When I wake up after a few hours of restless sleep, I am not usually expecting a marvelous day. But for the lack of sleep and the 2 1/2 hours of continuous exercise, for the exhaustion, both physical and mental, which I am currently experiencing, I feel good. The Exhaustion is the kind that comes with accomplishment, and so, comes with a measure of satisfaction. My homework is all done until December first and I held a solid run for longer than I have managed in a couple years. I have one last long day left before thanksgiving and after that I am close to next semester, for which I have a more interesting schedule. And, and, and...no Comp. After this I am to be assumed English language competent. Yays.
I would put together something longer, but getting all my homework has involved some intensive computer work, which has definitely taken its toll on my eyes.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Friday, November 20, 2009
And Now It Just Sucks...
I have, as a good homeschooler, always been in on the secret that we learn and apply best those things which we enjoy.
Why should I be surprised that my five weeks of preparation on a topic which I did not care for has caused me to loath said topic? I need to be able to accomplish unpleasant tasks quickly. This minute baby step by baby step process that the Moore has put me through has turned this paper from an easy task which I could have realized in a week, to a month and a half torture show of academic coddling and over preparation. This last assignment which made me re-reread part of the textbook and a bunch of my sources, only to make me write another little three page assignment talking about the six to eight page paper. It translated to hours of re-reading for some 25 minutes of writing.
I am reminded of the Pointy-Haired Boss assigning progress reports every fifteen minutes until the engineers catch up on their work.
And I am now exceedingly cranky.
Why should I be surprised that my five weeks of preparation on a topic which I did not care for has caused me to loath said topic? I need to be able to accomplish unpleasant tasks quickly. This minute baby step by baby step process that the Moore has put me through has turned this paper from an easy task which I could have realized in a week, to a month and a half torture show of academic coddling and over preparation. This last assignment which made me re-reread part of the textbook and a bunch of my sources, only to make me write another little three page assignment talking about the six to eight page paper. It translated to hours of re-reading for some 25 minutes of writing.
I am reminded of the Pointy-Haired Boss assigning progress reports every fifteen minutes until the engineers catch up on their work.
And I am now exceedingly cranky.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Islam
I know some excellent Muslims. I hang out with a pair of them pretty regularly at school. Ahmed and Jasmina are perfectly normal. Jasmina is trying to talk me into political science and Ahmed has given up on talking me into Biology. There are good Muslims, maybe the vast majority of Muslims are good? I have been party to sample of the good ones and have never seen a bad one. But it is not the water in the northern regions of Africa that causes genocide. It is not the food which allows women no rights in the Middle East. It is not the trees which tell men to strap on bombs and kill the Jews. Orthodox Islam is corrosive. It eats away empathy and turns the noblest elements of the human will, self sacrifice, bravery, loyalty, and devotion, to a twisted cause. Do I wish there was no Islam? Yes, I wish that. But there is Islam, so we live with it and try to get along.
Should we profile Muslims. No. We are Americans and that is not how we roll. We deal with each person according to their actions. However, some white trash skinhead writes about killing black people, you watch him like a hawk. A Muslim talks about Jihad, watch him like a hawk. Muslims should practice their faith with the same freedom that I do as a Christian. However, there needs to be some good faith here. The second my pastor cracked and told me it was time to go get some Muslims and Jews, I would speak with him. If he maintained, I would frog-march him to an institution. Evil words are evil words regardless of the mouth they issue from. I would hope that my fellow citizens who listen to their imams would do me the same service.
There are some codes of conduct here. There is stigma around certain articles of regalia. Why the hell would you wear full white robes, like the ones martyrs wear, into in airport when you know the thoughts that accompany that regalia? The reality is that getup is exceedingly popular amongst those who choose to blow themselves up, so regular Muslims might be more concerned with courtesy than making a statement.
