Now, don't get me wrong... I think it's snazzy that a money hungry pharmaceutical company is giving away drugs that help better people lives, like blood pressure meds, diabetes meds,... you know, things that keep you from suffering and dying a slow painful death while they're trying to find employment.

But I was a little floored at the concept of not just encouraging the unemployed to romp like horny teens, but supply them with a boner for hours.

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that we should not only discourage people from boinking while they're economically in dire straights... .but we should actively put barriers up from them breeding while unable to fund the results.

My not-so-popular-to-the-masses solution? First- no boner pills for those who can't shell out the cash for it, nor shell out the cash if it their seed actually takes root. Second - those who are siphoning money from our government in order to live (be them legitimately in need [and much to uber conservative belief, MANY are in need], or mooching bastards), should be required to get a norplant/snippet and regular testing to ensure that when you're broke ass is bumping uglies, you're not spreading itchy crotches nor are you making for little ones whom will have to be funded by the taxes of those who are busting thier asses not to lose their jobs.  Some may say that kind of requirement is unconstitutional, but I disagree... funding the lives of the downtrodden is not 'constitutional' -- and if we're going to hide behind some banner of patriot self righteousness in helping those who can't afford to live, they should also give at the very least an assurance that they will be responsible in their reproductive choices while in the less than desirable circumstances.

You need financial help? It shouldn't come free. No free lunches,... and no free boner pills.
Currently playing:
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
Release date: 2008-11-13
1:32 AM 
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April 24, 2009 - Friday 

Current mood:  thoughtful

If you don’t believe in God, what do you believe in?

Because I’m an "atheist", I get that question a LOT.

Many times it’s assumed that because I don’t hold supernatural beliefs, that I am incapable of holding any substitutive beliefs of any kind – as if the only view worth holding has to be framed in metaphysical context to count.  Just because I don’t believe in a God doesn’t mean I  don’t believe in anything. And just because someone says they do believe in God doesn’t mean we know anything else about the substance of what they stand for.  There is so much more to a persona than merely their religious/non-religious perspective; but way too often it’s overlooked.

Me? I believe in the innate need for love, connection, kindness, compassion and cooperation, the wonder of inquiry and discovery, I believe in the power of reason and rational thought, individual freedom, I believe in beauty of our children… and a lot of other warm n’ fuzzy things  that make life worth living and prospering -- it would take days to elaborate on what I hold tight.

I have unbounded admiration for the mind-boggling complexity of life and the Universe… and very much  believe gorgeous nature of the cosmos;  but the nature of the word “atheist” doesn’t allow the luxury of substance. In all honesty, I am not fond of the term. It’s tossed around as a label of belief, when it’s not one; but rather a disbelief. Its like describing Christians as A-Qur’anist or Buddhists as A-Christists. In reality, all religious people do stand against many beliefs of other religions, but we still label them for what they do believe in and not for what they don't believe in.

I  believe in plenty of things , but when confronted by a religious person with that question I always get the feeling that they don’t  really want an honest answer of what I embrace, but rather want me to give one clear and simple “God substitute” that gives final and total meaning to my life. They want a singular universal…. as if life was that simple.

So, because of this…. often times my answer is riddled with smartassery (imagine that? heh.). “I believe in cheesecake, sniffing sharpies, and diddling myself to fetish porn.” They didn’t want a real answer, and so I’ll accommodate them.

 It’s the dynamic complexity of life that I dig so much, and I think I’d be cheating myself if I tried to sum it up in such a simplistic way. 

Without invoking god(s), what do YOU believe in? I think it’s something worth pondering.

Currently reading:
10 Minute Activities: Craft: Fun Things To Do For You and Your Child (10 Minute Toddler)
By Roger Priddy
12:43 PM 
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March 30, 2009 - Monday 

Current mood:  lethargic
Category: Religion and Philosophy
At the risk of agreeing with the whole of the theistic world (oh NooOoz!), I have got to come out and say something about the quickly popularizing trend of non-believers getting 'debaptized'. I've heard about it a good hand full of times on the radio in the past few days and it's been peppering my favorite non-theistic blogs. It's not just irritatjing, it's mildly retarded.

The whole mess is outlined as such:



Certificate of Debaptism

The certificate declares:

I ________ having been subjected to the Rite of Christian Baptism in
infancy (before reaching an age of consent), hereby publicly revoke any
implications of that Rite and renounce the Church that carried it out.
In the name of human reason, I reject all its Creeds and all other such
superstition in particular, the perfidious belief that any baby needs
to be cleansed by Baptism of alleged ORIGINAL SIN, and the evil power
of supposed demons. I wish to be excluded henceforth from enhanced
claims of church membership numbers based on past baptismal statistics
used, for example, for the purpose of securing legislative privilege.”




