My wife and I just found out that we're going to have another baby (Version 2.0). I'm actually really excited about this, but my wife is making it hard for me to be enthusiastic. She's having progesterone level problems and she's on progesterone supplements, so she's hormonal as hell with huge mood swings.
Her progesterone levels are low-ish. 14.7 versus 15+ which is the safe zone. Her Dr. just put her on suppositories because they're absorbed better than the pills she's been taking.
Just about 15 minutes ago, she called me and said (and I'm quoting here) "I hate my job! My body can't decide what it wants to do about this baby! I'm not happy about having to get on a plane tomorrow! I'm going to have to deal with your asshole parents! And you haven't told me I can quit my job, so I'm not feeling very secure about your job! And I'm TIRED! I'm JUST PLAIN TIRED! This sucks!"
How do I respond to that? If I say nothing, I'm insensitive. If I say anything that she really wants to hear, I'll get fired (I was at work at the time). If I say what I can safely say at work, it's going to sound hollow and irrelevant. If I say what I feel like saying, I need to call a lawyer. This sucks. In the middle of all this, she apologizes for dumping on me. The phone call ended with her saying "Well, you just go ahead an do whatever the hell you're going to do, which is what you'll do anyway!"
I'm apparently not allowed to have a bad day anymore, either. Last week, I was having the worst day I've had in a while, and she goes off on a rant about how she's having problems and she doesn't think we're going to have the baby after all, etc ad infinitum. I retort (very sarcastically) "That's great. At least something is going right!". Now she thinks I don't want to have another baby! I do, and everything I've said/done up to this point supports that.
I don't know what to do. I go from the stress of being unemployed and broke to the stress of a new job and potentially a new father.
A side note: in order to improve my hits (see last post), I'm going to insert some words here: Anna Kournikova naked! Christmas gifts. Britney and Anna. boobies Iraq Bush, britney's bush
December 22, 2004
December 15, 2004
I have a job!
By job, I mean a full time, permenant placement. Actually, I've had a job for over a month. Yeah, Yeah, I know. Update more often! Shut your pie hole!
Anyway, at this job I'm actually doing work, just very, very slowly. My client is a state agency and as a result even the most basic task is full of red tape, "managerial oversight" and office politics. I'm not ticked, but I am bored.
I'm going to install a site counter, just because I'm interested to see how many people actually read my site. I don't expect it's many, but I'm curious. After a while, I'll intentionally throw in some choice key words and see how it affects my visitation. We'll see. Stay tuned, stand fast and all that other gobbledygook that means "come back soon".
Anyway, at this job I'm actually doing work, just very, very slowly. My client is a state agency and as a result even the most basic task is full of red tape, "managerial oversight" and office politics. I'm not ticked, but I am bored.
I'm going to install a site counter, just because I'm interested to see how many people actually read my site. I don't expect it's many, but I'm curious. After a while, I'll intentionally throw in some choice key words and see how it affects my visitation. We'll see. Stay tuned, stand fast and all that other gobbledygook that means "come back soon".
November 03, 2004
What does it take?
I'm okay with the results of this election. I'm not happy about it, but compared to 2000's executive, legislative and judicial square dance, I feel good about the election. A couple of comments though:
- Last night while watching the election results over a beer I decided to see how some of the smaller candidates were doing. I was interested, for example, in knowing how the Socialist candidate did in Vermont. I was interested in how the Libertarian candidate did in Oklahoma. I wanted to see popular vote counts. NOWHERE could I find a count of the popular votes for anyone but Bush, Kerry and Nader. One that I finally DID find was here, at News 8 Austin. In case you're too lazy to click a link, here is what it says (in part):
President Popular Vote
George Bush R 58,319,122 51%
John Kerry D 54,796,258 48%
Others 661,087 1%
Ralph Nader I 390,341 0%
506 of 538 precincts reporting (94%)
"OTHERS"? WTF? So Nader, an "Independant" (read, not nominated by anyone but himself) candidate gets 0%, but commands a mention while "Others" gets almost TWICE the popular vote but no mention? Last time I checked, Badnarik was on at least 48 state ballots. Shouldn't HE at least get a mention?
Speaking of "too lazy" to do something, I was just listening to my local talk radio station and the host mentioned an interesting tidbit of information: 4 out of 5 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 24 DID NOT VOTE.
What the hell does it take? What do I have to do to get people to actually vote. Forget about "you didn't vote, so you can't complain" nonsense. When I turned 18, I couldnt' WAIT to vote. I have voted in every election since then, both local and national. Do I have to spend thousands of dollars to take out a full page ad in the sunday paper that says "Hey, stupid! Get off your ass, put down the Gameboy, turn off the fucking TV and go VOTE! I don't care HOW you vote, JUST GO AND DO IT!"
I'm turning into my father.