Another great issue with Islam is that the brand that has state support behind it in so many countries is terribly violent and does not allow for peaceful coexistence. It is still a death penalty offense to bring a bible into Saudi Arabia. Iranian public schools still preach hatred against Christians and Jews. Don't get me started on the Sudan or Somalia. Islam has screwed up every country where it holds sway, and more often than not gives rise to an oligarchy of those who have the will to power.
Do I watch the man walking through the airport in full white robes? You betcha. Do I watch the man in full white robes that walks into the NAACP office? Klar! Neither are normal every day attire, and both have been put on for the special purpose of murder. I watch people with confederate flags on their trucks, why? Because what we wear makes a statement about our belief, and some things have been worn while men made some pretty evil statements.
Final Verdict. I think that Islam is no good. But I think that most people who live with it will never suffer some of its more serious psychological side effects.
Should we profile Muslims. No. We are Americans and that is not how we roll. We deal with each person according to their actions. However, some white trash skinhead writes about killing black people, you watch him like a hawk. A Muslim talks about Jihad, watch him like a hawk. Muslims should practice their faith with the same freedom that I do as a Christian. However, there needs to be some good faith here. The second my pastor cracked and told me it was time to go get some Muslims and Jews, I would speak with him. If he maintained, I would frog-march him to an institution. Evil words are evil words regardless of the mouth they issue from. I would hope that my fellow citizens who listen to their imams would do me the same service.
There are some codes of conduct here. There is stigma around certain articles of regalia. Why the hell would you wear full white robes, like the ones martyrs wear, into in airport when you know the thoughts that accompany that regalia? The reality is that getup is exceedingly popular amongst those who choose to blow themselves up, so regular Muslims might be more concerned with courtesy than making a statement.
Another great issue with Islam is that the brand that has state support behind it in so many countries is terribly violent and does not allow for peaceful coexistence. It is still a death penalty offense to bring a bible into Saudi Arabia. Iranian public schools still preach hatred against Christians and Jews. Don't get me started on the Sudan or Somalia. Islam has screwed up every country where it holds sway, and more often than not gives rise to an oligarchy of those who have the will to power.
Do I watch the man walking through the airport in full white robes? You betcha. Do I watch the man in full white robes that walks into the NAACP office? Klar! Neither are normal every day attire, and both have been put on for the special purpose of murder. I watch people with confederate flags on their trucks, why? Because what we wear makes a statement about our belief, and some things have been worn while men made some pretty evil statements.
Final Verdict. I think that Islam is no good. But I think that most people who live with it will never suffer some of its more serious psychological side effects.
A New Breakthrough in Breast-Cancer Prevention
*Warning: Bitter Satire Ahead*
In their eternal wisdom the federal Illuminati have discovered the secret to lower rates of fatality by breast cancer; we will now treat cancer by appeasement.
After holding long diplomatic talks with the cancers, a Federal panel became convinced that the breast cancer would leave us alone if only we would stop fighting it. "The vast majority of breast cancers are benign and the rest might be as well if we would only stop persecuting them, they would leave us alone" said one official. These words come on the heels of recent findings that attempts at breast cancer prevention were actually counter productive. The official continued on to say that breast cancer was actually a "cancer of peace" that has long been inflamed by US medical intervention.
The Panel found that current measures taken by the US medical professionals were "too expensive" and "came at the cost of too many innocent cancers that were not any danger to anyone; cancers that women would die with, not of." The federal panel found that the US stood to benefit from stepping down its cancer prevention and opting instead for a more humane approach. A member of the panel said in a recent interview that the US should "immediately withdraw from breast cancer prevention and then starting cutting back our bloated medical profession." Taking these measures, he said, would inevitably "elevate us back to leadership in the eyes of the world."
However, there are some idiot cranks and loons who are still in favour of breast cancer prevention. Said one money-grubbing quack "Regular screening is a big reason that deaths from breast cancer have been reduced so much in the last fifteen years." Even if his assertion that breast cancer, which we all know to be peaceful, kills people were true, there is no reason to believe that screening could prevent those deaths.