At first, I thought that this was a joke... kinda' like the whole being ordained as an atheist minister or some such thing online. People get them for laughs, but it's nothing that has any real significance... and if this was the same, I'd get it. But it's not. Many thousands of atheists across the globe are downloading this thing and making some declaration of 'debaptism'.

Going out of your way to denounce a ritual that is nothing more than symbolic geasture of belief and tradition for the parents seems counterproductive. It hurts nobody, and in honesty, serves as a comfort measure for the adults. You were dressed in a silly white dress, splashed with water when you were an infant... and you feel the need go through the motions to let everyone know you didn't find significance in it? Well no shit.  It seems to me that by making a big hooplah over such a benign event only reeks of pointless rebelion.

I'll be the first to admit the original sin concept is insane; but there is a lot to be said of substantive discussion to show WHY that is, rather than a regurgitated downloaded document· Follow the leader mentality has been used far too long, it would be refreshing to see rational minds engage in civil discourse about the irrationality of such ideologies...

Just my take on it.




Currently reading:
God's Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question--Why We Suffer
By Bart D. Ehrman
Release date: 2009-02-24
2:59 PM 
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March 27, 2009 - Friday 

Current mood:  awake

Most people who know me know just how much I ♥love♥ PETA. Their hypocrisy, rabid mentality, and counterproductive actions make my animal loving heart all atwitter.

As it so happens, the fantastical folks at my favorite organization are seemingly concerned that there may still be a few people who aren't
aware what they're all about. So the President of PETA, Ingrid Newkirk, posted her will on the PETA site...just to ensure we knew she's crazy. What is she instructing PETA to do upon her death?



1. Upon my death, it is my wish that my body be used in a manner that
draws attention to needless animal suffering and exploitation. To
accomplish this, I direct that my body be donated to People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), 501 Front Street, Norfolk,
Virginia 23510, to be used in whatever manner it chooses in order to
accomplish the specified purpose, with the hope that most of my body
will be put to use in the United States, with parts also dispatched to
awaken the public consciousness of governments and citizens in the
United Kingdom, where I was born, in India, my beloved childhood home,
and in Canada, Germany, and France.

2. While the
final decision as to the use of my body remains with PETA, I make the
following suggested directions:


a. That the “meat” of my body, or a portion thereof, be used for a
human barbecue, to remind the world that the meat of a corpse is all
flesh, regardless of whether it comes from a human being or another
animal, and that flesh foods are not needed;


b. That my skin, or a portion thereof, be removed and made into leather
products, such as purses, to remind the world that human skin and the
skin of other animals is the same and that neither is “fabric” nor
needed, and that some skin be tacked up outside the Indian Leather Fair
each year to serve as a reminder of the government’s need to abate the
suffering of Indian bullocks who, after a life of extreme and
involuntary servitude, as I have seen firsthand, are exported all over
the world in this form;


c. That in remembrance of the elephant-foot umbrella stands and tiger
rugs I saw, as a child, offered for sale by merchants at Connaught
Place in Delhi, my feet be removed and umbrella stands or other
ornamentation be made from them, as a reminder of the depravity of
killing innocent animals, such as elephants, in order that we might use
their body parts for household items and decorations;


d. That one of my eyes be removed, mounted, and delivered to the
administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a reminder
that PETA will continue to be watching the agency until it stops
poisoning and torturing animals in useless and cruel experiments; that
the other is to be used as PETA sees fit;


e. That my pointing finger be delivered to Kenneth Feld, owner of
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, or to a circus museum to
stand as the “Greatest Accusation on Earth” on behalf of the countless
elephants, lions, tigers, bears, and other animals who have been
kidnapped from their families and removed from their homelands in
India, Thailand, Africa, and South America and deprived of all that is
natural and pleasant to them, abused, and forced into involuntary
servitude for the sake of cheap entertainment;


f. That my liver be vacuum-packed and shipped, in whole or in part, to
France, to there be used in a public appeal to persuade shoppers not to
support the vile practice of force-feeding geese and ducks for foie
gras;


g. That one of my ears be removed, mounted, and sent to the Canadian
Parliament to assist them in hearing, for the first time perhaps, the
screams of the seals, bears, raccoons, foxes, and minks bludgeoned,
trapped, and sometimes skinned alive for their pelts; that the other
ear be removed, preserved, and displayed outside the Deonar abattoir in
Mumbai to remind all who do business there that the screams of the
cattle who are slaughtered within its walls are heard around the world;


h. That one of my thumbs be removed, mounted upwards on a plaque, and
sent to the person or institution that, in the year of my death or
thereabouts, PETA decides has done the most to promote alternatives to
the use and abuse of animals in any area of their exploitation;


i. That one of my thumbs be mounted in a downward position and sent to
the person or institution that, in the year of my death or thereabouts,
has gone against the changing tide of societal opinion and frightened
and hurt animals in some egregious manner;


[the rest here]












If there was any doubt that PETA, from the top down was batshit fuckin insane... that certainly cleared the air.

