from mainstream professional journalistic sources,
with colorful but occasionally cranky commentary.
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"News that's not known, or not known enough," from mainstream professional journalistic sources, with colorful but occasionally cranky commentary. |
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President Fred Dalton Thompson
This sounds scarily plausible to me. About the only upside to this is that if our shadow government is satisfied Thompson will win, they might still allow the election to take place. So we might still be able to pretend we're a democracy. Plus, I really wish Edwards would be the Demo candidate rather than Hillary or Obama. I believe both Hillary and Obama simply have too many problems to overcome in any general election
We're making our own mistakes today
How incredibly sad is it that the after-affects of Chernobyl for a brief time seemed an improvement to the ecosystem for the mere fact that humans wouldn't go near the affected area? Endangered species appear to be flocking there for safety from the human race. Yeah, the radiation is slowly reducing the bird population and maybe mutating them a little. But compare that to just how fast the passenger pigeon, once the most common species of bird, vanished from the Earth when people discovered the little flying rats made a cheap and delicious pie. When you read into the article, you find that we didn't just hunt the little buggers to extinction, we burned the goddamn forest just to smoke them out and feed them to freaking pigs, who in turn were slaughtered a little later down the road. 50 years of radioactive fallout I think will do far less damage than the same amount of time of humanity being itself. I honestly think Darwin got it backwards; monkeys evolved from us. We epicly fail as the keepers of this rare jewel of the universe and I'm pretty sure it's going to come back to bite us on the ass. Scratch that, it's already happening in the form of natural selection. Humans are getting weaker, more susceptible to newer and stronger diseases, our food sources are depleting, and let's face it we're just getting stupider by the generation. You don't believe me? Kids are huffing liquid nitrogen and hanging themselves because they think they'll get high off it. We don't even need natural disasters to help us along at the rate we kill ourselves and each other because historically human civilization in itself is a natural disaster and an unnatural disaster just waiting to happen. If that's not proof we're too stupid as a species to continue existing I don't know what is. Despite our flagrant disregard for the delicate balance of the world and the natural order of things there's people out there, like Pat Robertson for example, who think all the plagues, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, and 'possibly a meteor' are punishment from God for recognizing gay rights or voting Democrat or not weeping enough for Jesus. Somehow I don't think dying for our sins would really have been his choice, especially not if he were omniscient and could see what a bunch of freaks and psychos we'd turn out to be. Rather than the Radical Fundamentalists' utterly intolerant version of what is supposed to be a benign and loving being I think it's Mother Nature spanking the shit out of us for constantly flushing all the goldfish and strangling the canaries she gets us. Wait'll she finds out we did with the puppy, then there's really gonna be hell to pay. Well that's enough griping and poking fun at our own self-inflicted wounds from me for now. So while all argue about the safety of atomic energy and who gets to use it and who gets to clean up the mess I'll be at home and relaxing until our Simian Overlords decide to claim what's rightfully theirs and descend upon us with feces in hand. Wiser than the "white man" Just a quick response to the suggestion that the land be given back to the Native Americans that had it stolen from them. While the Natives upon study certainly did have a quality of simple wisdom that escaped the 'civilized' European settlers (depending on which version of history you read), the development of both the immigrant society and the original native society in parallel has rendered things unable to ever go back to the way they were. Where once was wisdom and tradition there is now folly and stagnation. Philosophy and innovation we have exchanged for intolerance and ineptitude. This applies both ways. From a certain perspective the problem with a depressingly large chunk of Native society is that the principles behind it waned with time in the hearts of most of it's peoples much in the same way it's faded away in America and other countries. Today what we have are a massive majority who cry out angrily about principles of tradition, freedom, and innocence claiming they have been stripped from them when it is readily apparent by their actions they have no appreciation for what those things really were while a thinning minority whose hearts cry in silence do their best to live true to their beliefs which tend to include not forcing said beliefs down the throats of others. Just as America has it's deranged 'Minutemen' patrolling the borders with guns to keep a country of immigrants 'safe' from immigrants while preaching liberty and fundamental rights there are Natives who hunt whales out of season with high technology and the intention of selling their catch while claiming 'tradition' as a shield. If Native society had a chance to progress on its own I'm sure it would have been something enlightening to see but it has not had that chance. What we have are people who've moved on and embraced a new society, those few who embrace the old ways and ask nothing from the new world, and those who embrace nothing but what benefits them and demand what they feel is due to them. As all three of those categories exist in every society to date and aren't exactly accommodating to each other it does no good to look back on the past without planning for the future and maybe fixing the present. Remember the wisdom of the past, learn from the mistakes of the past, remember this is not the past and we're making our own mistakes today, learn from the mistakes of today. Apply all this to make a better tomorrow and maybe we'll have a shot at having a day after tomorrow to spend philosophizing about it.
