tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41536142011-04-22T00:19:30.276-05:00Thoughts Behind the MirrorRandom thoughtsLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1095257563865361592004-09-15T09:12:00.000-05:002004-09-15T09:12:43.866-05:00I just don't understand why 90% (or is it 100%?) of the coverage we have now on Bush/Kerry deals with what they were up to 30+ years ago. It's important, but not that important. Now, if CBS did air something that was wrong, then that fact as well as figuring out who forged them - that's news that we need to hear (but not at the expense of the rest of it)
So - here's the thing. The democratic Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1095025660996703612004-09-12T16:29:00.000-05:002004-09-12T16:51:08.010-05:00Just general ranting this time out - nothing cohesive really. Likely more of the same stuff.
First up - I don't think it's that important what Bush or Kerry did 30 years ago. Let me restate - there are more important things to evaluate at this point then what Bush and Kerry did 30 years ago. So why are we concentrating on Bush's National Guard service? I mean, Kerry kinda invited the Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1093797759194646222004-08-29T11:26:00.000-05:002004-08-29T11:42:39.193-05:00So, here's the deal about abortion. I personally don't think it's a morally defensible act unless there's an issue with the Mother's life. But both sides are so dug in that there is no room for compromise.
Take partial birth abortion. The proponents of banning this procedure will not put in a clause that allows for the procedure if there is a threat to the Mother's health. The public Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1093705924059606412004-08-28T09:48:00.000-05:002004-08-28T10:12:04.060-05:00This is in response to this article.
I am all for expressing your distaste for whatever you find distasteful. And I realize that if your feelings are strong enough, or if what you are protesting is the law itself, your protest could break the law. I personally don't think that a citizen in a nation of laws should break the law for any reason, but I understand that it happens - and yes, I doLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1087353762837524372004-06-15T21:09:00.000-05:002004-06-15T21:44:32.820-05:00The ACLU threatened suit against Los Angeles County if they didn't remove a cross from their county seal, and, as near as I can tell, the county acquiesced.
Los Angeles County Cross
This is alarming. Anytime the mere threat of a lawsuit accomplishes some end, in my opinion, that should be a red flag. Sometimes it's the way the system "naturally" works. The threat of a lawsuit points Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1082380708561238322004-04-19T08:18:00.000-05:002004-04-19T08:23:11.670-05:00I know that countries don't take well to being invaded (I mean, just check out that 1984 blockbuster "Red Dawn") but we have been pretty straightforward with respect to our intentions, and our intentions are to give power back to the Iraqi people. I was never for this war, and I have a healthy mistrust of the Bush administration, but I don't think that we really are wanting to annex the country Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1082377669948073202004-04-19T07:27:00.000-05:002004-04-19T07:31:46.763-05:00So, Bin Laden says that "9/11 and 3/11 are your merchandise coming back to you" (or something similar). The insurgents in Iraq execute an Italian hostage and then say something along the lines of "get your troops out of our country so we can protect your people (instead of executing them)" (that was a paraphrase). This is the sort of logic that is used by TV criminals (which are the only Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1081315920358402992004-04-07T00:32:00.000-05:002004-04-07T00:35:40.856-05:00While I'm at it.
I was reading this article. I believe that we have to keep religion (of all types) out of our public schools' curricula, because they're *public* schools. And I know that Darwin's Theory of Evolution makes some Christian folk upset. The ensuing exchange usually involves a discussion of what a "theory" is, and what Evolutionary Theory does and does not say. All fascinating Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1081310403869813002004-04-06T23:00:00.000-05:002004-04-06T23:06:33.826-05:00Busy day on the Eastern Front - but that's not really a rant, the situation there is bordering on frightening.
So, let's talk about Haiti again.
I see that Secretary Powell has given assurances to the government of Haiti that it has the full support of the United States, and he went on to say that "Without disarmament, Haiti's democracy will be at risk".