What I want to know is,... why wait for death? I'd like to take a spork to the eyes of the person in charge of PETAs bullshit tactics. No other organization is more responsible for the reactionary revolt FROM animal rights. Being someone who very much advocates the elimatation of animal sufferage, I would volunteer to spinal tap'd with a rusty crowbar before I'd sign the PETA roster.

If you want to support an organization that DOES help animals, GO HERE.









Currently listening:
Power Tool Stigmata
By Godhead
Release date: 1998-03-17
3:25 PM 
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March 20, 2009 - Friday 

Current mood:  inquisitive
Category: News and Politics



I read this a few moments ago... and, uhm....well.... I don't really know what to say other than...




Bill Would Allow Texas School to Grant Master's Degree in Science for Creationism
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

A Texas legislator is waging a war of biblical proportions against the science and education communities in the Lone Star State as he fights for a bill that would allow a private school that teaches creationism to grant a Master of Science degree in the subject.

State Rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) proposed House Bill 2800 when he learned that The Institute for Creation Research (ICR), a private institution that specializes in the education and research of biblical creationism, was
not able to receive a certificate of authority from Texas' Higher Education Coordinating Board to grant Master of Science degrees.

Berman's bill would allow private, non-profit educational institutions to be exempt from the board’s authority.

“If you don’t take any federal funds, if you don’t take any state funds,
you can do a lot more than some business that does take state funding
or federal funding,” Berman says. “Why should you be regulated if you
don’t take any state or federal funding?”

HB 2800 does not specifically name ICR; it would allow any institution
that meets its criteria to be exempt from the board's authority. But
Berman says ICR was the inspiration for the bill because he feels
creationism is as scientific as evolution and should be granted equal
weight in the educational community.

“I don’t believe I came from a salamander that crawled out of a swamp
millions of years ago,” Berman told FOXNews.com. "I do believe in
creationism. I do believe there are gaps in evolution.

"But when you ask someone who believes in evolution, if you ask one of the elitists who believes in evolution about the gaps, they’ll tell you that the debate is over, that there is no debate, evolution is the thing, it’s the only way to go.”

But critics say that Berman’s bill will be disastrous if it passes.

“This would open the door to other fly-by-night organizations that come in
and want to award degrees in our state, because the bill is highly
generalized,” said Steven Schafersman, president of Texas Citizens for
Science.

“Right now, we don’t have this problem in Texas. Texas is not a center for degree mills, because our laws allow only the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to approve the granting of graduate degrees.”

“It would certainly open the door to all kinds of chicanery,” says Eugenie
Scott, Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education.
“I mean, all you have to do, it looks to me from the bill, is start a non-profit organization, don’t take any federal or state money, and then offer degrees in any fool subject you want.”

Schafersman fears that amending state law to accommodate institutions such as ICR would devalue Texas graduate degrees.

“The degrees would substandard, worthless, but they would be certified by Texas,” he said.

All colleges and universities granting degrees in Texas currently must be
issued a certificate of authority by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The certificate allows that institution to
grant a higher education degree that is recognized by the state – a
degree a graduate would need to apply for a teaching position in a
Texas public school.

ICR was denied a certificate of authority in 2007.

HB 2800 would pave the way for institutions like ICR to grant science
degrees equal to those of other Texas universities. And that possibility has critics fuming.

“Their science education degrees are greatly inferior to those at, say, the
University of Texas or Baylor University or even a good community
college, frankly,” says Scott. “Teaching that the Earth is only 10,000
years old is a little irregular in modern science.”

The ICR issued a statement affirming that it is a legitimate educational
institute that employs credentialed Ph.D. scientists from around the
country. It insisted that the “THECB has acted discriminatorily against
the ICR’s application both in process and in the substance of fact,”
and it said “THECB allowed influence of evolution-biased lobbying
efforts to influence process and outcome.”

The coordinating board denies any wrongdoing and says Berman’s bill is a slippery slope for higher education in Texas.

“HB 2800 appears to open the doors of Texas to predatory institutions,”
says De Juana Lozada, assistant director of communications for THECB.
“Were the bill to become law, it could have the effect of leaving
students defenseless against exploitation by diploma mills and other
substandard institutions.