Pledge of awareness
What's thirty billion bucks between friends?
Not to mention the quantitative advantage.
Sorry haves
I will try as best as I now how to calm the waters, but with so many jumping ship for Dubai and letting us all cope with each other I can assure you the great majority will go nuts! It will be just like the scenes you watched going on in the background of the motion picture Children of Men. No, you and I will witness things we only dreamed in our worst nightmares... All the money's spent for the new plantation and this ship called America's hull has a deep, ever widening crack that can not be repaired. The government has spent the people's money, squandered it for their own reckless greed. The people are also broke. There's no money left for the repairs on their mortgaged overpriced homes. They've all taken out equity loans and 2nd and 3rd mortgages. The suburbs will turn into ghettos and fiery tomes. Baby boomers will pray they stay well enough to work just to keep a roof over their heads as they grow older. If they are allowed that privilege, though I think not. After all, in this new world disorder they will no longer be needed and only pose burden on society, so why not except euthanasia? Imagine how good it will sound to most of us as we become weak, scared, and exhausted... I am beginning to see the impatience growing between the sheeple and it's not with their government it's with each other. It's already starting to break down big time. Quick tempers, hurried attitude, you can't talk any sense to them. Bank robberies are increasing in the tri-state area, especially in the suburbs. Insecurity will bring more "security", they will need jobs to support their families. More brown shirts. It will be everywhere, police in our schools, in our food stores, the omnipresent guard dogs for the ones who want to keep what's theirs. Tonight I saw a report on school uniforms and backpacks with kevlar. How insane ... a sign of our ever worsening dangerous times
Stones and Qassam rockets
Israel can spend $10 billion of US taxpayer money on its own weapons and the other $20 billion on US made weapons...... Bush is not only arming the world to the teeth, he is making sure all his pals keep getting richer in the next ten years. And this is the Israel that keeps crying that the Arabs are going to destroy it with stones and Qassam rockets. Seems to me that Bush is really smart, and the media and the public are morons.
Melting the glacier of B.S.
US citizenry may or may not actually be waking up from the trance induced by all the obscurantism and propaganda that has masqueraded as economic reporting and theory over the last sixty years in the US, but the looming changes will certainly do the job of waking people and revealing the massive con job that has been perpetrated on our citizens and most of the rest of the world. Common sense discussion of economic consequences is so incredibly refreshing, given the glacier of BS that has been heaped on our heads. At the end of the show he talks about what his job will be as chief economic advisor to the Kucinich campaign.
The media keeps quiet
Thus we can deduce how much of their count of Iraqi dead during this war. (70%??) Where the hell is the media that doesn't even respect the Iraqis enough to deal with the fact that thousands are dying every month???? Informed Consent
(And of course, let's remember what the media keeps quiet, that the Kurds signed the oil deal with the West, while the rest of Iraq didn't!)
Common folk and malcontents
Which two out of three would you rather do without: politicians, lawyers or doctors?Without politicians and lawyers, we probably would not need doctors quite so often.
One can go back even as far as the revolutionary war for this to be the case. The break with Britain was primarily the desire of a few malcontent businessmen who had a beef with the King and taxes. The common folk, farmers and what not, were very OK with being part of the British Empire. Which is why these malcontents had a hard time finding anyone willing to fight for "their" war.