- Last night while watching the election results over a beer I decided to see how some of the smaller candidates were doing. I was interested, for example, in knowing how the Socialist candidate did in Vermont. I was interested in how the Libertarian candidate did in Oklahoma. I wanted to see popular vote counts. NOWHERE could I find a count of the popular votes for anyone but Bush, Kerry and Nader. One that I finally DID find was here, at News 8 Austin. In case you're too lazy to click a link, here is what it says (in part):
President Popular Vote
George Bush R 58,319,122 51%
John Kerry D 54,796,258 48%
Others 661,087 1%
Ralph Nader I 390,341 0%
506 of 538 precincts reporting (94%)
"OTHERS"? WTF? So Nader, an "Independant" (read, not nominated by anyone but himself) candidate gets 0%, but commands a mention while "Others" gets almost TWICE the popular vote but no mention? Last time I checked, Badnarik was on at least 48 state ballots. Shouldn't HE at least get a mention?
Speaking of "too lazy" to do something, I was just listening to my local talk radio station and the host mentioned an interesting tidbit of information: 4 out of 5 registered voters between the ages of 18 and 24 DID NOT VOTE.
What the hell does it take? What do I have to do to get people to actually vote. Forget about "you didn't vote, so you can't complain" nonsense. When I turned 18, I couldnt' WAIT to vote. I have voted in every election since then, both local and national. Do I have to spend thousands of dollars to take out a full page ad in the sunday paper that says "Hey, stupid! Get off your ass, put down the Gameboy, turn off the fucking TV and go VOTE! I don't care HOW you vote, JUST GO AND DO IT!"
I'm turning into my father.
June 03, 2004
George Tenet resigns...
I quote from Fox News (full article Here.)
***
Bush said Tenet has "done a super job" and is the "kind of public servant you like to work with."
Tenet will serve as the CIA director until mid-July, Bush said, then CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin (search) will serve as acting director.
"I send my blessings to George and his family," Bush said from the White House lawn. "I look forward to working with him until the time he leaves the agency, and I wish him all the very best.Bush said Tenet has "done a super job" and is the "kind of public servant you like to work with."
***
Translation:
Bush said Tenet "told me what I wanted to hear, and then quietly rolled over when the shit hit the fan. He took one for the Gipper."
Tenet will serve as the CIA director until mid-July, Bush said, then CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin (search) will be his puppet until November.
"I want to thank George for resigning so I didn't have to fire him," Bush meant to say from the White House lawn. "I can't wait until the time he leaves the agency, and I hope this sweeps the whole WMD thing under the rug in time for the election." Bush also meant to say "Thank God I was able to get this Clinton appointee out before the election. Now I need to presure Rumsfeld to do the same, and get Cheney to stop fucking things up for me."
***
Bush said Tenet has "done a super job" and is the "kind of public servant you like to work with."
Tenet will serve as the CIA director until mid-July, Bush said, then CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin (search) will serve as acting director.
"I send my blessings to George and his family," Bush said from the White House lawn. "I look forward to working with him until the time he leaves the agency, and I wish him all the very best.Bush said Tenet has "done a super job" and is the "kind of public servant you like to work with."
***
Translation:
Bush said Tenet "told me what I wanted to hear, and then quietly rolled over when the shit hit the fan. He took one for the Gipper."
Tenet will serve as the CIA director until mid-July, Bush said, then CIA Deputy Director John McLaughlin (search) will be his puppet until November.
"I want to thank George for resigning so I didn't have to fire him," Bush meant to say from the White House lawn. "I can't wait until the time he leaves the agency, and I hope this sweeps the whole WMD thing under the rug in time for the election." Bush also meant to say "Thank God I was able to get this Clinton appointee out before the election. Now I need to presure Rumsfeld to do the same, and get Cheney to stop fucking things up for me."
May 05, 2004
Pro-choice, the only real choice...
I made the mistake of pausing on a Christian radio station a while ago. The fact that the radio station was Christian wasn't the mistake. It was a mistake because of what they were broadcasting. The were holding a "National Town Meeting; A Pro-Life Conference". Now I actually happen to be pro-life. I'm still alive, aren't I? Here's the problem;
They had gathered a bunch of well-intentioned civic and religion leaders together to talk about the "abortion problem". It was the 30th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision handed down by the US Supreme Court, and they apparently decided to "do something about it". They held a lively discussion about how abortion is wrong, how it goes against everything Christianity stands for, and I can accept and listen to that discussion, even if I don't personally agree with it. They invited customer comments and questions and provided an 800 number, so I called. They wouldn't field my question They wouldn't even let me on the air! My question wasn't absurd, it wasn't even heretical. My question was this:
"What, if anything, is the Catholic church, which has had a long standing record of stewardship, doing to help the 15 year old pregnant girl, who is going to leave her baby in a dumpster?"
www.abortionfacts.com (no link, type it your own self. If you're pro-choice, you don't need to, if not, I'm not going to help you...) has a lot of information about how many abortions are performed in a year. Answer? Probably about 1,800,000 last year (give or take). What they want to do it force people to go through the full pregnancy and let 1.8 Million babies be born that are not wanted. Either the parents can not or will not take care of the child. Options? Sure, adoption. In the year 2000, there were 130,000 kids in interim foster care waiting for a home, and 53,000 kids had already been placed. That's 180,000 orphans. Sure, jack that up by 10x! What a GREAT idea. Instead of having 130,000 kids waiting for homes, let's have 1.3 million waiting for a home. That's assuming a half a million homes open their doors for children needing homes.
