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Last Updated: 11/30/2009

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Age: 27
State: New Jersey
Signup Date: 7/11/2005

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October 26, 2009 - Monday 
Financial meltdown (This blog will feature me going into a melt down with regard to finances) 

Ok…. This will likely be one of those more offensive entries. You have received your warning.




Featuring those stupid and annoying singing retard commercials “I didn’t know my credit was whacked!” I have 3 pieces of information for you. 
1 If you don’t pay your bills, your credit is “whacked” 
2 The never spoken of yet 100% fool proof solution to bad credit is: 
PAY YOUR $#!@ING BILLS!!!! While this may seem like an infomercial spouting a get out of debt solution which is just too good to be true, it actually works 100% of the time and has yet to fail! This comprehensive system (abbreviated PYFB) IS Revolutionary, I know, But its the solution to not only earning a high credit rating, but also erasing debt and the first step in building wealth! (For the second step research the word frugal and make it you) 
3 Knowing your credit score will do nothing to change it. The idiot and his band would still “be driving off the lot in a used sub-compact” Whether they knew they had poor credit or not. It’s kind of like rain. It can be raining outside, but knowing that it is raining, or not, doesn’t change the fact the water is falling from the sky. 


Freecreditreport.com you aren't really free, and your commercials are stupid and annoying, please hire some former bankers to run your company into the ground.



 Bad Loans 
I understand that there are those out there that dare to dream of owning a house and may have gone a bit above what they could afford at the time, thinking in 5 years when the loan payments reset (always to a higher rate, never to a lower one) they would be financially able to take that hit and continue onward with their American dream. Those are not the people this is written to. This is written to both the idiots who bought a house hopelessly outside their means, and the brain lacking loan officers who let them do it. 

 Exhibit A:
 
Donald wants to buy a house. Donald can afford payments of 400 a month so Donald goes down to Washington Mutual’s bank and says “Hey, I want to buy a house, I can afford 400 a month.” And the loan officer says “oh that’s great, we have plenty of Option Adjustable Rate Mortgages (or ARMs) which you can do that with. Now remember, for the first 5 years you won’t even be paying down the loan, you will only pay PART of the interest on it. So we will loan you $180,000 and after 5 years of paying 400 a month you will owe $185,000. OK?” 
 “Yeah this is a great deal!!” 
“Ok good, now Donald, after that 5 year, some say, ‘Suckers period’, is over, your monthly payments ADJUST, and won’t be 400 a month any more, and they will go up. This is an ADJUSTABLE RATE MORTGAGE or ARM, see it ADJUSTS your payment (upward) Do you understand Donald?” 
“Well sure, of course I need to pay more than the interest at some point, how much will it go up to? 600, 700 month?”
 "No, we’re talking something like 1200, 1300 a month. In five years your disposable income should more than quadruple right Donald?” 
“Oh yes, I’ll hit the lottery by then and be able to pay it all off!” 
“Righto, you have a solid plan for the future! Good Donald! Now lets sign these papers!”

 Ok…. Perhaps on some lines I used a bit too much of a dramatic license but I hope the point is clear. It’s a case of who is the bigger moron. The guy buying the house thinking that in 5 years he will be doing spectacularly better than today, or the inane loan officer who believed not only Donald, but many thousands of others like him? Of course perhaps Donald’s friendly WAMU associate was a bit more sinister, thinking he gets the commission and the bank will get the $180,000 house… but no one on a higher level seemed to have a functioning brain cell to say “Hey wait, unless a fantastic number of people magically earn MUCH MUCH more money inside of 5 years, we will have thousands of people unable to pay our predatory fees and most will end up defaulting on loans and we won’t get the money they promised back and just have a bunch of homes…. Oh well we will have lots of houses to resell… perhaps we can be a bank and real estate company!! 

Wait…. 

Now how does pricing work again… supply goes up demand down… and price.... what does price do? I have a lot to sell and no one wants to or is able to buy… doesn't this happen at the supermarket? what do they do??...…… oh that’s such a complicated idea!!! Supply and demand determining price… poo… I didn’t get into banking because I had a head for numbers!! JUST KEEP PRINTING THOSE LOAN PAPERS!!!”

 Again… dramatic license abounds but you’re kidding yourself if you don’t see a cornel of truth in what I am illustrating. 






 Money for Back to School, Thanks Uncle Sam 


 External Story from a news site:  

My comments follow each paragraph.



  N.Y. PLAN UNDER FIRE 

....
When Democratic Gov. David Paterson proposed using federal stimulus money to buy school supplies for 800,000 low-income children in ....New York...., he won broad praise, from economists, politicians and the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.....

The plan was financed through a $5 billion federal stimulus fund intended to create jobs and provide broader welfare benefits for people hurt by the recession. Unable to come up with a federally required 20% share of the program's cost itself, ....New York.... teamed up with philanthropist George Soros. His non-profit Open Society Institute donated $35 million so the state could tap $140 million in stimulus money for the school supplies. ....

Now critics such as Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, a Republican, say the state erred by failing to restrict how the money could be used. It also deposited the cash in the debit accounts of food stamp and welfare recipients without telling them it was there and what it was for until days later.....

The surprise deposits caused a run on ATMs across the state, resulting in long lines captured by TV news cameras. New York City. resident Niurka Ventura said a friend told her she had to get the money by midnight. She sent her daughter to wait in line, which she said took three hours. ***(remember these facts for later.)....