"The Coordinating Board just last year eased restrictions on legitimate
institutions of higher education desiring to operate in Texas. For
legitimate institutions, the legislation is completely unnecessary.”

Berman sees the board's decision to deny ICR certification as a double standard.

“If a school’s teaching all evolution, would that be a balanced education?”
he asked. “So it’s the same thing on both ends of the stick.”

But advocates of more conventional science education say the THECB was right to deny ICR certification and that Berman’s motives in
introducing the bill were simply to reward an institution loyal to him.

“You just can’t play fast and loose with the rules that everyone has to
follow just to favor a constituent,” says Scott. “I think the people of
Texas should be very concerned about this issue.”

While HB 2800 makes its way through the legislature, ICR and the THECB will continue their mediation before a Texas state judge. Insiders say that if the mediation does not go their way, ICR will sue the board.

[SOURCE - FAUX News, no less]


My thoughts?

Thank FSM that this thing is very unlikely to pass.

What a screwy perversion of Science as a whole. It's so disheartening seeing how science is misrepresented, twisted, and raped for the benefit of other people's personal metaphysical ideals.

What would their Masters thesis' be? "GOD DID IT!!" or "Most reliable Proselytizing techniques!"?

It's so ridiculous that I had to burst into laughter when I first saw the title....then I read on and realized they're serious. Ugh.





And a special note to Tom and the whole of the Myspazz programers: You are lame, you break far more than you fix, and you deserve to be kicked in the teeth. The whole of the interweb networking world will cheer when you get replaced by a competent, bug free site (*cough*Facebook FTW*cough*)





Currently listening:
The Fall of Ideals
By All That Remains
Release date: 2006-07-11
10:45 PM 
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February 25, 2009 - Wednesday 

Current mood:  hopeful
Category: Music


I was tagged by some hot chick...



...if she wasn't a looker, a smartass, and pretty damn brainy [putting aside all that catholic stuffs, *cough*]... i'd ignore her tag like I do all the others.

....................

So here are the rules:





Answer these five questions, with video responses.

1. What song would best describe your feelings toward your spouse?

Focus Shift – Dark Tranquility



2. What is your world view at this moment?

Open Your Eyes - Guano Apes


And..

Confrontation – OTEP



AND....

Dear God – XTC



3. What song best describes your life right now?

Kill Them With Kindness - Killwhitneydead



Or maybe…

All Pain Is Gone - Combichrist



4.  What are your feelings about President Obama?

Hmmm. Hard one.....

Never Gonna’ Give You Up – Rick Astley


OR….....

You’re So Gay – Katy Perry


C'mon, you know that's funny. After his awesome speech last night, I had to just be a smartass about it...

5. How do you feel about the person who tagged you?

White and Nerdy – Weird Al


Tagging is cruel and inhumane. So I won't be doing it. If you're a Youtube dweeb, take a stab at it. Or don't. Either way.




2:34 PM 
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February 20, 2009 - Friday 

Current mood:  sick
Category: Religion and Philosophy

I read something today that left me with a real confuddled look....

To frame my take on it first... I get it, some individuals thank their God for the things that happen in life.... no matter if they stub their toe, get a raise, or see a plane careen into the Hudson *cough*. Doesn't make sense to me, personally, but I accept that other people choose to see the whole cause/effect correlation a whole world different.

Anyhow.

It irks me a wee bit when it’s not enough for some people to personally attribute every good/bad/neutral thing
that happens in their lives [and everyone elses] to God, but why oh WHY do they expect everyone else to do
it as well?

If I had a nickle for every time someone told me that I should thank god for this or that,... even when something disastrous happened in my life (my charming favorite, a message from a myspazzer telling me I should "thank God" for having lost Dylan's twin. Oh the joy of that conversation...)... well, I'd have a ungodly unmber of nickles and would buy a whole round of Long Islands for the whole lot of Myspace dingleberries.

Case in point: Dena Malda of Muskegon Michigan who after viewing the “60 Minutes” interview with the crew of the
plane that made an emergency landing on the Hudson river, and wrote the following to the editor:

On the Feb. 8 “60 Minutes” program, we were captivated
while viewing the Katie Couric interview of the crew and passengers of
Flight 1549.

However, we were struck there was not one mention of God, who directs pilots of planes and secures the safety of passengers.

We have written CBS and asked them for more realistic programming. Help protect our freedoms. Write CBS about this.
Uhm, yea.

Apparently, this charming gal is upset because God didn’t get any media coverage and credit for maneuvering the pilots of the planes and securing the safety of the
passengers [kinda begs the question,...err... if god was doing the driving the day, don't you think he deserves a fat 'FAIL' card? ].