Of course, that's not accurate. There won't be 1.8 million children needing homes. There will be 1.9 Million needing homes. The same 130,000 kids will be born and still need homes, remember? It won't be a problem. There are 105,000,000 homes in the U.S. (2000 Census). And there are 281 Million people in the U.S. That's 2.6 people per house, on average. If only one out of every 50 homes in the U.S. opened it's doors, there'd be no problem at all! Every year.
Of course, that's still no accurate at all, is it? Sure. A good number of those kids are dumpster, reservoir or toilet bound, aren't they? That'll knock off a good 200,000 of them. Then we can forget about the other half million that will die of neglect. Do we really need to create a state that the Human Rights Watch will watch?
I tell you what. I won't protest a law outlawing abortion totally as long as the law states that you must publicly proclaim your vote, and if you vote FOR the law, you must make your home available to an orphan every 5 years. Not as a foster home. Permanent adoption.
Doesn't sound like such a great idea now, does it?
They had gathered a bunch of well-intentioned civic and religion leaders together to talk about the "abortion problem". It was the 30th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision handed down by the US Supreme Court, and they apparently decided to "do something about it". They held a lively discussion about how abortion is wrong, how it goes against everything Christianity stands for, and I can accept and listen to that discussion, even if I don't personally agree with it. They invited customer comments and questions and provided an 800 number, so I called. They wouldn't field my question They wouldn't even let me on the air! My question wasn't absurd, it wasn't even heretical. My question was this:
"What, if anything, is the Catholic church, which has had a long standing record of stewardship, doing to help the 15 year old pregnant girl, who is going to leave her baby in a dumpster?"
www.abortionfacts.com (no link, type it your own self. If you're pro-choice, you don't need to, if not, I'm not going to help you...) has a lot of information about how many abortions are performed in a year. Answer? Probably about 1,800,000 last year (give or take). What they want to do it force people to go through the full pregnancy and let 1.8 Million babies be born that are not wanted. Either the parents can not or will not take care of the child. Options? Sure, adoption. In the year 2000, there were 130,000 kids in interim foster care waiting for a home, and 53,000 kids had already been placed. That's 180,000 orphans. Sure, jack that up by 10x! What a GREAT idea. Instead of having 130,000 kids waiting for homes, let's have 1.3 million waiting for a home. That's assuming a half a million homes open their doors for children needing homes.
Of course, that's not accurate. There won't be 1.8 million children needing homes. There will be 1.9 Million needing homes. The same 130,000 kids will be born and still need homes, remember? It won't be a problem. There are 105,000,000 homes in the U.S. (2000 Census). And there are 281 Million people in the U.S. That's 2.6 people per house, on average. If only one out of every 50 homes in the U.S. opened it's doors, there'd be no problem at all! Every year.
Of course, that's still no accurate at all, is it? Sure. A good number of those kids are dumpster, reservoir or toilet bound, aren't they? That'll knock off a good 200,000 of them. Then we can forget about the other half million that will die of neglect. Do we really need to create a state that the Human Rights Watch will watch?
I tell you what. I won't protest a law outlawing abortion totally as long as the law states that you must publicly proclaim your vote, and if you vote FOR the law, you must make your home available to an orphan every 5 years. Not as a foster home. Permanent adoption.
Doesn't sound like such a great idea now, does it?
The generation gap gets wierder.....
I want to talk about my generation. Generation X. I'm 30. I'm part of GenX. I was listening to NPR and they were talking about how the Baby Boomers were going to turn 65, and that would bankrupt Social Security. Generation X is about all of the things that the Baby Boomers are not: GenX is full of guys and gals who know that they don't get everything for free. Baby Boomers have only one motto: "Give me that! It's mine! I want it, so I should have it!". It's basically a philosophy based on a very distorted version of entitlement. Look it up. The Baby Boomers want everything for free. Right now. Don't argue. They grew up between the generation that expected to work 20 years at a company and retire with a gold watch, a thank-you and a pension. The Baby Boomers are NOT our parents. They created an institution of hands-off entitlement. They hired nannies to do their dirty work, while they went to work, driving Bimmers and snorting cocaine. They rode the backs of those that had worked hard before them. They drank from the cup filled by their parent's hard work.
Generation X had, and has, been lied to. GenX has been lied to in many ways, but one more than any other. I, and everyone I went to school with, was told "You need to get a degree, or you will never make any money." Everyone was told this. So, everyone went and got a degree. Now degrees are worthless. Completely worthless. Unless you have 2+ years of experience, don't even consider looking for a job more challenging than a Barista as Starbucks. Meanwhile, those of us who had the clarity of thought to ignore our parents, guidance councelors and such, went on to learn NEW stuff. We wanted to DO NEW THINGS. If you went to college for anything at all, you learned things that you could've read yourself and practiced on the job while everyone else was getting their worthless degrees.
Let's take a look at the career path for each type of degree at UMASS Amherst:
Acronym Key:
WYLFWT? = "Would you like fries with that?"
NPE = "Need professional experience"
NTOPE = "Need tons of professional experience"
NAD = "Need another degree to work in this field")
BAT = "Become a teacher, and teach this useless field to other mindless suckers."
Accounting & Information Systems <= NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Afro-American Studies <= Become a teacher - NAD or Be self imporant (aka, worthless) - WYLFWT?
Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary <= NAD/WYLFWT?
Anthropology <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Apparel Marketing <= Good luck. No jobs. WYLFWT?
Arboriculture & Park Management <= No jobs. WYLFWT?
Art (design or studio) <= Starving artist - WYLFWT?
Art History <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Astronomy <= Look at stars. Discover nothing new. Starve. Alone. or NAD or WYLFWT?
Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC) <= Couldn't make up my mind. Got a degree in "Undeclared" - WYLFWT?
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology <= NAD - Got to be a Ph.D or better here. WYLFWT?
Biology <= NAD - Same as BioChem and MolBio - WYLFWT?
Building Materials & Wood Technology <= "Look Dad, I made you a really nifty cutting board!" - WYLFWT?
Chemical Engineering <= NAD/NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Chemistry <= Build Nitrogen Tri-iodide bomblets. Move to Afghanistan. Convert to a VERY twisted version of Islam. Bomb buildings OR NAD OR WYLFWT?
Chinese Language & Literature <= WYLFWT? (I don't have double byte characters, so Latin characters will have to do).
Civil Engineering <= "I can wield a shovel, and whistle at girls who find me repulsive before I go home and eat my Hungry Man meal. Alone."
Classics <= WYLFWT?
Classics & Philosophy <= WYLFWT? or, more precisely, "Would you consider the implications of wanting fries with that? In Latin?"
Communication <= "I didn't know how to speak before, but now I've been lernt and gradiutated!" - WYLFWT?
Communication Disorders <= "I enjoy listening to people I can't understand, and can't understand me." - WYLFWT?
Comparative Literature <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Computer Science - "Now I know how to program in Pascal. I rule! What's Java? Oh crap." - NTOPE - WYLFWT?
Computer Systems Engineering - "I know what a PNP junction is! What do you mean you don't care?" - NTOPE - WYLFWT?
Dance <= "Look at me! I'm flying! I said LOOK AT ME! Okay, fine! Can you spare a dime?" - WYLFWT?
Earth Systems <= NAD/"We could harness the energy of the wind to power to world! Hello? HEELLOO???" - WYLFWT?
Economics <= "I'm broke, but I know EXACTLY why. Damn those Democrats!" - NAD or WYLFWT?
Education <= "Okay, I've got the other degree. I've spent $180,000 on getting them both. What do you mean it's going to take me the rest of my life to pay off my student loans? AND WYLFWT?
Electrical Engineering <= NTOPE/NAD/WYLFWT?
English <= BAT/NAD and WYLFWT?
Environmental Design <= NAD or NOTPE - "Okay, I need another degree, fine! I'm broke, fine! But I'm GREEEN! Look! Hemp Shoes!"
Environmental Sciences <= NTOPE and NAD - "Okay, I need another degree, fine! I'm broke, fine! But I'm GREEEN! Look! Hemp Shoes!"
Equine Industries <= NAD or Win the Kentucky Derby. You're folks are loaded, and so are you. But at least Daddy's happy that you got a degree
Exercise Science <= "Take a lap." -
Family & Consumer Sciences <= WYLFWT?
Finance & Operations Management <= NTOPE/NAD/WYLFWT?
Food Science <= WYLFWT? - No other choice.
Forestry <= You get to fight forest fires!
French & Francophone Studies <= You're already French. 'Nuff said.
Geography <= "I know where Tanzania is without looking at a map. What do you mean you don't care? No, I don't have any other skills! I'm a degreed professional!" - WYLFWT?
Geology <= Dig up rocks in some god forsaken part of the world. Be very facinated with what you find. Alone.
German <= "Wurde Sie mögen Fischrogen mit dem? "
History <= NAD/Wurde Sie mögen Fischrogen mit dem?
Hotel, Restaurant & Travel Administration <= "Would you like a smoking or non-smoking room?"
Human Nutrition <= "Would you like fries with that? I thought so! That's why you're fat!"
Industrial Engineering <= NAD/NTOPE
Italian Studies <= "voi gradiscono le fritture con quello?"
Japanese Language & Literature <= "あなた好むそれのfries か." - Again, no double byte characters, but still speaks for itself.
Journalism <= "I'm witty! I can write! Would you care for some of our fabulous fries with that?"
Judaic Studies <= WYLFWT? - On sale!
Landscape Architecture <= Grass here, here, here, here and here. I can't believe I went to school for this.
Landscape Contracting <= Grass here, here, here, here, here, there, over there, more here, some there. No guarantees. Pay me. I can't believe I went to school for this.
Legal Studies <= NAD/NTOPE/Make friends w/Johnny Cochrane.
Linguistics <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Anthropology <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Chinese <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & German <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Japanese <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Philosophy <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Psychology <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Russian <= WYLFWT?
Management <= NAD/NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Marketing <= WYLFWT? On sale today! Come on down!
Mathematics <= BAT/NAD
Mechanical Engineering <= "Okay, so your pipe goes down, bends and that's where the hair gets stuck. Pay me to pour this Liquid Plumber down the drain, okay?"
Microbiology <= NAD/BAT
Middle Eastern Studies <= WYLFWT?
Music <= WYLFWT?
Natural Resource Studies <= WYLFWT?