Brooks and officials in other counties said they received complaints from store clerks about people who used the money for lottery tickets, iPods and flat-screen TVs.

"They said, 'Well, we have to get our money out of the ATM to buy school supplies,' " said Diane Goly, a Sunoco station owner in Syracuse "But as we were watching, people were taking the money to buy beer and cigarettes." ***(Have some money, oh great, we get it back in taxes anyway! Glad we made a difference!! In YOUR CHILD’S back to school experience!!... how old do you need to be to smoke and drink again? they bought this stuff for the kids right?)....

Noah Lebowitz, spokesman for Monroe County in Rochester, said social services investigators found that some people in drug treatment programs received as much as $1,000. "They have a very difficult time not spending it on drugs," he said. ***( DARE to keep people of drugs. Seeking help? Trying to get your life turned around? Great! Have 1000 dollars, we will look the other way so we don’t know what you spend it on… ok off you go!  Uhm… how many kids would this poor former drug user need to have to warrant 1000 dollars for “back to school” supplies? Gucci backpacks anyone? )....

Brooks has asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate. Department spokeswoman Hannah August declined to comment on whether a probe is underway. ***(Of course, we wouldn’t want to expose this level of incompetence to public view. Just solicit these bumbling fools for campaign contributions next election cycle with a little threat that a probe could come if money doesn’t flow.)....


Kristen Proud, New York's deputy director for operations, said the federal government had signed off on ....New York....'s plan and that isolated reports of misspending have been overblown.    ***(Ahem, a "three hour line at an ATM"!?!?! "Lines state wide"?? If you plan to use the money legitimately what’s the rush to get it? is it so Uncle Sam can’t take it back because its an error?)....

Proud said the state couldn't limit purchases to certain stores because rural residents might be an hour's drive from a major chain. ***(Annnnd how do they get food to live out there? oh yeah, they make bi weekly or monthly trips to a major chain because its worth it for the lower prices.. don't fight me on this my grandparents live in Vermont and THEY do it.) It would have taken years to create a system like food-stamp cards that are limited to a list of items, she said. "It would be very difficult to determine what kind of clothing, for example, is a back-to-school item." ***(how about you ask the schools to collect receipts and have them choose which items get reimbursed rather than giving money away? That would work on district level because some people need uniforms which others don’t, some need special notebooks others don’t. Simple? No, but better than what they did. Or how about just give the money straight to the schools and let each teacher buy what supplies they know the kids will need for their class? Its not like they would buy something the kids don't need!) 

Mimi Corcoran of the Open Society Institute, which promotes social causes that include improved education, said Soros was happy with the outcome. He was inspired by Quakers who gave him school money with no strings attached after World War II, she said.....

"We respect and honor that even if individuals are poor they will spend the money appropriately for their children," she said.   ***(Dude, this only works for the minority on welfare that are there DESPITE knowing how to manage money or who have special needs and can’t work.) ....

Outside a ....New York City.... food stamp office this week, Tokina Julius, a single mother, said she didn't know how she would have afforded school uniforms for her 7-year-old daughter without the program. "I was happy it came," she said. "It really helped me out in a big way." ***(This was the one person in the entire state who fell into the above spoken of category ;) )....
— By Michael Grabell and Emily Witt, ProPublica....

"


.. ..

Ok, yes, another great solution executed with perfection by our Government.

And also the brilliance of those who got the money: Fast fact boys and girls, if a deposit made in error isn’t there to be corrected, the bank doesn’t just say “oh poo, they got away with that one!” and give up --- They take the money back regardless of account balance and if your account cant cover it you will simply have a NEGATIVE balance to pay back. (and fees for dropping into a negative balance.)

.. ..

This is how those scams where you get a fake check in the mail work, you deposit a check for $3000, and the scammer says they need $2000 back to “Unlock” Your million dollar account, (didn’t you know!?! You won a lotto which you’ve never even heard of!!!) and instruct you to send a money order to them for 2000 dollars.

A few days later, after the bank realizes that the check which both you and they thought was real is in actuality a FAKE (most cases this happens AFTER you mail the money order) they don’t just say “rats, this account had 3 dollars, they put in the fake 3k check then took out 2000, they don’t have enough to fix the loss, guess we’re beat!” That’s, not how it happens. The bank unemotionally says “ok so, you had 3 dollars, and took out 2000, which means now you owe us 1997 dollars, plus $42 for putting your account into the negative, thank you have a nice day”





The is no free lunch in corporate america, if you owe them money they will find a way to get it back


 or 


make you wish you had given it back.  (trash your credit score)


The is no free lunch in corporate america, you need to ask uncle sam for that, and according to this article, rather than a free lunch he seems to prefer: free Drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, flat screen TVs, iPods, and/or Gucci backpacks.

.. ..


7:44 PM 
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September 30, 2009 - Wednesday 

Ahh yes the feedback loop

.. ..

I know it well. It used to be an integral part of me.

.. ..

With that being said, I’ll point out that some of the questions I’ll ask are rhetorical in nature.

.. ..

.. ..

The feedback loop, that little voice in your brain you use to think up things… things which no one has said (or done) but part of you wishes they had, because if they had, it would hurt more, and it should hurt more, because you suck, and you know you suck, and everyone else secretly knows you suck and you know you’re always going to suck, and everyone else also knows you’re always going to suck.

.. ..

Oh look, an example.

.. ..

It’s by the grace of God I was able to break the comfort zone of that loop.