So in the future, when you're thousands of miles up, propelling your ass insane speeds to you destination... it's NOT the madskillz of the pilot that got
that plane in the air, safely through our lovely atmosphere and down safely. Rather, it's your copilot, GOD.

Can the chick get any more self righteous? Not only should you not look to your pilot for thanks for his dedication and concentration in his/her field of expertiese.... but in addition,  it is a  threat to our FREEDOMS when you allow people to not give Godly props on camera. For the love of FSM, the Us vs. Them/Black n' White fundamentalist mindset makes me want to upchuck my sushi.




Currently watching:
House, M.D. - Season Four
Release date: 2008-08-19
9:58 PM 
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February 14, 2009 - Saturday 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: News and Politics
A lot of people have inquired as to why I voted for Obama.... needless to say, I have a fair number of criticisms of his positions -- but I don't regret my decision. It's so refreshing to see speeches like the one below coming from my country's leader... and makes me glad SOMEone on capital hill has intellectual integrety.

So fling the "YOU SOCIALIST HEATHEN!" comments all you want. On this greed filled consumerist holiday I really could care less!






OTHER neat-o stuffs:

Man appears free of HIV after stem cell transplant

Stem Cell Transplant changing the course for MS patients


Science is beautiful!







Currently playing:
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion Pack
Release date: 2008-11-13
9:08 PM 
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January 28, 2009 - Wednesday 

Current mood:  restless
Category: Life


Women are psychotic, neurotic, hormonal, impulsive, and without doubt the most indirectly [and unintentionally] manipulative beasts on earth. The more I exist as one, the more I grow to despise the nature of womanhood… feminine ‘charm’, and well, all the chemical cascades that make me a psychologically maniacal creature. Odd thing is, lately all I see is feminist man bashing going on... am I the only one that really fells sorry for guys having to put up with women's shit?


Women are more ‘complex’. Not in a good way… but in a way that is inductive of drama, gossip, nonsensical over-analytical criticisms, self loathing, … and generalized disorder.


For all the women reading this thinking “Bullshit. I’m not like that.”; yea, you are… and you’re likely one of the worst.  Denial of psychosis only adds to it.

Men don’t ‘get’ it; but many get definite props for effort. Futile effort, but thoughtful just the same.

A few things I’ve learned/realized about the nature of my ilk in the past year…

-- Although we often claim it, It’s VERY rarely PMS. Lets face it, that is one of the most awesomely useful fabrications of our time... {and for the record, never EVER tell a woman she is acting like she is on the rag. The walls and your dinner plate will come crashing in on your face}.






-- Most women think they’re better drivers than they are. Please, don’t point this out while we’re at the wheel….. we’ll freak and crash. […and for those who know me personally? Loretta’s battle wounds give her character, so STFU!]


-- Don’t call women “cute.” In our mind it’s the same as “not vomit-inducing.” Saying what she's wearing looks “fine” is ten times worse. What a woman feels like aesthetically after being told she looks cute/fine/okay:


It’s not rational or explainable, it just is.

-- Women tend to act as if they're the only ones that possess the skill of feeling anything remotely emotional. Perhaps because we're the only ones that cry like babies over stupid shit...


-- When we say we’re “Okay” and leave it at that… we are very VERY much not okay and you likely should wear a cup and seek cover. To add to that, we often times lie to others (and ourselves) about our own psychological status at the time. “I’m doing fine” often equates to: “I’d like to rip out your esophagus and feed it to wolves”. 




-- Girl time and getting pampered has a way of making life so much easier to cope with. It's often pointless, but very effective. Thank FSM for girls nights and violent, money-grubbing, wax wielding Asian chicks.


-- Women have very bizarre goals in life that they’ll never openly admit. Trust me, pissing in a urinal and writing their name in the snow is on the “To Do” list.



-- Women cry a whole fucking lot… over everything and nothing at all. Don’t freak when you see tears when I’m listening to Slipknot’s Snuff… it’s an unavoidable trigger. Every woman has them, and no, we can’t help it sometimes. 


-- We can't live without tension and drama. Every now and then I’m  gonna pick a fight for no flippin’ reason with random people in my life (occasionally on here, too). I blame hormones, but really I think it some kind of unknown cosmic pull. Accept this as a running, inevitable theme and life will be a whole lot easier.