It should speak much to our readers that the only people who stand in favour of preventative measures are those who stand to gain from it, that is, doctors, women, men with wives, people who give a damn about other people, and anyone who has not yet received the White House political directive. That this kind of blind bigotry and partisanship should exist in the US makes me want to vomit and move to Canada.
If we are ever to prevent future clashes with breast-cancer, we must stop prevention and treatment immediately.
*A Word from the Author*
When I first saw the findings of the federal panel, I wanted to vomit. The fact that they want women to stop doing self checks as well shows us what they really want. When they make their bid to take over healthcare, they do not want to treat women's breast cancer. They want the breast cancer to be untreatable when they finally do catch it. This is the most sickening money saving device I have ever seen, and I would gladly be party to the beating of whoever decided this was a good idea. A cancer on everyone who had a hand in this filth.
In their eternal wisdom the federal Illuminati have discovered the secret to lower rates of fatality by breast cancer; we will now treat cancer by appeasement.
After holding long diplomatic talks with the cancers, a Federal panel became convinced that the breast cancer would leave us alone if only we would stop fighting it. "The vast majority of breast cancers are benign and the rest might be as well if we would only stop persecuting them, they would leave us alone" said one official. These words come on the heels of recent findings that attempts at breast cancer prevention were actually counter productive. The official continued on to say that breast cancer was actually a "cancer of peace" that has long been inflamed by US medical intervention.
The Panel found that current measures taken by the US medical professionals were "too expensive" and "came at the cost of too many innocent cancers that were not any danger to anyone; cancers that women would die with, not of." The federal panel found that the US stood to benefit from stepping down its cancer prevention and opting instead for a more humane approach. A member of the panel said in a recent interview that the US should "immediately withdraw from breast cancer prevention and then starting cutting back our bloated medical profession." Taking these measures, he said, would inevitably "elevate us back to leadership in the eyes of the world."
However, there are some idiot cranks and loons who are still in favour of breast cancer prevention. Said one money-grubbing quack "Regular screening is a big reason that deaths from breast cancer have been reduced so much in the last fifteen years." Even if his assertion that breast cancer, which we all know to be peaceful, kills people were true, there is no reason to believe that screening could prevent those deaths.
It should speak much to our readers that the only people who stand in favour of preventative measures are those who stand to gain from it, that is, doctors, women, men with wives, people who give a damn about other people, and anyone who has not yet received the White House political directive. That this kind of blind bigotry and partisanship should exist in the US makes me want to vomit and move to Canada.
If we are ever to prevent future clashes with breast-cancer, we must stop prevention and treatment immediately.
*A Word from the Author*
When I first saw the findings of the federal panel, I wanted to vomit. The fact that they want women to stop doing self checks as well shows us what they really want. When they make their bid to take over healthcare, they do not want to treat women's breast cancer. They want the breast cancer to be untreatable when they finally do catch it. This is the most sickening money saving device I have ever seen, and I would gladly be party to the beating of whoever decided this was a good idea. A cancer on everyone who had a hand in this filth.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Imperfection and the Omnipresence and Inescapability of Human Sin
Every so often I divert my attention back to the French Revolution. It asks one of those questions that has never been answered to my satisfaction. As good Christians, we are supposed to uphold and obey government, but what happens when the government is a mere tool which the powerful use to abuse and take advantage of the weak? What happens when a government's justice is become rancid and corrupt, when there is no justice? What happens when there is no means for peaceable reformation? Should good men sit there and watch as their fellows are trampled?
I have heard the revolution is always a sin. Is it not also a sin to watch your neighbor defrauded of his life and property? And what if he is defrauded in the name of the law? What if government is rigged to allow some men to rape, defraud, and murder without tasting the consequences? Such was the case with the French. The peasants only had one answer for that oligarchy of worms.