Nursing <= !!!! This is the ONE degree that will get you a good paying job right now. Only trouble is, you'll be emptying out bedpans. !!!
Philosophy <= WYLFWT?
Physics <= NAD/NTOPE
Plant & Soil Sciences <= NAD and STILL WYLFWT?
Political Science <= Become a lackey in some govt. office, wiping the "mysterious" stain off of some politico's trousers. Go down in flames with him. Did I mention it's an intern job for no pay?
Portuguese <= WYLFWT?
Pre-Dental Studies <= NAD (Duh!)
Pre-Medical Studies <= NAD (Duh!)
Psychology <= NAD/WYLFWT?
Resource Economics <= WYLFWT?
Russian & East European Studies <= WYLFWT?
Social Thought & Political Economy <= WYLFWT?
Sociology <= WYLFWT?
Spanish <= WYLFWT?
Sport Management <= WYLFWT?
Theater <= WYLFWT?
Turfgrass Management <= WYLFWT?
Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation <= WYLFWT? You would? Wouldn't you prefer a gardenburger? Oh my God! You're wearing LEATHER! COW KILLER! COW KILLER! Wait! Oh, I'm sorry, the fries come WITH the Big Mac.... My bad.
Women's Studies <= WYLFWT? Pig?
Whew! All of that to find out that you had better become a nurse or be independently wealthy. So, back to what I was saying. Right now there are THOUSANDS of folks who have been lied to, hoping to find a job somewhere where they can make their own money, and live their own lives. The Baby Boomers (remember them?) are pissed because their Big Plan backfired on them. Their kids are still living at home. They say things like "Get a job!", only all of the fries are being served. The "Summer Job Market" is the worst it's been in 40 years. There are no jobs unless you've got more than one degree, tons of professional experience or you're a nurse. And even then, experience will substitute for any number of degrees. Unless you're a nurse. Remember the bedpans? Anyway.
The lesson here is: Go out, get a small job (which probably sucks), screw college and spend the rest of your part time hours learning something useful. Then do some of that work for free - get the experience. Then go looking for a job.
Twist: GenY (our children) will NEED degrees, because we won't have them, and when THEY get into the job market, it WILL be the difference. Why? Because you and I will have taught them the useful stuff. And by then, hopefully the college's will be teaching something that you and I don't know.
Another thing about GenX. We all have ADHD. When I was a kid, it was just called "Hyper active". Teachers would say "Your son is hyperactive! He needs counseling. He needs Special Ed". Bullshit! I learned to learn by watching TV, where the longest image I'm likely to see is no longer than 3 seconds long. I'm a computer user. I browse multiple sites AT THE SAME TIME. I filter out what I don't need to know, learn the stuff I DO need to know, and remember where I learned it. That way, I can go BACK to where I saw it when I need it. I'm sorry, but Ms. Whipple is NOT going to get my attention for 40 straight minutes without making it interesting in some fashion. I know where I can find the info if I need it, they made me get one when I started the class. Give me something interesting, and THEN you'll have my attention, but until then, I'm going to continue bettering myself faster than you can, if you don't mind. And: STOP DRUGGING THESE KIDS INTO SUBMISSION!!!! They are not retarded. They're more advanced than you are. Deal with it. Learn something new.
Generation X had, and has, been lied to. GenX has been lied to in many ways, but one more than any other. I, and everyone I went to school with, was told "You need to get a degree, or you will never make any money." Everyone was told this. So, everyone went and got a degree. Now degrees are worthless. Completely worthless. Unless you have 2+ years of experience, don't even consider looking for a job more challenging than a Barista as Starbucks. Meanwhile, those of us who had the clarity of thought to ignore our parents, guidance councelors and such, went on to learn NEW stuff. We wanted to DO NEW THINGS. If you went to college for anything at all, you learned things that you could've read yourself and practiced on the job while everyone else was getting their worthless degrees.
Let's take a look at the career path for each type of degree at UMASS Amherst:
Acronym Key:
WYLFWT? = "Would you like fries with that?"
NPE = "Need professional experience"
NTOPE = "Need tons of professional experience"
NAD = "Need another degree to work in this field")
BAT = "Become a teacher, and teach this useless field to other mindless suckers."
Accounting & Information Systems <= NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Afro-American Studies <= Become a teacher - NAD or Be self imporant (aka, worthless) - WYLFWT?
Animal Science and Pre-Veterinary <= NAD/WYLFWT?
Anthropology <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Apparel Marketing <= Good luck. No jobs. WYLFWT?
Arboriculture & Park Management <= No jobs. WYLFWT?
Art (design or studio) <= Starving artist - WYLFWT?
Art History <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Astronomy <= Look at stars. Discover nothing new. Starve. Alone. or NAD or WYLFWT?
Bachelor's Degree with Individual Concentration (BDIC) <= Couldn't make up my mind. Got a degree in "Undeclared" - WYLFWT?
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology <= NAD - Got to be a Ph.D or better here. WYLFWT?
Biology <= NAD - Same as BioChem and MolBio - WYLFWT?
Building Materials & Wood Technology <= "Look Dad, I made you a really nifty cutting board!" - WYLFWT?