-- Women’s public bathrooms are about three times more disgusting than men’s. I’ve tested this a good dozen times in the past year to be sure my sample pool was adequate. Women: 1.Put your nasty used tampon applicators in the appropriate place 2. distribute your fat ass on the toilet seat appropriately  without smearing your nasty crotch on it 3…. and for the love of Gawd WASH YOUR HANDS – I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen women walk out of the stall and back into the store… to pepper their waste-ridden slime over things I may potentially buy. Ugh. THIS one goes for guys too. Gross.



-- Women's idea of "romance" is a fuckin' light-year's difference than guys. I've seen friends get bent out of shape (guilty in the past, admittedly) over the silliest issues of 'romantic appeasment'. When you stop letting it bother you, it becomes super amusing.


-- Women like to lie about what’s bothering them. It’s a weird compulsion that can’t be shaken easily… even when what IS bothering them is very benign and understandable.



-- Women obsess over their breasts, ass… and well, their bodies far more than men possibly could. Our self loathing knows no limits. It's crazy, really... women are always putting down their own aesthetics, while men tend to be the opposite. I don't get it.




-- Blowing a woman off for a video game (or sports event, TV show, blah blah blah)  is probably the most EPIC FAIL thing you could do, even if she loves the given thing too. Insane thing is, typically chicks will encourage game play, then later hold it against 'em. Fuck we're inconsistant and constantly controdicting ourselves....


-- When women are stressed and start talking of their problems (often times nonsensical shit she shouldn’t be stressing anyway), she does not want you to offer solutions. Girlfriends get this most of the time, men never do. Just humor chicks and listen to their ramblings, works so much better that way.





Taking inventory of my own irrational inner contradictions really gives perspective, and makes me appreciate the people in my life who have had to put up with my batshit crazy ass.

We’re odd creatures. I really do have to wonder why anyone would ever want to be so self-destructive as to want to willfully take that on (maybe we’re not the nutty ones after all…Hmm..)

Here, have a Dane Cook funneh.




< / HORMONAL >

Currently reading:
Tao Te Ching
By Lao Tsu
Release date: 1989-08-28
9:31 PM 
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January 24, 2009 - Saturday 

Current mood:  determined
Category: News and Politics


After the somewhat cultish Obama mentality that has been swiffering the nation since November (*shutter*), it's nice to be able to see something that gave me really deserving "CHANGE!"  induced warm n' fuzzies.

Finally the crippling executive order in the Dubya administration that drastically limited  stem cell research is being turned around.



B-O is widely expected to lift
Bush’s executive order, perhaps as soon as
next week. HECK YES! < / Napoleon >


U.S. government approves first human trials of embryonic stem cells



11:05 PM CST on Friday, January 23, 2009


FROM WIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON – In a research
milestone, the U.S. government will allow the world's first test in
people of a therapy derived from human embryonic stem cells.
The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that is has
authorized the Geron Corp. of Menlo Park, Calif., to test stem cells
derived from human embryos on eight to 10 patients with severe spinal
cord injuries. The study is aimed primarily at
determining the safety of the cells in human subjects, but researchers
also will examine the patients for any signs the therapy restored
sensation or movement "This is obviously an
extraordinarily exciting event," Geron chief executive Thomas Okarma
said in a statement. "It marks the dawn of a new era in medical
therapeutics ... one that reaches beyond pills to a new level of
healing: the restoration of organ and tissue function achieved by the
injection of health replacement cells." Although
researchers have already begun testing embryonic cells derived from
adults and fetuses in people, the study will mark the first
government-approved use of those derived from embryos, which have been
highly controversial because the process involves the destruction of
the embryos. President Barack Obama is expected to lift a
ban on federal funding for such research imposed by his predecessor.




Geron's work had not been restricted by the ban. The cells being used
by the company were derived from leftover embryos at fertility clinics
before the ban was implemented in 2001. But some said
they suspected it was more than a coincidence that approval was granted
right after the new administration took office. "I think
this approval is directly tied to the change in administration," said
Robert Klein, the chairman of California's $3 billion stem cell
research program. He said he thought the Bush
administration had pressured the FDA to delay the trial. The FDA had
delayed approval of Geron's application in May, saying it needed more
information. The approval of Geron's project has been eagerly awaited by supporters of embryonic stem cell research.
'Fingers crossed'

"This is what we've all been waiting for," said Robert Lanza of
Advanced Cell Technology in Worcester, Mass., which plans to ask the
FDA to approve another study using embryonic stem cells to treat
blindness. "The field desperately needs a big clinical success. It's
very important to show the naysayers that this is very real, and
hopefully it will start helping people." Lanza, however,
expressed concern about a possible failure: "When you're the first, the
whole world's eyes are on you. We all have our fingers crossed that
everything goes smoothly and nothing happens." The Geron
experiment will involve injecting the embryonic stem cells for seven to
14 days at seven medical centers in the U.S., the company said. Geron
has coaxed stem cells in the laboratory to become cells known as
oligodendrocytes.
'First step'

