Get stuffed. As I'm waffling back and forth between Crystal Bowersox and Lee Whatsisname, Lee sings Halelujiah (sp?) by Cohen.
Know what? Go eff yerself. And the judges get all 'wet in the panties' talking about how great it was. Fakk aff, that song has been exploited to no end by every second-rate sack of shit that ever sang a goddam note.
I call bullshit times 10 times one million - thats's what you use that gift for? Booo ...
I'd vote for a 4th grader playing a cocksucking kazoo to the theme of 'Gilligan's Island' after that, bitch.
Go Crystal. You ain't gonna win, but go hard anyway. It's a fakking crime ...
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Slightly confused musings
I have world views that most consider to be liberal. I ain’t no actual liberal, i.e. member of any party, and lots of times my views could be considered conservative (like when it comes to finance, family and big government). Here in red-neckville I’m usually quite alone when I say that I think the planet is actually warming, or that gays should have the right to be left alone by non-gays, or that women shouldn’t have to ask permission for an abortion. And I think your religion belongs in your church, your home and your heart – nowhere else. I even think that terrorists have the right to a fair trial and not to be tortured.
So I’m having a bit of trouble reconciling my feelings regarding our muslim brethren – not the terrorists, they’re delusional and murderous thugs – but the mainstream folks. I know muslims, I’ve worked beside and under muslims, I’ve broken bread on countless occasions with muslims, and so far I don’t see any reason to think they’re better, worse or unique in the human experience. This is the essence of politically correct thought, no?
But I think the mainstream, enlightened, peaceable muslim community is, in a word, cowed. They’re intimidated by the vocal and extreme factions of their faith, they apologize and/or distance themselves from the radical few, and point out that there’s no shortage of faith-based murder and mayhem outside of islam. Fair enough, but what I don’t get is a sense of ... outrage.
We don’t live in a society, for example, where a religious figure should be excused for issuing death threats against its detractors. Western muslims, immigrants, chose to come to a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed as a constitutional right. Cartoons depicting the prophet fall under the protection of free expression and free press, yet the reaction from the peaceable and respectable muslim community was ... ambivalent? Weak? Guarded?
Consider this headline that you never saw, and never will: “Outraged Western Muslims Publish Prophet Cartoons as Show of Respect for Basic Freedoms”; “ ‘We don’t like them either’, says leader, ‘but we won’t be bullied by misguided extremists making us all look bad.’ “
So I’m having a bit of trouble reconciling my feelings regarding our muslim brethren – not the terrorists, they’re delusional and murderous thugs – but the mainstream folks. I know muslims, I’ve worked beside and under muslims, I’ve broken bread on countless occasions with muslims, and so far I don’t see any reason to think they’re better, worse or unique in the human experience. This is the essence of politically correct thought, no?
But I think the mainstream, enlightened, peaceable muslim community is, in a word, cowed. They’re intimidated by the vocal and extreme factions of their faith, they apologize and/or distance themselves from the radical few, and point out that there’s no shortage of faith-based murder and mayhem outside of islam. Fair enough, but what I don’t get is a sense of ... outrage.
We don’t live in a society, for example, where a religious figure should be excused for issuing death threats against its detractors. Western muslims, immigrants, chose to come to a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed as a constitutional right. Cartoons depicting the prophet fall under the protection of free expression and free press, yet the reaction from the peaceable and respectable muslim community was ... ambivalent? Weak? Guarded?
Consider this headline that you never saw, and never will: “Outraged Western Muslims Publish Prophet Cartoons as Show of Respect for Basic Freedoms”; “ ‘We don’t like them either’, says leader, ‘but we won’t be bullied by misguided extremists making us all look bad.’ “
Friday, May 7, 2010
I guess everybody's weighing in on Hawking's alien encounter warning
Why not me?
Q. First off, why would aliens want to encounter us? If they can traverse the cosmos with unimaginable technology, what would we have on this 8,000 mile rock that would interest them? And that's presuming our little planet isn't toxic to them, which it would be, considering it's mostly toxic to us and we *evolved* here.
A. Curiosity. A species intelligent enough and cooperative enough to master space travel would be extremely unlikely to have conquistador-like intentions, and would more likely be on an altruistic, scientific mission to understand the universe. I suppose they might be accidentally toxic to us, like Europeans to Native Americans, but wouldn't they have thought about that already?