Hey now Ingrid, lets be fair to poor old Karl. You can't just single him out. This description can be applied to nearly everyone in DC as well as all the CEOs and bankers in this country.
This is true as witnessed by Filatova Elena Vladimirovna Check out her site. It's quite eye opening. I got the DVD she sells, very interesting. And people here want more nuclear power stations. Dumb !!
When the excrement hits the fan
And this really got my goat, seeing these stupid pretend to be shocked mothers on the TV acting like this just all of a sudden happened and now they are demanding the toy makers show some responsibility, WTF were they when Mattel and dozens of other American toy companies left for China numerous years ago and where have they been for the last ten years on another planet. They were busy buying everything and anything with the stamp MADE IN CHINA all over it. But now it's headlines and it's a big freaking deal. Well Hello! China just wants to be greedy and get rich quick like the big boys in the US of A did. So they took a few old fashioned corrupt short cuts just like the original Industrial revolutionist of yesteryear America. Yep The sheeple woke up out of their perpetual sleep to pound their fists demanding that China's American traitor toy makers GET THE LEAD OUT. Pal-leeze! Oh I'm so excited. The people have spoken. The stupid law abiding citizen sitting home minding his or her own business suddenly gets their door broken down in the middle of the night by some jackbooted police mob and it always turns out that they have the WRONG house! Do you know the cost of owning any gun in this state (This is not the west) and every year you have to pay a registration fee. Not to mention that once you have that license, that permit, that registered gun, they know all about you and where you live, so if they decide to pay you a visit they have given themselves all the rights to say we were acting on a tip we knew he/she had guns. It's nice to think we have it all planned just in case things get really nasty, but the plan we all see happening almost never happens the way we think it will. Let me tell you, we are all one disaster away from losing our homes or being forced out of them. One bad storm, one explosion, one gas leak, chemical spill, nuke plant leak, whether it is a False Flag event or the REAL THING. How many canned goods and bullets are they going to let you take with you, if you don't want to go to the designated shelter and you insist they let you pack up your stuff and you pets and love ones into the van, car or SUV and go to your little house in the hills or your relatives' home miles away? Maybe just maybe they'll say yes but maybe they have the bridges closed off or the perimeters around the state or county closed off. Maybe they planned it so they could get you where they wanted. Hey it's great to say you'll hold up in your own little homemade 'FORT HOME', and I'm all for that, but in most cases we won't have our homes if they've been suddenly made uninhabitable due to a catastrophe. Curfews are coming, fighting in the streets is coming, fires, riots, you name it. Board up your homes if you have space between you and the city for as long as you can. Are you going to feed them or shoot them? Are you all prepared for the police state mentality that will come with all this chaos? As you pack your gun and get in your cars to venture out, whether walking or driving, be prepared for search and siege, and don't forget the criminal element will be lurking around too. Depending on how much anarchy if any is allowed. Now everyone is a possible predator you have to watch out for. Everyone will want something from you. Will people in big homes with lots of property open soup kitchens or will they maintain a compound complete with lookout tower? This is coming, I have no doubt about it. The distrust I have for my fellow citizens is almost as strong as I have for my Government. They will both be desperate when the excrement hits the fan. In my neck of the concrete woods, sticking together and helping each other and never letting communications break down will be of utmost importance. But that being said, if the situation arises where we have an emergency that forces us out and God forbid destroys our dwellings, we are screwed. Who will take us in? Where will we go when the police state says GET OUT? How many cans of beans will you take with you?