Yeah, no kidding. Ask Aristide, Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1079405072890972882004-03-15T20:44:00.000-06:002004-03-15T20:49:30.216-06:00So, the Spanish voted Aznar out. This makes sense to me, most polls showed the war in Iraq to be unpopular with the Spanish people, and when a leader goes against the will of the people, the people can use the polls to address the situation. Democracy in action. Good for them. It didn't help Aznar's popular party much that, by assigning blame for the bombings to ETA and then having to "revealLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1078189985746716442004-03-01T19:13:00.000-06:002004-03-01T19:19:34.186-06:00OK, I am starting to become embarassed at the number of times I post a rant here. When it was once now and again that was one thing, but every other week - it's hard for even me to take me seriously.
Be that as it may - for completeness' sake, let's talk about Haiti.
I can't figure out exactly what just happened there - Aristide says we forced him out, we say no we didn't, who knows. I Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1077931189783200232004-02-27T19:19:00.000-06:002004-02-27T19:22:38.670-06:00This kills me. People want to get married, want to express their desire to form a long-term commitment, and because they are gay we start talking about amending the constitution. The Constitution of the United States is to be amended because the idea of these two gay people wanting to be married is a threat to the very foundations of the sacrosanct institution of marriage, an institution that Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1077384641547491052004-02-21T11:30:00.000-06:002004-02-23T08:05:03.356-06:00The folk out in San Francisco have decided that, in spite of state laws to the contrary, they shall hand out marriage certificates to homosexual couples.
Now, I think homosexual couples should be able to get a marriage license. It's one thing if a church refuses to allow homosexual couples to participate in a religious ritual because homosexuality goes against their religion, but another Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1076030854610409792004-02-05T19:27:00.000-06:002004-02-05T19:35:30.123-06:00Does every conservative believe in the tenet of "The End Justifies the Means"? It is appearing that way to me. Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Ann Coulter... ok, this isn't *every* conservative, and I bet a goodly number of conservatives (and liberals, for that matter) would be quick to point out that this isn't even a fair sampling to come up with an "average" conservative. But these are the Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1075351564453803672004-01-28T22:46:00.000-06:002004-01-28T23:02:26.606-06:00I direct your attention to This article which starts out with:
Hoping to take advantage of Republicans' new control of both houses of Congress, President Bush has proposed a limit of $250,000 in damage awards for medical malpractice lawsuits.
I know that tort reform is something that the Bush administration in particular, and conservatives in general, get behind. The standard argument for Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1067487418817862412003-10-29T22:16:00.000-06:002003-10-29T22:20:33.013-06:00The president asked for $87 Billion to rebuild Iraq. The house and senate have said that they felt pressure to make at least some of that money the form a loan. Their constituents find it difficult to accept paying large amounts of money to build up a country that posesses the second largest oil reserves on the planet. I understand their position. Bush is adamant that all of the money come inLeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1067306515788075092003-10-27T20:01:00.000-06:002003-10-27T20:09:25.686-06:00I admit it - the USA PATRIOT act scares me. As I write this, I am looking over my virtual shoulder wondering if my words will somehow be used to demonstrate that I am a terrorist. As far as I can tell, the act defines "domestic terrorism" as: "Any criminal act intended to influence the government through 'intimidation or coercion; involving 'dangerous acts'". This is an extremely broad Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1066269881178361782003-10-15T21:04:00.000-05:002003-10-15T21:11:09.260-05:00So the supreme court is going to take up the pledge of allegiance question. Good for them, I look forward to their decision - and I hope a decision is made, as opposed to skirting the issue.
I think we need a bit of common sense, a bit of moderation and a bit of the spirit of compromise in this country. I think we need all these things so we can get along with some semblance of civility.
Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-1062952966634599522003-09-07T11:42:00.000-05:002003-09-07T11:49:40.773-05:00I just heard an interview with Isabel Allende, which made me think. She is the niece of assassinated Chilian president Salvador Allende. He was murdered in the overthrow of the government by the military that installed the brutal dictator Pinochet - an overthrow that was accomplished by assistance from the CIA. Coincidentally, this occured on a Tuesday, September 11 (1973). Ms Allende was Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-953128512003-06-04T22:11:00.000-05:002003-06-04T22:11:45.280-05:00I know I've already ranted about this, but it bears repeating. How can our government think that it can spend a phenomenal amount of money on this war and subsequent rebuild (which is a whole other rant) of Iraq, as well as the standard day to day running of our country, in a sluggish economy, *and* give tax breaks? Schools are closing, teachers are being let go, services are being cut, and Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-952601862003-06-03T19:08:00.000-05:002003-06-03T19:08:10.066-05:00So, the house (once again) passes legislation that would amend the constitution to pave the way to make it illegal to desecrate our flag. So, we are trying to legislate patriotism and morality now, eh?