Q. What are the chances of intelligent life existing within, say, one berserkerkyjillion**12 miles of earth?
A. Slim and none, and I only say slim because I don't know how to express a number so close to zero that zero actually says "hey, I might amount to something one day". Here's why: evolution is the only true universal system, and it has been effectively providing life in these here parts for several billion years. In spite of this vast period of time, and over millions of species and billions of lifetimes, intelligence has occured exactly once. If you could talk to evolution, it would say, "sorry - didn't mean for that to happen, and believe me, it's unlikely to happen again. Intelligence is not an evolutionary advantage, at least not in the longer term, and as soon as y'all get busy and make yourselves extinct we'll get back to making this a decent place for the rest of the flora and fauna".
So there you have it. In the unlikely event that life exists within a cosmic stone's-throw of us, and in the much less likely event this life is intelligent, and in the much MUCH less likely event that intelligent life has advanced to the point of interstellar travel, and assuming they can find us, or give a fiddler's f*%k about us, I'm guessing they'd be more likely to be non-threatening than threatening.
Unless, of course, they intercepted a broadcast of "Earth Girls Are Easy". Nothing like a little interstellar ass ...
Q. First off, why would aliens want to encounter us? If they can traverse the cosmos with unimaginable technology, what would we have on this 8,000 mile rock that would interest them? And that's presuming our little planet isn't toxic to them, which it would be, considering it's mostly toxic to us and we *evolved* here.
A. Curiosity. A species intelligent enough and cooperative enough to master space travel would be extremely unlikely to have conquistador-like intentions, and would more likely be on an altruistic, scientific mission to understand the universe. I suppose they might be accidentally toxic to us, like Europeans to Native Americans, but wouldn't they have thought about that already?
Q. What are the chances of intelligent life existing within, say, one berserkerkyjillion**12 miles of earth?
A. Slim and none, and I only say slim because I don't know how to express a number so close to zero that zero actually says "hey, I might amount to something one day". Here's why: evolution is the only true universal system, and it has been effectively providing life in these here parts for several billion years. In spite of this vast period of time, and over millions of species and billions of lifetimes, intelligence has occured exactly once. If you could talk to evolution, it would say, "sorry - didn't mean for that to happen, and believe me, it's unlikely to happen again. Intelligence is not an evolutionary advantage, at least not in the longer term, and as soon as y'all get busy and make yourselves extinct we'll get back to making this a decent place for the rest of the flora and fauna".
So there you have it. In the unlikely event that life exists within a cosmic stone's-throw of us, and in the much less likely event this life is intelligent, and in the much MUCH less likely event that intelligent life has advanced to the point of interstellar travel, and assuming they can find us, or give a fiddler's f*%k about us, I'm guessing they'd be more likely to be non-threatening than threatening.
Unless, of course, they intercepted a broadcast of "Earth Girls Are Easy". Nothing like a little interstellar ass ...
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
"Make good decisions", my Dad used to say ...
... or others will make them for you. Are you listening Greece?
The "chicken in every pot and a 2-month bonus in every bank account" socialist ideology has bankrupted the country. Well, that and the purported underground economy which, by some estimates, is larger than the actual economy. Apparently the government that pays you a 17% premium on your wages for doing *nothing* is not entitiled to have any of it back by way of taxable transactions.
Well, at least the Greeks are taking the bull by the horns by ... going on a national strike! Yup, you read it properly. Before Germany, Europe and indeed the world agrees to a 150 Billion dollar bailout of this dysfunctional state, they asked for some 'austerity' measures (like please collect your legal taxes and stop paying people for doing nothing). This is making the natives restless I guess, but hey at least they're off their assess and doing *something*.
Fascinating. I'm dying to see what happens here. I hope the world says "not a plug nickel for your self-entitled crooked population until they develop a grade-school understanding of mathematics and get the hell out of bed and start working for a living".
The "chicken in every pot and a 2-month bonus in every bank account" socialist ideology has bankrupted the country. Well, that and the purported underground economy which, by some estimates, is larger than the actual economy. Apparently the government that pays you a 17% premium on your wages for doing *nothing* is not entitiled to have any of it back by way of taxable transactions.