Chemical Engineering <= NAD/NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Chemistry <= Build Nitrogen Tri-iodide bomblets. Move to Afghanistan. Convert to a VERY twisted version of Islam. Bomb buildings OR NAD OR WYLFWT?
Chinese Language & Literature <= WYLFWT? (I don't have double byte characters, so Latin characters will have to do).
Civil Engineering <= "I can wield a shovel, and whistle at girls who find me repulsive before I go home and eat my Hungry Man meal. Alone."
Classics <= WYLFWT?
Classics & Philosophy <= WYLFWT? or, more precisely, "Would you consider the implications of wanting fries with that? In Latin?"
Communication <= "I didn't know how to speak before, but now I've been lernt and gradiutated!" - WYLFWT?
Communication Disorders <= "I enjoy listening to people I can't understand, and can't understand me." - WYLFWT?
Comparative Literature <= BAT/NAD/WYLFWT?
Computer Science - "Now I know how to program in Pascal. I rule! What's Java? Oh crap." - NTOPE - WYLFWT?
Computer Systems Engineering - "I know what a PNP junction is! What do you mean you don't care?" - NTOPE - WYLFWT?
Dance <= "Look at me! I'm flying! I said LOOK AT ME! Okay, fine! Can you spare a dime?" - WYLFWT?
Earth Systems <= NAD/"We could harness the energy of the wind to power to world! Hello? HEELLOO???" - WYLFWT?
Economics <= "I'm broke, but I know EXACTLY why. Damn those Democrats!" - NAD or WYLFWT?
Education <= "Okay, I've got the other degree. I've spent $180,000 on getting them both. What do you mean it's going to take me the rest of my life to pay off my student loans? AND WYLFWT?
Electrical Engineering <= NTOPE/NAD/WYLFWT?
English <= BAT/NAD and WYLFWT?
Environmental Design <= NAD or NOTPE - "Okay, I need another degree, fine! I'm broke, fine! But I'm GREEEN! Look! Hemp Shoes!"
Environmental Sciences <= NTOPE and NAD - "Okay, I need another degree, fine! I'm broke, fine! But I'm GREEEN! Look! Hemp Shoes!"
Equine Industries <= NAD or Win the Kentucky Derby. You're folks are loaded, and so are you. But at least Daddy's happy that you got a degree
Exercise Science <= "Take a lap." -
Family & Consumer Sciences <= WYLFWT?
Finance & Operations Management <= NTOPE/NAD/WYLFWT?
Food Science <= WYLFWT? - No other choice.
Forestry <= You get to fight forest fires!
French & Francophone Studies <= You're already French. 'Nuff said.
Geography <= "I know where Tanzania is without looking at a map. What do you mean you don't care? No, I don't have any other skills! I'm a degreed professional!" - WYLFWT?
Geology <= Dig up rocks in some god forsaken part of the world. Be very facinated with what you find. Alone.
German <= "Wurde Sie mögen Fischrogen mit dem? "
History <= NAD/Wurde Sie mögen Fischrogen mit dem?
Hotel, Restaurant & Travel Administration <= "Would you like a smoking or non-smoking room?"
Human Nutrition <= "Would you like fries with that? I thought so! That's why you're fat!"
Industrial Engineering <= NAD/NTOPE
Italian Studies <= "voi gradiscono le fritture con quello?"
Japanese Language & Literature <= "あなた好むそれのfries か." - Again, no double byte characters, but still speaks for itself.
Journalism <= "I'm witty! I can write! Would you care for some of our fabulous fries with that?"
Judaic Studies <= WYLFWT? - On sale!
Landscape Architecture <= Grass here, here, here, here and here. I can't believe I went to school for this.
Landscape Contracting <= Grass here, here, here, here, here, there, over there, more here, some there. No guarantees. Pay me. I can't believe I went to school for this.
Legal Studies <= NAD/NTOPE/Make friends w/Johnny Cochrane.
Linguistics <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Anthropology <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Chinese <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & German <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Japanese <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Philosophy <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Psychology <= WYLFWT?
Linguistics & Russian <= WYLFWT?
Management <= NAD/NTOPE/WYLFWT?
Marketing <= WYLFWT? On sale today! Come on down!
Mathematics <= BAT/NAD
Mechanical Engineering <= "Okay, so your pipe goes down, bends and that's where the hair gets stuck. Pay me to pour this Liquid Plumber down the drain, okay?"
Microbiology <= NAD/BAT
Middle Eastern Studies <= WYLFWT?
Music <= WYLFWT?
Natural Resource Studies <= WYLFWT?
Nursing <= !!!! This is the ONE degree that will get you a good paying job right now. Only trouble is, you'll be emptying out bedpans. !!!
Philosophy <= WYLFWT?
Physics <= NAD/NTOPE
Plant & Soil Sciences <= NAD and STILL WYLFWT?
Political Science <= Become a lackey in some govt. office, wiping the "mysterious" stain off of some politico's trousers. Go down in flames with him. Did I mention it's an intern job for no pay?
Portuguese <= WYLFWT?
Pre-Dental Studies <= NAD (Duh!)
Pre-Medical Studies <= NAD (Duh!)
Psychology <= NAD/WYLFWT?
Resource Economics <= WYLFWT?
Russian & East European Studies <= WYLFWT?