Yes, making yourself miserable is a comfort zone because you get used to it and it becomes routine, routine is comfortable, telling yourself you suck is routine, telling yourself you suck is comfortable.

.. ..

And is 100% utterly and totally unhealthy.

.. ..

I would ask (rhetorically again mind you) why people choose to stay stuck in the feedback loop but I just answered why for you.

.. ..

What I will ask is: Why don’t you make the effort to break the loop? You know deep down you’re worth it. You know deep down that the voices claiming to be from deep down are full of lies.

.. ..

How much hurt will it take before you are filled? A depression in geography is a place where something goes down. Depression in humans is a sink hole which can never be filled. It is a black hole of emotion that no matter what you feed it, its hunger never disappears.

.. ..

Why do you lie to yourself and believe all the evil the voice would have your friends and family say to you?

.. ..

Why do you choose to believe that regardless of whatever he or she said it was meant in the way that would cause you the most harm?

.. ..

.. ..

Forgive yourself. God already has. Choose to grow. Choose to live.

Choose to not be that terrible rain cloud of a person that everyone wants console and then to get away from because you’re always sad and nothing they do seems to matter or help. Choose life. Choose to be satisfied. Choose to live happy rather than exist in misery. 

9:04 PM 
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September 21, 2009 - Monday 

“I Don’t Believe In Organized Religion”

.. ..

.. ..

I hear that line a lot. I can understand the sentiment. The scandals with the priests, all those people who have been burned by someone who didn’t agree with something they did or said or looked or smelled…. Somehow just didn’t fit a cookie cutter in another person’s mind (a cookie cutter that no one is meant to fit.)

.. ..

I get that.  I get as enraged at people who don’t let others come “as they are” as some people get at my other blogs. (Intentionally neglecting to link to that one)

.. ..

.. ..

.. ..

Let us see what the good book says about lone wolves. In the beginning it was just man and God after all….. ok after reading from start up to the line I have in mind it has very little recorded vocal interaction between God and man, just that they took a walk together sometimes.  But there is a verse that said “It’s not good for man to be alone.” So he made the woman and they put their two half brains together and ate something, blah blah, and here we are

.. ..

Maybe adam smelled and God didn’t want to be left alone with him so He made up a chick to try and fix him…?...anyway..

.. ..

.. ..

Well, perhaps I should look to the other side of it. We’ve seen that big organizations only bring bad things, like “The network” and “Low everyday prices” and “A Place for Friends”  and “The hogie fest at the wawa” …wait scratch the last one….. well the commercials are evil but… yeah anyway.

.. ..

We in ....America.... seem to like bigger as better. We talk nicely about small business but we all shop and use big business (otherwise big biz wouldn’t be big, and small biz wouldn’t be small me thinks ;)   )

.. ..

We don’t want to be a cog in a church wheel though….

.. ..

In ....America.... we have many who want to be members of the First Cingulitarian Church of ME (population 1) (…. yes I made that word up……...and yes it does have roll over minutes….)

.. ..

Is it that we don’t want anyone to tell us when we are wrong?

Seems to me that we can’t ALL be doing 100% right by the higher powers opinion as many of us do opposite things from one another.

.. ..

I mean… I’ve been taught that it is important to be surrounded by people who care enough to tell you when you are wrong. “Hey you’ve got a tear down the back of your pants”

.. ..

Furthermore, I find it curious that we trust something so important as our souls to nothing more than our own opinions which are usually under-educated. (I mean that in reflection of the question: Could you ever be over-educated with regard to your eternity?)

.. ..

Why did I need to wait 4 semesters for my community college to offer a comparative religion class?

(the answer which is meant to be rhetorical is: demand is that low that it took 4 semesters before they could fill the class ergo: lack of interest of the general student body)

.. ..

On a side note the class was full of those who are already quite devoted to a faith and only a couple free thinkers….exactly who we need in a class like that (cough, cough, cough…oh wait)

.. ..

.. ..

People seem to fail in noticing the good from the organization. (good cell phone signal and lower prices, High quality TV, High Quality Education) For one it causes people to need to work harder to get along with one another, efforts which promote emotional maturity.  (like getting along with aforementioned cookie cutter insistent people or those who don’t always appreciate my humor.)

.. ..

It is my understanding that anyone who wants to find a church where they fit perfectly is looking for a cult or a church which is empty…. Humans have problems and the institutions they build likewise have problems.

.. ..

Yet we shun “organized religion” while involving ourselves in everything else “organized”. (Big business and following laws and stuff….stuff…)

.. ..

At the very least I am surprised so few don’t take time to goto a secular college to educate themselves about any given belief they may be investigating (or detest.)

.. ..

Replies/Comment slamming only Verizon or Walmart or big biz will be deleted as off topic. I know Walmart et al, has quite a few flaws, none of which or that fact of which is not the point of the post, it’s only for illustration.

10:53 PM 
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September 7, 2009 - Monday 
........
She just doesn't get it



driving in the rain and the window fogs up and the defroster thing doesn't do the job all that well but its passable.... sortof....


and she insists on wiping the glass with a spare shirt I have in my car

and I say no no don't don't do it, there will be streaks that will annoy me for weeks!!

..oh that's what windex is for!
And would you really want to risk an accident for a clean windshield??'


When's the last time you have seen me touch a cleaning product other than for my person!?!

'oh stop being silly' (wipes glass)

sigh....

she just doesn't get it.


The answer to her above (bolded) question is yes for the following reasons:

1 we would managed to avoid an accident and the glass would be clean next day ooorrrrr

2 I would crash and die and again …. not have a dirty windshield the next day.... so see??

she just doesnt understand I tell you!