Once injected at the site of a spinal cord injury, the hope is the
cells will help repair a sheath around the nerve cells known as myelin,
restoring the ability of some nerve cells to carry signals and perhaps
allow damaged nerve cells to regenerate. The patients
will get anti-rejection drugs for 46 days, after which they will be
slowly weaned off them. The company submitted a series of lab studies
and 24 tests involving animals that received more than 5 billion cells,
which officials said showed no signs of problems such as tumors for up
to a year, which is one concern about using embryonic stem cells.
"This is an exciting first step for Geron and for spinal cord injured
patients whose lives may improve due to advances in medical research,"
Peter Wilderotter, chief executive of the Christopher & Dana Reeve
Foundation, said in a statement. Human embryonic stem
cells are believed capable of being turned into any type of tissue in
the body, raising hopes they can treat a variety of diseases. The Washington Post, The New York Times

Q&A

Here are some questions and answers about human embryonic stem cell research.

What are embryonic stem cells?


These are cells found in days-old embryos that eventually repeatedly
divide to become a complete embryo. When there are just a few of these
cells, each one has the power to divide into any of the many different
cell and tissue types in the body.


Why are they controversial?


Opponents of human embryonic stem cell research, such as the Catholic
Church, former President George W. Bush and some, but not all,
conservatives, believe that destroying a human embryo to harvest cells
is immoral and unethical.

Where did Geron get the cells it used?


It used embryos left over from in vitro fertilization attempts. These
frozen, unused embryos are typically thrown away.

Isn't using these cells illegal?


U.S. law forbids the use of federal funds to destroy human embryos.
There are no U.S. restrictions on the use of private money to do this
research. Some governments, such as Britain's, actively encourage the
research. Congress has been trying to lift the restrictions, and
President Barack Obama is expected to back such efforts soon.

Aren't there other stem cells that do not involve human embryos?


Stem cells can be found in blood, bone marrow and various tissues. But
these cells have become partly differentiated, meaning they are on
their way to becoming various tissues, and are not as flexible as
embryonic cells.

Several teams of scientists have also discovered
how to reprogram ordinary adult skin cells to behave like embryonic
stem cells, but this technology is not well-developed, and scientists
say it is important to pursue all avenues of research.

Why the excitement over stem cells?


Stem cells provide a new route to treatment. They can proliferate
indefinitely, migrating to the "right" place in the body to repair
injury caused by accidents or disease, taking up residence, growing new
tissue there and even producing compounds that encourage other cells to
grow.

The hope is they can replace brain cells destroyed
in Parkinson's disease, nerve cells destroyed by accidents or multiple
sclerosis and pancreatic cells destroyed by diabetes, for example. 





As I finish drafting my embryonic donation letter to my reproductive specialtists today, I can finally say I feel GOOD about sending it out... knowing that all the hard work and determination that I went through in the IVF process will not just be disgarded in a trash bin as SO many excess embryos in reproducive clinics across the country have been thanks to the stiffling limitations on science -- FINALLY it has a very real potential to be used to improve lives of people who are suffering tremendously. Needless to say, this news brightens my day for VERY personal reasons.








Currently watching:
Fight Club
Release date: 2002-08-27
9:35 PM 
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January 14, 2009 - Wednesday 

Current mood:  anxious
Category: News and Politics

Republican Ronald Reagan ended the '80 presidential debates by imploring the voters: “Are you better off now than you were four years ago?”It’s an entirely appropriate question to ask at the end of a President’s term (or 2, as is the case with Dubya). The answer according to NBC is EPIC FAIL:

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Then: 4.2% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, January 2001)
Now: 6.7% (Bureau of Labor Statistics, November 2008)

CONSUMER CONFIDENCE (1985=100)
Then: 115.7 (Conference Board, January 2001)
Now: 38.0, which is an all-time low (Conference Board, December 2008)

FAMILIES LIVING IN POVERTY
Then: 6.4 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 7.6 million (Census numbers for 2007—most recent numbers available)

AMERICANS WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE
Then: 39.8 million (Census numbers for 2000)
Now: 45.7 million (Census numbers for 2007—most recent available)

U.S. BUDGET
Then: +236.2 billion (2000, Congressional Budget Office)
Now: -$1.2 trillion (projected figure for 2009, Congressional Budget Office)

Ugh. We were in theblack and now we’re arse deep in the red. What a legacy to leave behind. THANK YOU, you imperialistic cunt. You've helped make America a more 'beautiful' place for our kids... 