I ask you - how many instances of flag desecration do we have these days? What would warrant *amending the constitution* to address this issue?
I also ask you, when you see that there is a Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-951697502003-06-01T19:41:00.000-05:002003-06-01T19:42:45.000-05:00refer to:
This article
See, thing is - if you give some government agency any kind of ability - without clearly spelling out how it is to be used, then it will be used to its maximum potential. That's not really the agency's "fault", as it's expected behavior. The agency's job is to do its job (whatever that is), and it will do all it can to do that job, and that's what we expect. In Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-951500812003-06-01T06:55:00.000-05:002003-06-01T06:55:15.790-05:00Greetings from the last day of the "Gateway Java Symposium". I get to hob nob with some big names and eat hotel food. But, aside from that suspicious piece of bacon, the food isn't too bad. And the sessions are nicely done as well.
Not much going on though. Sandy and family and various and sundry hangers-on came over for Memorial Day weekend, which was fun. I went on a little "mini climb"Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-929579352003-04-20T21:13:00.000-05:002003-04-20T21:13:55.653-05:00Happy Easter (or third Sunday in April, for those not Easter-inclined).
I have just returned from a fun-filled expedition to vist the parents, and now I am relaxing with my bad self.
I feel the urge to make lists. It seems to be the only way for me to get anything of any complexity accomplished. And by "complexity" I mean a combination of difficulty and inertia. That is, if something is Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-927093622003-04-16T06:39:00.000-05:002003-04-16T06:39:53.000-05:00I have been oddly productive on the domestic front, though somewhat lacking in all others. At least I have a clean place with clean clothes to be slothful in.
I got my taxes done, and have somewhat of a windfall. Which is not normal, I try to cut it closer than this, but ok.
So, most all the states are in severe fiscal crisis. New York ($12 Billion in debt) is having to close zoos, Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-925114332003-04-12T21:49:00.000-05:002003-04-12T21:51:43.000-05:00You know, I don't understand how a country neighboring Iraq can claim to be "supportive of our brothers, the Iraqi people" when the US and UK come to "liberate" them, and yet stand by these last 20 years plus while people have been tortured and killed. I mean, sure, they can hold that position, we are dropping bombs on civilians, that's not good, but it seems a little spurious to me to get Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-921186092003-04-06T20:48:00.000-05:002003-04-06T20:50:41.000-05:00Welcome to April. I have managed to squander most of March, from a "getting anything or value done" point of view. Tomorrow I need to get my car taken care of, get my taxes taken care of, and make an appointment with a doctor to look at my ankle and get my regularly sceduled maintenance work done. How fun.
I am most pleased with my digital camera - it's nothing special, and I can't seem to Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-912772512003-03-24T07:21:00.000-06:002003-03-24T07:21:25.296-06:00Once again, this administration makes me embarrassed for my country. How can we take the moral high ground and express outrage that Iraq shows pictures of our captured PoWs, when we do the exact same thing? I mean, it's not like they labled them "illegal combatants" and put them in chicken-wire cages in Cuba for a year, affording them no protections of the Geneva Convention.
I support our Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-909641002003-03-18T20:46:00.000-06:002003-03-18T20:46:10.653-06:00In the howling wind comes a stinging rain
See it driving nails into souls on the tree of pain
From the firefly, a red orange glow
See the face of fear running scared in the valley below
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue sky
Bullet the blue
Bullet the blue
In the locust wind comes a rattle and hum
Jacob wrestled the angel and the angel was overcome
Plant a demon seed, you raise a Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-903356652003-03-07T20:49:00.000-06:002003-04-12T21:53:59.000-05:00I have no idea what I've done to my right ankle, but it's causing me no end of grief. I am afriad that I must go see a doctor about it, as the limp is most annoying, and the continuous doses of ibuprophen can't be good.