Her way is the only way I end up having to deal with annoying windshield streaks!!!

Sheesh!
she really needs to get her priorities straight!









If you are offended by this blog, go get drunk and then come back and reread.


Yes she proof-read this and she thinks its funny.
12:23 AM 
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June 10, 2009 - Wednesday 
We need to change!
 
We need to be more GREEN!!!
 
We need to make BIG changes to save the earth!!!
 
 
 
Alright.
 
I believe you.
 
However I continue to look for the "BIG" change I can make to make the big difference, and the fact that all I ever here
Is "WE NEED TO MAKE BIG CHANGES" usually accompanied by some stupid little tip like don't run the water while you brush your teeth... well maybe reaching over and turning off a faucet during teeth brushing is a big change for some but uh..
I’d wager not for most...
 
Let us examine the many suggestions in search of the "BIG" change.
 
 
Use paperless billing etc.
Check
 
Recycle stuff
Check
 
Drive an efficient car
Check, the most efficient I can afford and without a battery which generates huge amounts of pollutants during
Construction.
Again, Check
 
Change your light bulbs
Check
 
Car pool
Hmm yeah that’s one I should do more maybe, no check
 
In winter, save bath water until the heat from it is gone
Check, and its icky!
 
Lower the thermostat in winter and raise it in summer
Hell, I turned mine off entirely! Check
 
Buy local (less fuel was used to transport)
Uh... try to, but isn't that a mixed bag? What if farmer jim uses a tractor from 1953 that puts out more c02 per acre than
the guy in china does farming it and flying/trucking it here?
Check and not check...moving on.
 
Use less hair spray (CO2 emissions)
Check, I use none
 
Buy Electricity from company which uses a renewable source
Hmm, I should get on that.. No check (it costs 2-10times as much and me being bankrupt isn't good for the environment)
 
Speaking of no check, use online bill pay from the bank (slightly different from paperless)
Check
 
Roll/slide down windows before using AC.
Check, much to fiancée’s chagrin
 
Take shorter Showers and don’t run water while you brush teeth
Uh... yeah... check
 
Use reusable containers rather than disposable ones (this includes bags at the shopping center)
cheeeckkk...(or recycle plastic bags like I do)
 
Buy windows which are more efficient
Mucho dinero for minimal payback ($800 a window for an estimated 10 dollar a month reduction in heating bills…. I heat the house 3-4 months a year so 40 a year… oh ok in 20 years it will pay for itself… and they will all still be in pristine shape until long after that right? Yeah.ok.)  No check
 
 
and then.....?
 
ummk... aside from the car... I don't really see any BIG change.
 
 
And if you search for a carbon footprint calculator, I'm below the average American (like 50% below) but still like more than twice over what the new international goal is...
 
Soooo there must be a list of things I can do achieve the goal they set right?
 
The BIG change everyone talks about it on it...
 
 
 
.....Right....?
 
 
(cough)
 
 
 
c'mon.... there's a list right???
 
 
 
 
 
Ok
In case I'm being unclear, I'll spell out my point.
 
Environmentalists need to shut up-
 
Please--shut up with the "Make a change" bit
 
 
 
 
and somehow perceive: WE, THE MASSES, WANT TO CHANGE, BUT YOU AREN'T GIVING US ANY "BIG" SUGGESTIONS
 
OR DIRECTIONS     
 
 
ON HOW (TO CHANGE.)
 
 
HHHHOOOOOOOOWWWWW Can we change to save the polar bear ??
 
 
And start .... I dunno... doin something, figuring out some sort of plan, that the rest of us out here, who are ready and
Willing to make (more) changes may follow
 
Give us something to do to further this goal of "Big" Changes.
 
(Usually the reply I envision at this point is more hand waving, so I’ll illustrate below)
 
"CLIIIIMMMAAAATTTTEEE CHHHHHAAAAAANNNGGGGGEEEE"
(and my reply)
yeah yeah yeah yeah... we get it... we got it... we want to fix it....
Stop preaching the problem,
 
She's dead Jim, the horse is dead, and you're still beating it... and have been... for quite some time now
 
 
...stop...
 
 
And start devoting your energies to the more productive use of time that is:
   Tossing out innovative ideas and solutions and technology which we can start adopting.
 
Symbolic gestures that really do little or nothing to change the problem are nice but we need more than that! Much more!
 
Sidenote: Commercials which say “we don’t need to make big changes, just do this:…..” are put up by even bigger morons than the BIG CHANGE groups. At least the BIG groups have the terminology right… they just wrongly assume that not using plastic bags at the grocery store will save the planet.
BIG changes are what need to be made, even the most careful American (which is me of course) probably makes more c02 than the majority of the rest of the world. And there is no further BIG change he is aware of that he can make to fix it.
 
Still deluded by the “Use New lightbulbs” or “lower the thermostat!” Ads?
 
Austrailia made it illegal to have non-florescent lighting. Everyone must be switched over by 2012. That BIG CHANGE is estimated to have lowered world c02 emissions by 800,000 metric tons, or .003%. But it IS possible that by 2015 that BIG change will net a .011% drop in world c02 emissions (around 4 million tons removed). Meanwhile China’s auto industry produces new compact cars that put out more emissions than a ford expedition (the really BIG Suv which cut you off last night) But who-hawing at china is off topic..
 