(^thanks to Janie for the img.)

Currently listening:
Overcome
By All That Remains
Release date: 2008-09-16
3:33 AM 
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January 5, 2009 - Monday 

Current mood:  contemplative
Category: Religion and Philosophy


I have been in my share of theistic themed debates/discussions/arguments; both pro (when I was a devout Christian) and con (...well, obviously) -- and a pervading topic that never seems to fade is the issue of "purpose". I guess a conversation I had with a family member a bit ago got me contemplating the whole thing...

She asked me (a pretty popular question), "If there is no afterlife, what is the purpose of this life?" — But wouldn't it make more sense to ask, "If there is an afterlife, what is the purpose of this life?"

[...noting that those even skip over "What is the purpose of an afterlife?"]


I realize that the question assumes there is an Ultimate Purpose™ to begin with.... something I have yet to see reason to conclude at all, personally. But, it still gets my mental gears going a bit; as it has been an insanely powerful influence on the human psyche for millenia. There seems present an intrinsic need for us to know everyflippinthing under the sun.... a desire that can both be beautiful and potentially limiting.
Every flavor of theism addresses 'purpose' in a different way... both in what it constitutes, and how to achieve it in an appropriate or meaningful way.

The more I think about the issue, the more I have to wonder why we need a unified purpose at all. Is it really necessary... and what drives the mind to so powerfully find some grand-Poobah style Purpose™ that would encompass all of humanity?  We all find meaning in our own way, through different menas given our beliefs and/or life choices... but why such a strong desire through human history to seek an extrinsic Purpose™?  Is the individualized purpose/meaning embraced by a non-believer any less/more significant or meaningful than that of someone who finds thier purpose in their faith? (which would beg the question of the purpose of said extrinsic factor) Or perhaps it's a comfort mechanism to coddle the psychological fear of a lonely universe?



Mental masturbation is fantastical. That is all.





Currently watching:
Twilight Zone: The Complete Definitive Collection
Release date: 2006-10-03
5:11 AM 
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January 3, 2009 - Saturday 

Current mood:  moody
Category: News and Politics



Goes to…

 

It's well deserved right now.

After all his lip service,… he has willing chosen to practice blatant dumbassery in the name of political expediency.  I suppose I, nor anyone else, should be surprised. 'Tis the nature of the political beast... but it still chaps my ass in a major way (...along with everything else right now. thank you mood swings and sleep deprivation!).

Lets see, my T-Minus W counter is toggled to less than 18 days. Only a few weeks, and we'll be ushering in a new president (SSDD, IMO,….LOLOMFGBBQ!!1!).  Our first "black" president,…  a step up from the stanky pile that's inhabiting the Oral Office right now, but still not the diamond in the rough by any means – something he solidifies more and more with each day of eloquent drivel falling out of his face. For all the things about him I really do like, he sure as fuck is making a point to balance it quite evenly (if not moreso lately) on the "YOU PILE OF RANCID CROTCH CRUST!" side.


I have avoided politics like the plague lately… because, well, it's been a clusterfuck clown show this last year. "HOPE!" this, "Maverick!" that…  blah blah fuckin BLAH. For FSM's sake I loathe those overused n' meaningless buzz words right now more than I loathe shitty parents, cats and proselytizing fundamentalists (and if you know me, that's saying a lot). If you notice, they're ONLY used when someone doesn't really have a damn answer.


The Obamanator only proves this disingenuous political pandering trend with his choice to have the vile human filth of Rick Warren deliver his invocation. I get to FINALLY see Dubya get the living fuck out of out of positions of power… and I then instantly get to see the mug of one of the most disgusting homophobic/nazi anti-abortion/egotistical self promoting bigots around spill forth his self serving proselytizing message of  "faith" (aka: "Prai$e da' LAWD and go buy my book$, you gullible ma$$e$!")? I guess he couldn't book Jesus for the event... so he had to play the god card with the newest Billy Ghram wanna' be.


What a joke. It's an insult to those who voted for him… salt on the wounds, without doubt. One of the most important days of his political career, a time signifying an end of the King Dubya's Reign of power…  and he invites someone who represents bigotry in the flesh to ring him in? All to pander to the evangelical voter base.  For all that he claims to stand for, his legs are becoming shakier at an insanely disheartening speed. Heck, who needs consistency when you can just play the God Card?

 

Currently reading:
FairTax: The Truth: Answering the Critics
By Neal Boortz
Release date: 2008-02-12
7:46 AM 
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Moshellie

Michelle J.


Last Updated: 6/6/2009

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Gender: Female
Age: 26
City: Conyers
State: Georgia
Country: US

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