Social Thought & Political Economy <= WYLFWT?
Sociology <= WYLFWT?
Spanish <= WYLFWT?
Sport Management <= WYLFWT?
Theater <= WYLFWT?
Turfgrass Management <= WYLFWT?
Wildlife & Fisheries Conservation <= WYLFWT? You would? Wouldn't you prefer a gardenburger? Oh my God! You're wearing LEATHER! COW KILLER! COW KILLER! Wait! Oh, I'm sorry, the fries come WITH the Big Mac.... My bad.
Women's Studies <= WYLFWT? Pig?
Whew! All of that to find out that you had better become a nurse or be independently wealthy. So, back to what I was saying. Right now there are THOUSANDS of folks who have been lied to, hoping to find a job somewhere where they can make their own money, and live their own lives. The Baby Boomers (remember them?) are pissed because their Big Plan backfired on them. Their kids are still living at home. They say things like "Get a job!", only all of the fries are being served. The "Summer Job Market" is the worst it's been in 40 years. There are no jobs unless you've got more than one degree, tons of professional experience or you're a nurse. And even then, experience will substitute for any number of degrees. Unless you're a nurse. Remember the bedpans? Anyway.
The lesson here is: Go out, get a small job (which probably sucks), screw college and spend the rest of your part time hours learning something useful. Then do some of that work for free - get the experience. Then go looking for a job.
Twist: GenY (our children) will NEED degrees, because we won't have them, and when THEY get into the job market, it WILL be the difference. Why? Because you and I will have taught them the useful stuff. And by then, hopefully the college's will be teaching something that you and I don't know.
Another thing about GenX. We all have ADHD. When I was a kid, it was just called "Hyper active". Teachers would say "Your son is hyperactive! He needs counseling. He needs Special Ed". Bullshit! I learned to learn by watching TV, where the longest image I'm likely to see is no longer than 3 seconds long. I'm a computer user. I browse multiple sites AT THE SAME TIME. I filter out what I don't need to know, learn the stuff I DO need to know, and remember where I learned it. That way, I can go BACK to where I saw it when I need it. I'm sorry, but Ms. Whipple is NOT going to get my attention for 40 straight minutes without making it interesting in some fashion. I know where I can find the info if I need it, they made me get one when I started the class. Give me something interesting, and THEN you'll have my attention, but until then, I'm going to continue bettering myself faster than you can, if you don't mind. And: STOP DRUGGING THESE KIDS INTO SUBMISSION!!!! They are not retarded. They're more advanced than you are. Deal with it. Learn something new.
April 28, 2004
I'm leaving, on a jet plane.... I might even bring some dope with me, but not tweezers!
But I know I'll be back on the 5th. My wife is terrified of flying, so this should be interesting. My 2 yr old is hyper, so this should be doubly interesting.
I'm going to have anything that could possibly be a weapon taken away from me. Knives, guns, tasers, mace, I can understand. Tweezers, nail clippers? What the hell is up with that? Do they honestly expect to some day find a big pile of bloody 1/2" gibbous moon-shaped flecks of pilot flesh in the cockpit if they let someone on the plane with one?
Am I the only one who thinks if a terrorist ever again tries to take control of a plane, that he's going to be torn limb from limb by 150 passengers? The chances of a terrorist actually taking control of a plane in the U.S. are now effectively zero. It's not going to happen again, they're not even going to try.
The Department of Homeland Security is doing a crappy job. It's a huge waste of money. Immigrants are flooding into the country (both legal and illegal). All of them are carrying something. Underwear? Probably. A little dope? Probably some of that too. Anthrax? Possibly.
I haven't heard ANYONE griping that they can't get crack anymore because everyone coming into the country is being searched. Cocaine is a white powder. So is weaponized Anthrax. Ditto for every other illicit drug. If they DHS was doing their job, the drug trade would grind to a halt as a result. We can get rid of the DEA and the "War on Drugs."
Speaking of the "War on Drugs"....... I'm not going to joing the legions of NORML members and spout the usual statistics about trillions spent, blah blah blah.. I am going to ask a couple of questions.
When was the last time you even HEARD of someone smoking a fattie, going home and beating up their wife and kids? Right, me either.
How many people do you actually know who've been beated by their drunk husband, boyfriend or father? Right. Far too often for me too.
That said, I think the answer is obvious. Outlaw booze and legalize weed. Of course, that will NEVER happen. Making booze at home is difficult, and can lead to blindness or death. Growing weed at home is..... gardening! Booze is legal because it can be reliably taxed. Dope is illegal because it cannot. Simple. End of story.
I've got to go pack.
I'm going to have anything that could possibly be a weapon taken away from me. Knives, guns, tasers, mace, I can understand. Tweezers, nail clippers? What the hell is up with that? Do they honestly expect to some day find a big pile of bloody 1/2" gibbous moon-shaped flecks of pilot flesh in the cockpit if they let someone on the plane with one?
Am I the only one who thinks if a terrorist ever again tries to take control of a plane, that he's going to be torn limb from limb by 150 passengers? The chances of a terrorist actually taking control of a plane in the U.S. are now effectively zero. It's not going to happen again, they're not even going to try.