Dropped on her head
If there's anyone left in the world who's still persnickety about such things, it's usually a librarian. I'd suggest calling and asking them why the movie's disappeared. Seriously, can't hurt to ask, and perhaps it's just a glitch?I did ask about it because it was so weird. The librarian checked her computer, then shrugged and said it wasn't in the system. I guess it can't hurt to call the main library and ask again and mention it's still fairly new. Things that go missing [that I've seen] are usually books on non-Christian religions or movies that have sex scenes, and there's a note how they weren't returned or are just 'missing'. This is the bible belt :|. Lately sometimes there's an entry that gives info on the item but doesn't show it as being in the system or missing, so perhaps they're cleaning the inventory up, rather than leaving things they won't replace. I often put missing items on my 'hold' list just to goose them into reordering, but it doesn't seem to work. They're getting several copies of my cousin's book so I'm thrilled about that. It was just weird that a new-ish movie was the first thing I've ever seen that had been wiped. I think I'm getting paranoid. I can rent V/Vendetta cheaply locally, so it's not a problem. [Thank you for the worldcat link.] Our university library is great, Instead I borrowed Enigma, about code-cracking during WW II. I actually laughed at a car chase scene with WWII-era cars on a dirt track...it was nice after all the exploding cars of recent years . I do love Kate Winslet and Jeremy Northam, and Doug Ray Scott was excellent. ... Found V for Vendetta in the catalog. I was putting an 'is' in there that totally screwed it up. The baby may have been dropped on her head or shocked when her father, holding her, was tasered.
Run, Ron, Run
I had the pleasure of meeting Ron Paul at the Iowa Straw Poll. Although I would normally prefer dangling my wedding tackle over a pit of hungry alligators more than associating with thousands of rabid hate-mongers (Republicans), I felt it was important to go out and support Ron with my vote. You see, you do not have to be a Repugnican to vote at the Iowa Straw Poll You make some very good points about government benefits in education, et al. I would tend to agree that these things are good. However, let me rebut as to why I think Ron Paul would be a Great president. First of all, he is a strict Constitutionalist. That means he understands the power of the Executive branch is limited. He understands and agrees that he would have no power to declare war. Furthermore, the policies and departments of which you approve would have to be changed or deleted by Congress Sure, there is lots I don't agree with about Paul's stance on government. I am appalled that he actually called for the repeal of Roe v. Wade. But he WILL abide by the rule of law, unlike der fuhrer, who just issues "signing statements" and executive orders to legitimize any damn criminal act he feels like. And unlike the syphilitic crack-whore mentality currently running amok in the White House, Ron Paul understands foreign policy enough to know that blowing the shit out of innocents abroad to put billions in your buddy's pockets is Not Good Foreign Policy. Above all, Ron Paul is a man of integrity. That is such a rare thing these days. He actually lives and breathes the principles he espouses. I believe of all the Presidential Candidates, only he and Dennis Kucinich (now THERE'S a dream ticket) posses this quality. People are sick and tired of having a despot in power. The other Repugs are a study in "more of the same" and the Dems, except Kucinich, are sold-out-to-Israel-and-big-business frauds. Paul does not accept money from foreign powers or corporations. In spite of the extreme Libertarian views of which you fear (no education, no welfare, etc.) I believe that Ron Paul would be a good dose of medicine for what ails America. He will certainly Not support War, illegal wiretapping, the Patriot Act, Fearmongering, Judge-stacking, lying, cheating, etc, etc that have become the hallmarks of our current admin. Coupled with a firm Democratic victory in Congress (very do-able), I don't foresee any real wholesale elimination of our basic educational or social infrastructure. Again, I don't agree with him 100%, but I do believe he is our last, best hope to return America to sanity.