Don't get me wrong. The murder of the French aristocrats was an abomination of the worst sort; it was savagery. This is the sad price of having noble ideals hijacked by a blood-lusted mob. I have to wonder if revolution is ever possible without this kind of display. Ours was much more civilized by far. However, it is hard to compare because our tyrants--who were not so bad--were a long voyage off, out of the reach of the bloody mob, necessarily meaning the mob was out of their reach as well. Bloodshed on the same level was impossible.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I might be wrong in how I perceive the situation, to me it has always seemed a part of the imperfection that we live in, but such cases leave us with two choices. We either rebel against the evil and try to reform things in a just manner. Or we watch and allow ourselves to be party to corruption and hope it doesn't turn its eyes on us. There is no third choice, closing your eyes is just another way of watching.
I have heard the revolution is always a sin. Is it not also a sin to watch your neighbor defrauded of his life and property? And what if he is defrauded in the name of the law? What if government is rigged to allow some men to rape, defraud, and murder without tasting the consequences? Such was the case with the French. The peasants only had one answer for that oligarchy of worms.
Don't get me wrong. The murder of the French aristocrats was an abomination of the worst sort; it was savagery. This is the sad price of having noble ideals hijacked by a blood-lusted mob. I have to wonder if revolution is ever possible without this kind of display. Ours was much more civilized by far. However, it is hard to compare because our tyrants--who were not so bad--were a long voyage off, out of the reach of the bloody mob, necessarily meaning the mob was out of their reach as well. Bloodshed on the same level was impossible.
Anyway, I'm rambling. I might be wrong in how I perceive the situation, to me it has always seemed a part of the imperfection that we live in, but such cases leave us with two choices. We either rebel against the evil and try to reform things in a just manner. Or we watch and allow ourselves to be party to corruption and hope it doesn't turn its eyes on us. There is no third choice, closing your eyes is just another way of watching.
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Ausgezeichnet
This morning I could not sit still for bible study. I ended up wandering into James nearly empty class for the last five minutes of the lesson. James teaches bible study with the zeal of a caffeinated baptist minister. If today was any barometer, I imagine the chilluns are getting a much better Sunday-school education than any normally received by American crumb-crunchers. Next I will have to invade the She-woof's classroom. After all, who is making sure that the teaching is up to Corp standards?
Later, about the time that everyone starts going into church, I realized that I was abandoned and alone. In the course of seeing to the effective deployment of acolytes in our weekly campaign against the forces of darkness, I again missed out on any chance of joining the choir; that, coupled with my mother being ill, reduced me to the sad situation of having to sit by myself. Very sad... Aha! But that was not to be. For some of the magnanimous members of my church family had seen my wretched state and graciously joined me. Crisis averted.
Then, as I left church, I had the rest of a gorgeous sour creme cake foisted upon me. This particular cake is good enough that it tempts me every time I walk through the kitchen; my temptation to submission ratio is about 8:1. And if you had the pleasure of acquainting yourself with said delectable delight, only then would you realize how heroic that number is, especially for a starving artist like me.
Then we--the royal we--spent the rest of the day under the sun, enjoying many sunny pursuits such as, walking, homework on a blanket in back-yard, reading in the sun, and other things that allow for maximal contemplation and minimal physical effort.
After that came barbecued chicken.
And now I am smoking myself in front of a friendly hickory fire, toying with that, little, petite, infinitesimal, absurdly puny, morsel of homework which I have until Tuesday to complete.
My word for the day is ausgezeichnet.
Later, about the time that everyone starts going into church, I realized that I was abandoned and alone. In the course of seeing to the effective deployment of acolytes in our weekly campaign against the forces of darkness, I again missed out on any chance of joining the choir; that, coupled with my mother being ill, reduced me to the sad situation of having to sit by myself. Very sad... Aha! But that was not to be. For some of the magnanimous members of my church family had seen my wretched state and graciously joined me. Crisis averted.