 
 
Disclaimer:
Comments pointing out the minority who doesn't believe its happening and citing them as a need for continued idiotic commercials inflicted on the majority...will be sacked and deleted.
Comments requesting I provide direction will be made fun of as I am not the one with a million+ dollar budget putting on commercials to beat a dead horse and provide inane suggestions which make a difference but not a big enough one (and certainly not a BIG one) to push us back from the cliff we are approaching as a planet.
Comments containing good (even if small) suggestions *might* be added to the list if I get the notion to sign into myspace within the next month and/or if I bother to check the comments.
 
hey look, that new DTV changeover is finally here (again) try not to screw it up this time Barack.
 
Hmm... anyone noticed all I ever seem to blog about in comedy are stupid TV commercials?
Next Week, aamaco's check engine service !!
7:55 PM 
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June 7, 2009 - Sunday 
I have another comedy to post. but its not on this computer so i'll have to just stuff this with filler.
Its in the same vein as maddox ( google the best page in the universe) but not quite as shock comedy-esque.
I was watching a debate the other day between Christopher hitchens
(google him, my link maker is broken)
And Dr. William Lane Craig
It was interesting to see how both men swatted away what the other had to say ... sadly it was usually by misrepresenting the argument (more often on mr hitchens end than on Dr. Craigs. ) It was disheartening to see MR. Hitchens attack (general) religion and extreme right wing fundmentalists more than the mainstream and intellectual merits which christian thinkers hold to. You hate religion.... we got it... 
[br]
[br]
I plan to go back over some of the points on both sides and give my own pov but that dvd is also not at this location so I'll be relying on my memory.
"The bible supports genetal mutilation"
Hmm, hadn't heard circumcision referred to that way but if the shoe fits...hmm it does doesn't it... The argument made was that its purpose was to blunt feeling in that organ... uh.. well maybe but I'm sure it still is nice enough feeling to uh, not be a deterant as i think most of america is circumcised and we still have quite a bit of extra marital and "Try before you buy" as well as just casual ..uh...occurances... so i wonder if that was really the point.
moving on.
[br]
Mr. Hitchens brough up the point that not everyone had a chance to know of Christ and the story and this and that yet they are still judged. Fair? 2% of man lived before Christ why did God wait? Why go through 6 billion years of evolution and dinosaurs only to finally get up to man... isn't it a bit self centered to think that the whole universe is just for us humans? What a waste of space and time and energy
Time and energy are no issue to the being in question and therefore the question is not a good one. 
[br]
[br]
Dr. Craig brought up that the odds of a universe even being able to spawn life vs not, let alone that we HAVE life and sentient life a that is a statistical miracle. (Literally, the odds are so bleeping small that in the minds of some the fact we are here is proof of an intelligent designer.)
Mr. Hitchens also said he feels no need to disprove the tooth fairy or easter bunny so why is the burden of proof on him to disprove that God exists?
Interesting attack. I don't recall Craig's answer.
But disproving that the world is flat doesn't prove it to be round (merely not flat)  
On the Converese Proving that the world isn't flat doesn't prove its round.
Uh.  Hitchens felt nothing out there proved the existance of God
Craig stated that nothing out there disproved the Existance of God.
[br]
That appears to be a draw to me however Craig sold it so much better you would think it was a win for the theists.
[br]
However the definition of aethist is one who denies the existance of God or a higher power. Agnostic is one who does not know for sure if there is or is not a God or higher power. Hitchens says he is an atheist yet only states that God's existance isn't proven. therefor God doesn't exist... that pink flamingo in the forrest doesn't exist to anyone except me (because i put it there)  If its not proven or disproven... doesn't that make him more an agnostic? [br]
[br]
If we knew 99% of all knowledge possible it would still be impossible to Prove the non existance of a higher power... what if the data is hiding in the 1%?
Eh... this is dribble... moving on
[br]
Hitchens: What moral affirmation can a theist make that an aethist can not make? 
OR How are theists more moral than atheists?
That question is a false premise, I as a theist would never say an athiest is immoral I know some people who are better people than I yet do not subscribe to my worldview. What I would say is that the theist has a point of reference that this is right and that is wrong because his diety says so. Example Murder and Rape are wrong because God says so, and no matter if every human alive disagrees, the law is still the law (its kinda like doing 90 on the freeway, everyone says screw 65 but the law is still anything over 65 is not legal, just cause no one listens to it doesn't mean its not there)
The atheist has only his opinion and no absolute law which is right or wrong
What I mean by this is, to Hitler the murder of jews was a moral duty (for example) and there is not moral law to superceed him to say it was wrong, even majority rule doesn't make a competing worldview *wrong* just more easily defeated by force (or democracy) Stated another way: Jim likes fish, I think fish are bad and so does megan... well just because there are two against and one for doesn't bind whether fish is good or bad, just majority says its bad... but majority opinion is no more binding (it doesn't *make* fish bad) than minority. 
But the atheist rightly would want to say the torture of babies for personal amusement is WRONG and absolutely wrong. Much the same as the majority of americans still feel that water boarding is wrong regardless of who (suspected or proven terrorist) is being water-boarded.
These absolute values have to come from somewhere. If not then what does it all matter? lets all do 90 on the freeway its not really wrong, just contrary to the law which is no more binding than majority rule chooses to be.
Some would say evolution put them in. I disagree, if we came from animals then would we not see more previlence of animal behavior?
Rape is not socially acceptable to humans (and this is good! it should not be acceptable!)
But last time I saw discovery channel or animal planet the animal kingdom doesn't seem to punish rape, Evolution rewards it in fact.
The critter the spreads the most seed carries on its genome (along with the tendency to rape) to the next generation. No so n humans
Hmm... this is not at all an airtight case, i should do more research.
On another side, animals kill the weak and deformed.  We humans (if we have a right mind) love our children regardless. (we may not love some of the things they do but we love our kids just because they are OUR kids!) We love our kids regardless of what behavioral, emotional or physical abnormalities they have.
 Is this not completely contrary to evolution and to our animal cousins?
Evolution or survival of the strongest doesn't teach this... on one level it teaches hitler was right, his group was stronger than those they killed therefor they should prosper while others perish. --- survival of the fittest ---
Thats not as big of a leap as some seem to think IMHO.
What hitler did was immoral... and yet evolution spawned morality? eh.... i don't see it.
I do intend to start reading richard dawkins and hitchens though, while I disagree with the worldview and intend to read the book in order to better formulate my disagreement, Mr. Hitchens did seem to be a humorous and interesting fellow.
Comments welcome unless they contain personal attacks. Hope I made some sense, if not oh well, the next post will be more amusing.
9:58 PM 
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March 26, 2009 - Thursday 