Well, who knows WHAT dirty tricks the repugs have up their sleeve. Personally, I would love to see a lot more 3rd party candidates, but the sheeple have been conditioned to choose between Satan and Beelzebub...sigh. I remember listening to a speech by Jesse Ventura when he was gov of Minnesota. Jesse may have had his faults, but hypocrisy was not one of them. The issue was abortion, and the legislature had recently failed to implement a stronger 'notification" law, a policy supported by Jesse. He stated publicly that although his private beliefs were against abortion, that as governor, he was liable to a higher standard of behavior, or words to that effect. In other words, that his first duty was to honorably uphold his office, not to use his office as a club to affect policy. unlike ...uh...everyfuckingrepublican in the White House.... Again, a Dem congress is not gonna do away with the depts of energy, education, et all....But, one of Paul's main planks, is the abolition of the IRS (an illegal, unconstitutional agency), and I foresee that being VERY popular. Most people have no understanding of how money and the economy works. I am no expert, but I have a little bit of understanding. The present admin is stealing and looting this country on a scale undreamed of. War is a racket...sigh...and Paul knows it and states it publicly...which is why the Repugs will move hell and high water to deny him the nomination. Let me tell you, I was AT the straw poll, and until Mitt's 100 buses rolled in it was ALL Ron Paul... It is the reason my mother and I attended... and I suspect the reason a LOT of people attended. Paul's tent was full, and the others looked like ghost towns. The vote results are fishy... There is a huge discrepancy between attendance and vote total... why would you schlep your ass all the way to Ames and not vote? Sure, there were out-of-staters...but they were only a few percent at most...children....again, a few hundred....The Diebold "malfunction" sure was strangely timed...A personal note: As I was exiting the polling place, there were Diebold machines to either side of the doors. You slip your paper ballot in the slot just as you leave. I put my ballot in the slot, it went in, and as I was halfway thru the door, the guy behind me sez "Hey, Buddy!". I turn around, and the machine has spit out my ballot! Talk about your omen! So I put it in again, and this time it swallows. To be fair, I would not want a government totally run by libertarians. I too like food inspection, pollution regulation, et al (Especially when not undermined by corruption!). I think it is a good thing to provide a social safety net. But in the choking, toxic atmosphere of rank hypocrisy, rampant greed, and torturous anti-reason that is our government, Ron Paul's frank honesty is a breath of fresh air to my desperate lungs. That's why I like him. I love Dennis Kucinich. Hell, I phone banked and caucused for him last election. Dennis is a Good Man. But Dennis' message does not resonate with enough people. He is handicapped by his lack of charisma. It is a shame, really, because I believe he is far and away the best candidate of either party in terms of values. But America is a land of rats and vultures, and his ideals only appeal to the enlightened. Sigh. Where's my trench helmet? It's gonna get ugly. Seriously? I think that the current cabal will cook up some new phony Terror Event, maybe even a Nuclear one, and then the clampdown will be ON. People are already conditioned to have their rights trampled upon at the airport in the name of security, it will be little more problem to station armed idiots on every street corner, random "paper" checks, routine searches (already in place in the NY subway), and the complete Nazification of America. In case no one has noticed, the price of food is now tied to the price of oil (LINK). There will be no shortage of yahoos to take their turn as goons in the new regime. Ah crap, now I'm depressed. Good thing we got the Dems looking after our best interests. Now THAT'S funny! Peace.
Original people
I mean, come on, we stole someone else's land and slaughtered them! Nice beginning, patriots!Then lets give North America back to its original people and let them govern for they seem very wise to me ...
Indirect war with the US
Marie, Clearly what I write seems to irk you...intensely. Upon carefully reading your response to my thoughts, I think you are misunderstanding the context of my suppositions. But, before I continue I want to make a few points absolutely clear: I do not support the current US Middle East foreign policy. I agree 100% with you that the US has been a destabilizing factor in the ME. So equally have the Russians during the Cold war. Before the US and Russia, the British have done their fair share to destabilize the ME as well. (perhaps more than the US and Russia combined!) I do not support war against the Iranians. I do not support war against the Syrians. I do not support the continued misery of the Palestinians. I do not support the destruction of Israel. I do not support the continued destabilization of Lebanon. Now that these points are out of the way, I will review your responses. Marie: various belligerent foreign war policies within the METhe key phrase here is "belligerent foreign war policies". Is this not the US? As for Israel, the last time I looked at a map, it was in the ME. Also, the last time I checked the US war against Iraq is unjust and illegal. I never said it wasn't. Finally, semantics aside, it IS a war. Marie: a possible strategic option (to strike first)ConPlan 8022 clearly states the US will use nuclear weapons. The reason I suggested that Iran AND Syria may choose to strike first, presupposes that the US will use the weapons anyway. They will use them under ConPlan 8022. So I was suggesting that the risk of being nuked by the US/Israel is a real risk no matter whether Iran/Syria strike first or not. I am not condoning the use of nuclear weapons, this is just a real situation. Marie: control the initiation, control the context and direction of the conflictNagasaki. Last time I checked, for 40 years following the end of WW2, the US did own the Japanese economy. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were rebuilt. Would you suggest otherwise? By the way, it also sent the Russians a clear message to stop moving their armies further west. Marie: already engaged in an indirect warAre you purposely being ignorant of the widely reported facts? Of course Iran/Syria and a host of other ME countries including the House of Saud are supplying weapons & money to conflicting parties within Iraq. My point of asymmetrical warfare is this: it is public fact that the US was to invade Iran and Syria after conquering Iraq. Iran and Syria are civilizations with millennia of history. They are not stupid. The point of their indirect war with the US in Iraq was to prevent the US from invading them by grinding down their army in Iraq. Since the US has not been able to follow through with their invasion plan of Iran/Syria, I suggested they won. Marie: e.g. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi insurgencyInsurgency or freedom fighters... semantics. It is public fact that Iran and Syria fund and provides weapons to Hamas and Hezbollah and to various Shiite factions within Iraq. And, yes...of course the US does the same thing with their factions. So what is your point? As for Syria being "dragged into this"...were not aware that Syria and Iran formed a mutual defense pact a few years ago? Syria is into this right up to their eyeballs. Do you not know the history of the vicious Lebanese civil war? Marie: winning the asymmetrical warMarie, Iran and Syria have had no choice but to respond to US aggression by using asymmetrical tactics. Working with a stable Iraq was not an option within their control. Actually having their neighbors under attack DOES offer their citizens stability and security because they are not under attack. As I said before, containing the US in Iraq prevents their further deployment into Iran and Syria. Dan D is correct in so far that Iran and Syria could not directly confront the US with there own armies as it would have provided the necessary excuse for the US to bomb Iran and Syria much sooner. Examples of lessor powers striking first: N. Korea/China, N. Vietnam, Egypt, Jordan, Syria (3 Israeli/Arab wars), initial Nazi German army. Want more examples? Marie: diplomacy as a means of placating their current ME circumstanceI agree, the US has never tried diplomacy in the ME, They only used bombs. That is what I said. This is the problem. Marie: if ... 100% sure they will be conventionally invadedYup. 100% sure. But that is just my opinion, you do not have to agree. You also do not know what I used to do for a living. Marie: why would they not initiate conflict in other regionsAs I stated before, keeping the US forces pinned in Iraq prevented them from continuing their war into Iran and Syria. This is no great insight, many articles have been written about this. And, for example, who do you think is pulling Hizballah's strings in S Lebanon? On the subject of Sociopaths: there seems to be plenty of sociopaths on both sides of this conflict. Marie: the best defense is offenseThere is a history in the ME of this type of warfare. 1947 Israeli/Arab war, the 1967 6-day war, Yom Kippur, Osirak, Egyptian seizure of the Suez canal. Do you need more examples? Marie: supplying funding and weaponsAre you being willfully obtuse? Of course EVERYONE is supplying weapons to the ME. What more proof do you need? What is your point here? Marie: US influence in the ME is waning ... new alliances are forming e.g. China and IranOf course US influence in the ME is waning. They have lost the Iraq war. You are also quite right in stating that the ruling Theocratic government of Iran is greatly challenged by the rising dissatisfaction from its own very youthful society. What do you think the Iranian leaders may do to keep their Citizen's minds off their personal economic worries? hmmm...maybe they need a national distraction.... Marie: The US has demonized Iran for so long. Your comments seem to be continuing that "tradition." I figure enough is enough. It's time to get real.Nope, I disagree. The realm of RealPolitik is my reality. AND, I am not demonizing Iran. Not once have I denigrated the country. I am merely describing the pressure cooker that they find themselves in these days. And yes, I agree this situation was thrust upon them. Right or wrong, they have hard choices to make as they face down a still powerful and soulless American military power. As far as demonizing goes, both the US and Iran have done their fair share of demonizing each other. Neither is morally better than the other. One is just much more powerful than the other. Are we done with this debate?