Well, at least the Greeks are taking the bull by the horns by ... going on a national strike! Yup, you read it properly. Before Germany, Europe and indeed the world agrees to a 150 Billion dollar bailout of this dysfunctional state, they asked for some 'austerity' measures (like please collect your legal taxes and stop paying people for doing nothing). This is making the natives restless I guess, but hey at least they're off their assess and doing *something*.
Fascinating. I'm dying to see what happens here. I hope the world says "not a plug nickel for your self-entitled crooked population until they develop a grade-school understanding of mathematics and get the hell out of bed and start working for a living".
Monday, May 3, 2010
One has to be skeptical to claim an open mind
Seems counter-intuitive, no? But consider this: the skeptic is asking to be persuaded. He says "tell me how you came to that conclusion, I want to go there too. Let's find something concrete to agree upon and build from there". If there's no compelling evidence to support a conclusion, the skeptic remains rightfully unswayed.
[Brief trip to another panel to find out the opposite of skepticism]. Ahh. Wiki seems to think that the opposite of skepticism is "belief" or "credulity". Hmmm.
Well, I can go for that. A skeptic, when presented with evidence (or lack thereof) has no choice but to establish his position in consideration of what is before him. A believer, on the other hand, will take your word for it.
Therefore, when someone accuses me of not having an open mind about the supernatural, it's essentially a non-sequitur. "Persuade me", I say, "but not with second or even first-hand testimonials. I've heard all those. And the presence of a beautiful landscape is no more evidence of a god than the presence of a quarter under my pillow is evidence of a tooth fairy. Bring me the great pumpkin and I'll bow before him. Take me to the established halls of human science and show me a vampire, I will tremble in his presence. I promise you I will, because I have an open [enough] mind to be swayed by the facts."
The faithful, on the other hand, can reconcile the transformation of water to wine and the ressurection of a human corpse without a second thought. Having a chat with a burning bush or a suprisingly articulate snake is no stretch at all.
So I haven't ruled out the possibility of it, but listen - all I ask is ONE talking snake. Just one or two words even. Or, through the power of unselfish prayer, restore just ONE person back to health [caveat: that person has to be an amputee, and the limb needs to grow back]. Do that and you'll be standing behind me in line for your Sunday church service.
Until then, however, I will remain comfortably skeptical.
[Brief trip to another panel to find out the opposite of skepticism]. Ahh. Wiki seems to think that the opposite of skepticism is "belief" or "credulity". Hmmm.
Well, I can go for that. A skeptic, when presented with evidence (or lack thereof) has no choice but to establish his position in consideration of what is before him. A believer, on the other hand, will take your word for it.
Therefore, when someone accuses me of not having an open mind about the supernatural, it's essentially a non-sequitur. "Persuade me", I say, "but not with second or even first-hand testimonials. I've heard all those. And the presence of a beautiful landscape is no more evidence of a god than the presence of a quarter under my pillow is evidence of a tooth fairy. Bring me the great pumpkin and I'll bow before him. Take me to the established halls of human science and show me a vampire, I will tremble in his presence. I promise you I will, because I have an open [enough] mind to be swayed by the facts."
The faithful, on the other hand, can reconcile the transformation of water to wine and the ressurection of a human corpse without a second thought. Having a chat with a burning bush or a suprisingly articulate snake is no stretch at all.
So I haven't ruled out the possibility of it, but listen - all I ask is ONE talking snake. Just one or two words even. Or, through the power of unselfish prayer, restore just ONE person back to health [caveat: that person has to be an amputee, and the limb needs to grow back]. Do that and you'll be standing behind me in line for your Sunday church service.
Until then, however, I will remain comfortably skeptical.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Anyone watch "Breaking Bad"?
Impressive, dark, disturbing, apalling and .... funny. If you watch it, you know what I'm sayin. If you don't, well, you can go to AMC's website where they have an awesome 'catch up to date' link, and various video from past episodes.
Season 3, episode 2 trivia:
In a pathetic attemp to start a dialogue with his estranged wife Skylar, Walt shows up at the door at dinner time to drop off his son, carrying the biggest effin pizza I've ever seen. I thought he was delivering a high-def TV of above average size. The awkwardness of the moment was palpable as Skylar icily blows him off with every ugly weapon in a betrayed woman's arsenal (which is considerable). You couldn't a pulled a needle out of that woman's butt with a tractor.