Three points which most comments seem to ignore are as follows:

1 I never said having any disease or disorder was trivial. I watched multiple sclorosis steal my mothers body mind and dignity, and later her life. I'm watching my dad having a harder and harder time walking due to a degerative lower back disorder. I see hints of each of these in my own body. I am deaf in my left ear.

2 Talk is cheap, (it does do something, I will concede, but it does not do enough.)


3 This particular event isn’t about talk but action.


1

 I wasn’t saying this or that disorder was trivial,

I would never say any thing which causes people to suffer is trivial.

I was trying to say that more people could be doing so much more its upsetting at how some people think so little is actually so much when so much MORE could be done. "I have a magnet!"

 

ok, you funded 20 minutes of research once in your lifetime... thats good, but don't you think you could do more? Give 50 dollars once a year or one dollar once a week... its still very small but still bigger than most people will ever do.


Compared to what could be done, so little is being done… that’s where my frustration lies and that’s what I failed to convey in this blog.



2

The comparison of rain to cancer is not one of equal triviality. (of course not, rain doesn't drain away peoples lives... unless they are farmers who got way too much rain.)




The point I was trying to make is




“Talk is cheap regardless of what you are talking about. “




.. ..




Talk is cheap no matter what you are talking about.....




.. ..




 Don’t just “speak out boldly”, take part. DO SOMETHING” (and no,
slamming me, doesn’t count, GO vote with your wallet)




talk





 



is





 



cheap





 



Further clarifying, talking about the rain does as much to “fix-it” as talking about cancer (does to fit it)




Being aware of something is the first step in doing something about it




Yes…




but the vast majority of this nation is aware of a great many things however, they choose to do nothing about it. I don’t think there’s anyone out there who doesn’t know about cancer: Thus the talk/awareness phase is complete. Time to make like PBS and try to rake in that dough.



3

The event which I referenced is one which involves more than just “speaking out boldly” and I was also highlighting that they should change the catch phrase from “speaking out boldly” to something more action oriented (last I checked, walking for 3 days and/or 60 miles to earn money is an action which speaks louder than words, even those spoken boldly)




.. ..




.. ..




How many of those who commented actually give money for research? I wish I could give more, and I wish more people gave too. This was another point that seems to have been overlooked. If you don’t give anything, how are you really any better than someone slamming this or that event? You aren’t financially supporting, neither are they, so in some respects you’re the same.



How much money did “The 3 Day” Spend on advertising?




Should they have to put up TV ads with supporters such as these?




If the passion is so deep rooted why are you wasting your time on me instead of standing on a corner with a billboard or going door to door telling people “hey we have this great event to raise money for cancer research, could you please participate?” I’m sure there are enough people actually walking so just ask if someone can give a dollar. Whats a dollar? Millions if everyone covers their own block. But eh... nope we would much rather surf myspace and try to take the moral high ground there -- while continuing to do nothing but talk...




Hell, start some petition to tell "Tom" you will all boycott myspace unless he gives 5% of the profits to whatever charity you deem fit. (one on paper that you actually SIGN in ink, not a corny easily falsifyable text email/myspace one)




.. ..



 


 


.. ..




Futher:




The puzzle piece, in my humble opinion, creates more of a question in peoples minds “Why a puzzle piece? why say “solve” rather than “Cure”?




It makes people aware without containing the word “awareness”.




Maybe someday they will include a website address which contrains a donor form.




.. ..




I doubt a sticker which says “autism awareness” does anymore to increase peoples knowledge of autism. They just say “hey look that car has a neat new magnet which I haven’t seen” And then over time other cars have it and just like the yellow ribbons, they are just…. There… and though people on the highway see them, the amount they care is not increased. So what is the point?




.. ..




.. ..




The magnets each group sells are great because/but they all play on is human nature’s desire to say “look I’m a good person, I gave 5 dollars to autism research (5 years ago and not a penny more! But) I’m a good person because I HAVE THE MAGNET!”




 If you care enough to have the magnet, do you care enough to not have the magnet? I mean just give that 5 dollars straight to whomever you support in research rather than 5 dollars minus the manufacturing/distributing costs of a magnet?




.. ..




Do magnets on cars do anymore than those little booklets about “God’s big plan” which people who tipped poorly leave at a diner or in a random place? My argument would be No, they don’t. .. So just donate directly...