Nickeled and dimed
The Fed pumped (dumped) a total 64 billion dollars (Federal Reserve Notes) into the financial markets (money supply) in operations on Thursday, Friday and Monday to soothe investors' fears over a credit crunch tied to the troubled US housing sector. A White House spook person said this is not a Federal Government bail-out, diluting the currency or inflationary. I was wondering what happened. I had a dollar in my pants pocket last night when I hung them up on the bed post. This morning I checked my pocket and found only three quarters and two dimes.
Flip. Flop.
Dick Cheney '94: Invading Baghdad would create quagmire
More power to me
Thanks for the quick reply. Your points are all well-taken. Griping about the FED is like griping about the sunshine, or something like that! It's here, it's queer, get used to it! And complaining is one of my favorite activities! I sure wasn't trying to cast a negative light on it, maybe just my own sorta pessimistic take on its ultimate efficacy. More power to you, ma'am! I love what yer doin'...
Wiser than the "white man"
I mean, come on, we stole someone else's land and slaughtered them! Nice beginning, patriots!They were always wise and still are a lot wiser than the "white man"
Let's roll
Good article, but one thing left unsaid is that these people were narcissistic or rather psychopathic to begin with. The attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 just made it seem more OK, at least to them, to show it out right. When everyone else is drunk or crazy, you don't look so crazy. But when they sober up... "You're drunk." "Yeah, and you're crazy. But I'll be sober in the morning. You'll be crazy the rest of your life." (Edgar Souse in The Bank Dick
Near death experience
Not everyone sees their life flash through their mind at such times. For one thing, you're often too busy trying to stay alive! Ha, ha. Time does slow down though I believe the only people who might see their life flash by are those who believe there's nothing left they can do about their fate The last near-death experience I can recall at the moment, I mainly flashed ahead to my own funeral, and how stupid everyone would think my end had been (because I truly had put myself into an awful silly predicament, where I looked likely to die or get critically injured for a really, really dumb reason). I think what else flashed through my head then was a great discussion with myself about all the different things I could have done that day, rather than accidentally killing myself Fortunately my own case turned out something like the story guy's: it didn't conclude as expected. Heck: I didn't even require hospitalization! I was very lucky. The reddit post title above is hard to beat for this news item ... Note this article is about my native county. Also, the real life inspiration for the character of Caleb in my story What goes around... ran a fighting cock breeding/training operation back in those days (his whole family was involved, I believe). Dozens of caged birds (and empty cages) were stacked in his front yard one day when I visited. Of course, back then I don't think the law went after it quite so strongly
I've written about this possibility myself on my site, in items like: The Omegans, the dead returned to life, and those that never were, are; Post-Reconvergence: 3000- 3450 AD; differing paths for physicals and virtuals
My own ultimate conclusion or expectation? The universal law of entropy and the immense failings and risks we see in so-called intelligent races like our own make it a near certainty no civilization of substantial biological composition ever makes it to such a level to run Matrix-quality simulations of their ancestors like this. It is possible however that we get far enough along before going extinct that our machines become self-sustaining, and able to evolve beyond us. But it seems most unlikely those machines would want to create an awful virtual reality mess like bringing us back to life in anything other than an experiment of very limited scope. After all, are human beings sufficiently fascinated with ants or termites to create a vast and expensive matrix simulation for them that way?
V for vanished
No way back
I've the feeling that recently "police surveillance" has become a need, a minimum basic requirement for doing a professional policeman's job. "The magic bullet" which in comparison other time-honored techniques of policing are all but worthless. Also cops hate to be surprised and they really don't like kicking doors down while armed to the teeth--no matter what's shown on TV. [My town] has an aerial drone and they're writing tickets and making arrests through the mail! Why can't we? Homeland Security guidelines and schedules insure police departments have no time to waste on debates about legal searches and warrants. Let the local DA worry about that. Citizens like you can call the ACLU if you have any problems, meanwhile what was in that box we have you on film removing from your car? The irony is these systems will be putting cops out of work. Throw in a couple of sunspots, computer viruses, power glitches and voila everyone will find out how rapid and effective 'rapid response teams' can be. Every town will soon have impromptu surveillance holidays: like Mardi Gras but with more broken glass, burning cars, 'random' shootings and looting. I don't see any way back.