Then, as I left church, I had the rest of a gorgeous sour creme cake foisted upon me. This particular cake is good enough that it tempts me every time I walk through the kitchen; my temptation to submission ratio is about 8:1. And if you had the pleasure of acquainting yourself with said delectable delight, only then would you realize how heroic that number is, especially for a starving artist like me.
Then we--the royal we--spent the rest of the day under the sun, enjoying many sunny pursuits such as, walking, homework on a blanket in back-yard, reading in the sun, and other things that allow for maximal contemplation and minimal physical effort.
After that came barbecued chicken.
And now I am smoking myself in front of a friendly hickory fire, toying with that, little, petite, infinitesimal, absurdly puny, morsel of homework which I have until Tuesday to complete.
My word for the day is ausgezeichnet.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
More Frustration.
Military Science and Leadership-101-class number two.
That is when we dealt, however briefly, with responsibilities in the military chain of command. As a general rule, a commander is directly accountable for every man under his authority. Abu Ghraib was the commander's fault. So also, when you send one of your men back home dead, that is your fault and responsibility as well. A commander should feel every single loss, because they are on him. It is not pretty, but it is something you accept if you choose to command.
Nine months, indecision, and shout-outs. Can anyone tell me what those three have in common? To me they are evidence that our Commander-in-Chief does not understand and comprehend the enormity of his office. Every life that the President of the United States spends is on him. His primary duty has nothing to do with our global image, climate change, health-care, or even diplomacy. Commander is not a title given because the founders thought it sounded cool; it is a charge that should go straight to the soul of the man who holds the office. He is responsible for every man wearing that uniform, and that is his first responsibility.
I am chagrined by the callous and unconcerned attitude which our President has taken. He has actually caused me to miss Bush. I am tired of seeing the President and his never-ending stream of interviews, when he has done nothing about the increasingly more violent and dangerous situation in Afghanistan. Let him first withdraw the troops, or commit sufficient troops to finish the job; then let him speak. I would of course prefer that we did not leave our mideast allies hanging out to dry and the very thought of such action is bitter to me, but it would be worse still to leave American soldiers hanging out to dry.
As I watch the President--right now-- speak about the exciting possibility of the health-care bill, I am wondering when he is going to fulfill his duty to our troops abroad and at home; A duty that does not stop with commanding, but understanding exactly what command really means.
That is when we dealt, however briefly, with responsibilities in the military chain of command. As a general rule, a commander is directly accountable for every man under his authority. Abu Ghraib was the commander's fault. So also, when you send one of your men back home dead, that is your fault and responsibility as well. A commander should feel every single loss, because they are on him. It is not pretty, but it is something you accept if you choose to command.
Nine months, indecision, and shout-outs. Can anyone tell me what those three have in common? To me they are evidence that our Commander-in-Chief does not understand and comprehend the enormity of his office. Every life that the President of the United States spends is on him. His primary duty has nothing to do with our global image, climate change, health-care, or even diplomacy. Commander is not a title given because the founders thought it sounded cool; it is a charge that should go straight to the soul of the man who holds the office. He is responsible for every man wearing that uniform, and that is his first responsibility.
I am chagrined by the callous and unconcerned attitude which our President has taken. He has actually caused me to miss Bush. I am tired of seeing the President and his never-ending stream of interviews, when he has done nothing about the increasingly more violent and dangerous situation in Afghanistan. Let him first withdraw the troops, or commit sufficient troops to finish the job; then let him speak. I would of course prefer that we did not leave our mideast allies hanging out to dry and the very thought of such action is bitter to me, but it would be worse still to leave American soldiers hanging out to dry.
As I watch the President--right now-- speak about the exciting possibility of the health-care bill, I am wondering when he is going to fulfill his duty to our troops abroad and at home; A duty that does not stop with commanding, but understanding exactly what command really means.
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