 



No talking bold or otherwise, just actions. Those which others may not see (oooh.. sigh... but how can i take the moral high ground then!?) but actions which will make a difference.





 




But then again, no wait, all I did was talk about people doing nothing but talking (boldly) so I guess I’m no better than anyone else.





 



.... 




Well… at least i didn’t waste my time leaving a venomous comment which the offensive blogger didn’t actually read, When I could have been mailing a check to a charity I support, 



well except for gelly, I read his.

6:28 PM 
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March 19, 2009 - Thursday 

ok... see I respect that some people have some emotion invested in certain topics but sometimes the things they say are just plain stupid.....


"The 3 day is speaking out against breast cancer in the biggest and boldest possible way!"

Yes. Because speaking out, not in a small way, but a big way, not in a timid way, but a BOLD way.... will solve it.

Yep.

Good thing its not speaking out in a small and timid way, cause if it was it would net about the same results as..... speaking out in .....any ...possible.... (cough)....way.......


WAIT!!!

UNLESS!!--

the "speaking out" is actually just talk which is between two researchers in which case it might net some result other than my simple annoyance.

...

Unless... the talk is big and bold...cause that would likely lead one researcher to become annoyed with the other... which would be bad ....


But anyway, just to be safe

Lets try this out:

I want to speak out in a big and bold way,
neigh, IN THE BIGGEST AND BOLDEST POSSIBLE WAY!!

YES!!!



AGAINST RAIN!!! I HATE THE RAIN!!!!!


JOIN ME IN SPEAKING OUT IN THE BIGGEST AND BOLDEST POSSIBLE WAY ---
AGAINST RAINY DAYS!!!



Bumper stickers are fun....
I saw one the other day: Autism Awareness.
umm-k I am(and the majority of the rest of the population is) aware of autism.... what now...??

You have achieved the objective of awareness!!!! Congrats and good job!! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!

So now how about you upgrade to a "SOLVE Autism" sticker?

Or better yet, actually give REGULARLY to funds which research in autism rather than just buying a sticker once or twice!

ya know i saw this video on youtube that was a joke about a subscription service, every week they send you a new sticker, a yellow ribbon, a puzzel piece, one that says "support farting" (and believe me I DO!). it was pretty funny.

Life continues to grind on... After pursuing my 2 years associates degree for the last 4 years (and I'm still only 3/4 done!!) it feels like it will never end. oh wait.. and then I get to go do 4 more years... I can't wait...

But, despite that, things are looking up. I've made some life changes, I've made some choices which involved putting God back in the center and I've noticed right off the bat, I'm a happier person, my job this week has been markedly better... its really kinda scary... I mean I also know it sounds corny.. "I put God first and now I'm HAPPPYYYY!!!" ... sounds like someone I would quote and ridicule...but... its just... how it it is.... ummhh its scary, like i said, we've all seen how one bad choice makes such a negative impact... but few have seen or think about the times when a good choice also makes a huge impact.... perhaps our generation will change this.

After all, we've been made aware of autism and have once monthly contraception, we're ready to take on the world! 
 
 
6:24 PM 
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February 24, 2009 - Tuesday 
Nuvaring

the happy little commericals.
until you can see how tedious it is having to take a pill every day, and then eventually just how put off
the lady is at having to take a pill every day. monday ok, tuesday...ok wednessday hey wait .... and by sunday its
just outright intolerable.

Well.
I can relate,

I too have to take a pill every day to preserve the quality of my life.
And yes, taking my vitemin pill every day does indeed annoy me just as much as those poor ladies on tv.
 
Taking a pill every day....
IT'S INTOLERABLE I TELL YOU!!!

One-A-day???  You aweful aweful company!!! your product is terrible for making me take the inane (Yes that is a word) amount of time to insure my health and standard of living isn't interrupted!! NOT. WORTH. IT!.
 
Now!
if only someone would make viteminRing which could be inserted into the Other end of my digestive tract every month
OH HOW MUCH BETTER THAT WOULD BE!!!
 

 
 
(if you took that post seriously, go into the bathroom and use the hair dryer to thaw out your humor...appreciation.....thing....)
 
also on the list of things i;d call 'GENIUS' is this line from another drug commercial
 
"I knew arthritus hurt but I had now idea it was attacking my joints!"
ok einstein... pain is usually an indication of damage... level of pain, level of damage.... its not hard. lets try a logical statement, if the pain seems to slowly increase what can be said of the joints where are experiencing it?
A trout live in trees
B that d*mn cat is about to eat my biscut again
C I should have bought a mazda
D perhaps my joints are deteriorating leading to increasing pain.
 
Naturally the answer is E, all of the above.

well right now that I've got that junk out of the way I'll get back to the normal general update fashion. I continue to maintain my position at UPS, our building finished 5th for the year in the country. we are consistently carrying our district. (other sorts have low numbers but ours so high it carries them)
I continue to try and improve my managment skills a little each day.
at school science is a strong suit of mine, i scored a 98 on the first test.
We did cask of amontillado in eng 102.  I brought up 45% of the irony in the class (that is for every example someone else raised I raised a different one too almost.) I even got one the teacher didn't notice but agreed was there.
so why can't i think of what to write a short story essay on!?!?
dang it!