Quick thinking
R.I.P., U.S.A.
Eye in the sky
OK so maybe the FAA is dragging its feet, but is anyone talking about how high and far these drones will fly? They mention a few too many times teenagers and model airplanes and nothing about what would be required by police operators to keep their drones off airport flight paths. Am I nitpicking here?
No accident
Without burdensome Government regulations and taxes people would have the time necessary to fill the void left in social programs when the libertarians got rid of big brother. Reading your article it makes one wonder how we got thru all the tough times when we didn't have so much technology and Government. It was neighbors, community and church helping each other. I used to be a 'bleeding heart' like you (no offense intended). But my optimistic streak won out, now I know humans are capable of great things and really care. Libertarians are not against these programs, they just don't think it is Government's role.
Thank You for the personalized response, It makes me happy to know there are still people who continue to think and grow. Sometimes it is hard to slow down and find the time. Being a libertarian is a fine line to walk. When you remember that Greenspan worshipped at the alter of Ayn Rand it is easy to see what lies at the extreme, uncaring end of the spectrum. This present economic situation is also no accident.
Presiding over the decline and fall of the American Empire
• eliminating monopolies of the FDA, AMA, hospitals, insurance companies and Big Pharma in delivering healthcare (because they have reduced supply of doctors, hospitals, drugs, etc., thus pricing many of us out of the market); • eliminating most of the 100+ foreign US military bases and wars of imperialism; • reducing out of control pensions and healthcare costs of government workers; • eliminating all pork barrel waste; • start actually taxing corporations fairly; • eliminate restrictions about micro-enterprises completely; • halting the stupid and wasteful drug wars that have caused the US to become a giant open air prison that incarcerates more of its own people than even Communist China; • etc. The whole thing in SNAFU and FUBAR. Our leaders in D.C. have got to be the most incompetent boobs in the history of mankind. What a bunch of nincompoops! Presiding over the decline and fall of the American "Empire" is like going into the 9th inning leading 999 to 0 and then losing the game And of course none of the Democratic candidates has any intention of stopping the wars or this other stuff (I will vote for Edwards in the primary and then after he loses that will be my last vote for a Democrat!) Enjoy the read!!! Ha. Learn from the fall of Rome, U.S. Comptroller General warns
Impatient questions
You and I know that the things I just mentioned are not freedoms but most of my fellow American fools don't know that. Right now they're taking everything for granted. They wouldn't know a freedom if they fell over it! They are not going to complain about something they don't see or refuse to see happening. They will look you in the eye and ask you WTF does freedom have to do with want kind of car I drive or beer I drink or home just mortgaged or the duds I'm wearing on my back? Then they'll tell you that money makes the world go round and without it you don't have a world! And that if push comes to shove it will no longer be Miller time, it will be riot time. ...
A lot of misleading phrases
What does China have to gain by allying itself with fundamentalist Islamic jihad?, Destabilized and restabilizing What popped into my mind as I read this letter was that there are a lot of MISLEADING phrases being used, so I want to examine a number of them. • various belligerent foreign war policies within the ME • a possible strategic option (to strike first) • control the initiation, control the context and direction of the conflict • already engaged in an indirect war • e.g. Hamas, Hezbollah, Iraqi insurgency • winning the asymmetrical war • diplomacy as a means of placating their current ME circumstance • if ... 100% sure they will be conventionally invaded • why would they not initiate conflict in other regions • the best defense is offense • supplying funding and weapons • US influence in the ME is waning ... new alliances are forming e.g. China and Iran The US has demonized Iran for so long. Your comments seem to be continuing that “tradition.” I figure enough is enough. It’s time to get real. |