I purchased a shelf-size stereo for the main purpose of having a radio to listen to. It should prevent me from giving in to the "I need cable for CNN" argument. I got the Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-896225622003-02-23T18:19:00.000-06:002003-02-23T18:19:06.710-06:00Well, the root canal went fairly well. It had its - difficult - moments, but the post procedure pain was minimal. For that, I am most thankful.
I need to make better use of my living space. The space that I have doesn't exactly encourage the kind of productive use of my time that I would like.
Damn it's getting amazingly foggy out there.
Anyway, I think that some cleaning, and the Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-894171652003-02-20T00:22:00.000-06:002003-02-20T00:23:21.000-06:00Ok, well, on the plus side, I've gotten quite a bit done at work, and I purchased WarCraft III and a (relatively) nice video card to go with it. I also got (relatively) caught up on my bills. On the negative side, I haven't done laundry or cleaned up my place in far too long, and I have this root canal coming up on Saturday which will not only guarantee that I won't want to clean this place Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-891761632003-02-16T00:25:00.000-06:002003-02-16T00:25:05.500-06:00I suppose I should so something with my general displeasure with the way this country is being ran other than bitch about it anonymously here. I suppose I shall start writing letters to the editor. This means I should probably start reading the paper, which I am not looking forward to. I should look into what else a person can do to try and make his voice be heard.
I finally got Linux, Win Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-891242592003-02-14T20:38:00.000-06:002003-02-16T00:22:15.000-06:00My dental nightmare continues. Luckily, it's really not that bad, considering the work I have done.
A little background
In late 2001 I went to go see "Novacaine", and that night I had the first toothache I've ever had. I went to the dentist, and that was the start of a long, slow, grueling process that is continuing to this day. I ended up having 2 root canals, an extraction, a full Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-886764892003-02-06T18:27:00.000-06:002003-02-06T18:27:18.863-06:00Follow my logic here.
We maintain that we have the right to launch a preemptive strike on Iraq because Iraq has weapons of mass destruction, we think they will use those weapons, and they are on record as being hostile to the US. North Korea has asserted that they have a right to a preemptive strike against the US, and you'll note that we have weapons of mass destruction, we have used them Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-885737462003-02-04T23:11:00.000-06:002003-02-04T23:11:36.280-06:00On the work front. Things quit working. I hate it when things just stop working. We have a functional review on Thursday, so things best start working soon. I am hoping that it's something in the SQL, and when it's fixed there everything will work again. It was a relatively productive day, though I would have preferred to get more done - I'll take this though.
On the personal projects Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-885003772003-02-03T18:20:00.000-06:002003-02-03T18:34:47.000-06:00Returning to the theme of hypocrisy in our government. I thought Bush in particular and Republicans in general were all about fiscal responsibility. I have decided that this is a ploy, a catch-phrase to use because it sounds good. And gets people on your side. What they really mean is they are against taxes, particularly taxes for wealthy people. But they have no problem spending money, Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-884585942003-02-03T00:08:00.000-06:002003-02-03T18:31:07.000-06:00Ah - Sunday night. I've returned from greater metropolitan Lebanon, where I had a pleasant weekend with my parents. We hung out, ate at Country Kitchen, watched some TV and chatted. I am aiming for a return visit on the 22nd or so.
No rants or tirades today.
Wandered down to Springfield to hang out with Cory and Katy at SBC. Cory and I discussed the intracacies and vagaries of the Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-883517502003-01-31T17:32:00.000-06:002003-02-03T18:31:15.000-06:00Continuing my tirade - I think our country is engaged in some amazingly irresponsible diplomacy. We have trotted out our "we will use nuclear weapons against our enemies" card twice now, and that's no good. We have stated that we regard the fact that Iraq is attempting to acquire nuclear weapons, has a history of using weapons of mass destruction, and is on record as hostile to the United Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153614.post-881957682003-01-28T21:58:00.000-06:002003-02-03T18:30:54.000-06:00ah - The State of the Union. The best spin you could put on the sort of unilateral hard-line stance we're taking. I am struck by the hypocrisy. Remember, we are looked at as an aggressive enemy by some countries on this planet, and we reserve the right to posses nuclear weapons for ourselves and our allies. This has to be alarming to people who don't think they are in that group.
I'm sick,Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15876928832346579530noreply@blogger.com0