I do with the science teachers would network with the lab teacher though.
I really would love to know if the comglomerate rock made of various sized sea creature shells glued together is pronounced co-keen-uh or co-queen-uh (spelled cocina)

went to monster jam, it was pretty neat.... one of the guys who directed everything i swear was at least metrosexual
Probably going to mort the house and put the money to bills and a newer car. after this one has.....i keep saying 250 but the title said 240 when i got it while odometer said 188... its now at 206 so...closer to  260K, i think I've earned a new one.
anyone got a civic dx 5sp newer than 97 and under 100k miles for sale????
 

you guys should make a countdown till Al puts out his CD's you can set it at like 5 years and it might be about right.
had a bunch of other crap to say but can't remember it.... oh well
 

oh yeah, Obama is now on my S list.
 

know why?
 

cause he moved the DTV transition back another 4 months so for (ANOTHER) four months we get to hear "goto dtv2009.gov to find out if you are ready for the digital switch!!" or fox, or any other stinking station which won't just let the idiots who haven't figured it out for themselves by now just turn on the tube in june and come out of the martian cave they must be living in to not know that at such and such a date, you need to have a new little box to make the tv work, or get verizon or comcast or satellite..... and learn the hard way (which at this point is probably they only way they ever will) I mean for the love of God, my late 80's grandparents even know they are ok because they got dish network. (and saying they aren't tech savvy is insulting to those who just aren't tech savvy, they don't do technology. PERIOD)Why these commercials are being broadcast in the DTV and comcast Tv streams is beyond me (yes, I've had a DTV box since october and they;ve been talking more about the switch to digital TV, ON THE DIGITAL SIGNAL!!, than on the analog stations which will no longer operate.) its worse than an ad for a movie or political canidate which/who they just promote and promote and promote to the point that even if you were interested in seeing it/voting for them you don't because you want to punish the company/person for annoying you with the same bleeping commercial so many bleeping times~!  And again, why are the commercials about the digital switch being transmitted over the digital signal?! its a waste of ad space which could be better filled by more entertaining commercials like hulu.com
Seriously, "there won't be money for the 40 dollar coupons!" Really Barack? REALLY?? if you have someone out there (other than those on fixed incomes who like my grandparents have probably already figured it out) who actually NEEDS the 40 dollar coupon to purchase a 50 dollar device to keep the TV working.... uhm.. if you can't afford a 50 dollar box to keep the tv working me thinks you have slightly bigger issues that should be prioritized over watching TV! like going out and getting a job!! making 7.25 and hour taking home 6 an hour you will be able to purchase the mystic box with just over a days work in wages.  (if you go out and find isolated cases where my argument fails you have too much free time and also obviously don't need the coupon to purchase a dtv box either.... because if you read my blog .... clearly you've found something more wasteful of time than a TV every could be!)
Did i mention I hate the dtv switch commercials??

So yeah, its not the pork, or the other things written in the "stimulus" package
dubbed the Congressional Reform Action Project by Mike huckabee (or C.R.A.P. for short)
no it;s Not how Obama campaigned for a bill which btw was written in a back room at night after hours and voted for the next day

 
Its, not that the solution to the housing problem-- legislation focused on stabalizing home values (and inherently the banking system too) getting voted down by the idiots in office along with the obamanite.
nope.

I don't like him cause he made me watch another 4 months of "Are you ready for the switch!?!" commercials.
 
that jerk!
 
 
 
 
 
 
If you don't find any of this even the least bit funny, obviously you aren't a simpsons or family guy fan either.
click this if you didn't find this posting funny at all
10:58 AM 
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November 14, 2008 - Friday 

 

Someone asked me that question recently and as usual, I didn't really have a well thought out reply, it isn't something I've sat and studied and worked out in my own mind exactly what my position is. Maybe that's a good thing in some cases, though its mostly due to my own laziness.

The answer I gave was that "My job is to give the best possible presentation. Because its possible all religions are false but impossible that they are all true."

On the drive home I felt the need to reflect more deeply. Perhaps write a paragraph or two and give it back to the gentleman. So, here is that effort of reflecting more deeply and seeing where it leaves me:

A popular song from the austrailian "worship band" hillsong has the lyrics "All my life is meant for just one thing, and that's to know you, Jesus, and to make you known.

While that is just a song I think there is a great deal of truth a biblical study behind it.

Is it my job…..

No. I believe that God gave free will to all. To convert a math problem to an answer requires work on my part I need to force something to happen. Thinking logically, God gave free choice because if we had no choice but to do right or choose Him where would the glory be? Why would God give someone free choice for me to take that away from someone (or them) and force something upon them (which usually makes anyone more apprehensive and resistant)

My job IS to live out my life serving God to the best of my ability which I fail at daily.

And present an image of someone trying to be Christ like to others and let them make that choice of their own volition. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will help the gears turn in their mind one way or another to facilitate understanding without forcing a choice but that is up to God, not me.

In closing, I am persuaded that active persuading is not my job, trying to convince people of some idea or ideology usually sours their opinion of it. I still haven't met a child who went to catholic school that came out a more devoted catholic. I have however met many children forced to goto catholic school who now hate the whole idea of Christian beliefs more than most people.

Some other thoughts:

We will hit what we aim at. This gentleman aims to not be a bad person and has clearly spent much time evaluating the best way to achieve that. Most Americans aim to do good 60% of the time and only when it's convenient. I aim to follow the teachings of Christ more than most but not nearly as much as I should… and I have hit my target bulls eye for some time now.

Anyways, I'd like some input. I intend to write something like a one page reply to give to this young man at my next class this Thursday.

10:40 AM 
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