Beaten, he turns away carrying the giant pizza back to his car. But, in a bitter outburst of frustration, he lets go with an angry cry and hurls the pizza toward the garage where, having shed the cardboard box entirely, it lands perfectly, rooftop, cheese-side up.
Walt's departure is filmed now via a roof-cam, with the pizza in the foreground.
Well folks, I like to pissed *and* shit my pants. The.funniest.moment.on.TV - this year if not longer. A 'nuthin but net' pizza three-pointer from a guy who's so white his last name *is* white.
And for the rest of the episode (which was coming to a very suspenseful conclusion), all persons approaching the house are viewed from the pizza cam - the private detective, the mexican assassins - all glance at the now-decaying pizza on the roof, as if to glean something meaningful from it's presence.
Brilliant.
Season 3, episode 2 trivia:
In a pathetic attemp to start a dialogue with his estranged wife Skylar, Walt shows up at the door at dinner time to drop off his son, carrying the biggest effin pizza I've ever seen. I thought he was delivering a high-def TV of above average size. The awkwardness of the moment was palpable as Skylar icily blows him off with every ugly weapon in a betrayed woman's arsenal (which is considerable). You couldn't a pulled a needle out of that woman's butt with a tractor.
Beaten, he turns away carrying the giant pizza back to his car. But, in a bitter outburst of frustration, he lets go with an angry cry and hurls the pizza toward the garage where, having shed the cardboard box entirely, it lands perfectly, rooftop, cheese-side up.
Walt's departure is filmed now via a roof-cam, with the pizza in the foreground.
Well folks, I like to pissed *and* shit my pants. The.funniest.moment.on.TV - this year if not longer. A 'nuthin but net' pizza three-pointer from a guy who's so white his last name *is* white.
And for the rest of the episode (which was coming to a very suspenseful conclusion), all persons approaching the house are viewed from the pizza cam - the private detective, the mexican assassins - all glance at the now-decaying pizza on the roof, as if to glean something meaningful from it's presence.
Brilliant.
Ann Coulter
Shite disturber extraordinaire. I feel sorry for people who take her seriously.
Ann Coulter is a persona, people. The only thing about her that makes her different than, say, Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert is that she's not funny. But she is a person who has gotten wealthy playing the role of the wicked witch, and she has a large following of simpletons who lap up the vitriol and hyperbole. The people who find her offensive (who are legion, methinks) think that loud and vocal opposition to her comments and ideas (whoa! giving her a lot of credit with the 'ideas' thing) will somehow shut her up or damage her are *precisely* wrong. They might as well start appending "ka - ching!" to every negative headline she garners, because that's the business model.
The locals she spoke to recently paid ten bucks to hear her off-the-wall comments for an hour. Ten bucks. I think about a couple hundred showed up. That's 2 grand - not exactly enough to make a living on the rubber chicken circuit is it? More promotion is required in order get larger crowds and jack up those ticket prices, ergo she starts fanning the flames. Like good little minions, we all start chipping in with our outrage, the press and the blogs go wild, and bingo!
I think we should all get a cut of the door for helping out the ungrateful bitch.
Ann Coulter is a persona, people. The only thing about her that makes her different than, say, Jon Stewart or Steven Colbert is that she's not funny. But she is a person who has gotten wealthy playing the role of the wicked witch, and she has a large following of simpletons who lap up the vitriol and hyperbole. The people who find her offensive (who are legion, methinks) think that loud and vocal opposition to her comments and ideas (whoa! giving her a lot of credit with the 'ideas' thing) will somehow shut her up or damage her are *precisely* wrong. They might as well start appending "ka - ching!" to every negative headline she garners, because that's the business model.
The locals she spoke to recently paid ten bucks to hear her off-the-wall comments for an hour. Ten bucks. I think about a couple hundred showed up. That's 2 grand - not exactly enough to make a living on the rubber chicken circuit is it? More promotion is required in order get larger crowds and jack up those ticket prices, ergo she starts fanning the flames. Like good little minions, we all start chipping in with our outrage, the press and the blogs go wild, and bingo!
I think we should all get a cut of the door for helping out the ungrateful bitch.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