The Department of Homeland Security is doing a crappy job. It's a huge waste of money. Immigrants are flooding into the country (both legal and illegal). All of them are carrying something. Underwear? Probably. A little dope? Probably some of that too. Anthrax? Possibly.
I haven't heard ANYONE griping that they can't get crack anymore because everyone coming into the country is being searched. Cocaine is a white powder. So is weaponized Anthrax. Ditto for every other illicit drug. If they DHS was doing their job, the drug trade would grind to a halt as a result. We can get rid of the DEA and the "War on Drugs."
Speaking of the "War on Drugs"....... I'm not going to joing the legions of NORML members and spout the usual statistics about trillions spent, blah blah blah.. I am going to ask a couple of questions.
When was the last time you even HEARD of someone smoking a fattie, going home and beating up their wife and kids? Right, me either.
How many people do you actually know who've been beated by their drunk husband, boyfriend or father? Right. Far too often for me too.
That said, I think the answer is obvious. Outlaw booze and legalize weed. Of course, that will NEVER happen. Making booze at home is difficult, and can lead to blindness or death. Growing weed at home is..... gardening! Booze is legal because it can be reliably taxed. Dope is illegal because it cannot. Simple. End of story.
I've got to go pack.
April 14, 2004
A letter to the President....
I wrote this letter to the President and Vice President today. The President is out searching for "Al Keyda" on his Richardson, TX ranch today, so I included the VP as well.
****** Start of Letter ******
Dear President Bush and Vice President Cheney,
I am concerned about the recent to-do about same sex marriages (gay marriage, or whatever else you want to call it). I can't find any reason why the government as an institution should care one bit about marriage, same-sex or conventional. My understanding of marriage is that it is a union between two people (putting aside gender for this moment), in front of God. A covenant, if you will, declaring your commitment to each other for God (Buddha, Shiva, pick your deity of choice). This has nothing to do with the role of government as best as I can figure out. This is not a relationship between you and the government. It is an Ecclesiastical union, managed by a Church. Otherwise, it is a legal union, plain and simple. It is almost the same as Chase Manhattan buy/merging with Bank One, at least legally. The only difference, legally, is the tremendous structure of laws guaranteeing legal benefits to a "marriage". The way to fix this is simple. One law which states that a legal union between two individuals, regardless of gender or persuasion, carries the same legal definition as a marriage. Period, that's it. Nothing else need change.
That said, here is my question: How do you reconcile your position that a marriage is "between a man and a woman" with the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 16, which states in full:
"Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."?
The part I'm concerned about is part one. Specifically "Men and women of full age...". It would seem to me that if the U.N. had intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, Article 16 would read "A man and a woman of full age...", but it does not. This implies that either bigamy is acceptable or same sex marriages are acceptable. Or possibly both. Either way, the United States of America voted FOR this declaration. It was even revision 3, so there was time to fix this.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Most Sincerely,
[name removed to protect the guilty]
Sometimes Republican
Note to staffers:
I'm sure the President and the Vice President are "very concerned" about this issue and will give it "due consideration", so please do not respond with a stock answer unless you have one already prepared which answers this specific question. I have read enough of these types of responses to gag a maggot. If you must respond in this manner, please have the decency to at least tell the truth. Say "This question is WAY beneath the notice of the President or Vice-President. It was handed off to an appropriately conservative 1st year intern who frankly couldn't care less about the nattering of the proletariat and will look for the stock answer to send back."
****** End of Letter ******
If you're interested in reading the UN UDHR, you can see it here -> Universal Declaration of Human Rights
****** Start of Letter ******
Dear President Bush and Vice President Cheney,
I am concerned about the recent to-do about same sex marriages (gay marriage, or whatever else you want to call it). I can't find any reason why the government as an institution should care one bit about marriage, same-sex or conventional. My understanding of marriage is that it is a union between two people (putting aside gender for this moment), in front of God. A covenant, if you will, declaring your commitment to each other for God (Buddha, Shiva, pick your deity of choice). This has nothing to do with the role of government as best as I can figure out. This is not a relationship between you and the government. It is an Ecclesiastical union, managed by a Church. Otherwise, it is a legal union, plain and simple. It is almost the same as Chase Manhattan buy/merging with Bank One, at least legally. The only difference, legally, is the tremendous structure of laws guaranteeing legal benefits to a "marriage". The way to fix this is simple. One law which states that a legal union between two individuals, regardless of gender or persuasion, carries the same legal definition as a marriage. Period, that's it. Nothing else need change.
That said, here is my question: How do you reconcile your position that a marriage is "between a man and a woman" with the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights: Article 16, which states in full:
"Article 16.
(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State."?
The part I'm concerned about is part one. Specifically "Men and women of full age...". It would seem to me that if the U.N. had intended marriage to be between one man and one woman, Article 16 would read "A man and a woman of full age...", but it does not. This implies that either bigamy is acceptable or same sex marriages are acceptable. Or possibly both. Either way, the United States of America voted FOR this declaration. It was even revision 3, so there was time to fix this.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Most Sincerely,
[name removed to protect the guilty]
Sometimes Republican
Note to staffers:
I'm sure the President and the Vice President are "very concerned" about this issue and will give it "due consideration", so please do not respond with a stock answer unless you have one already prepared which answers this specific question. I have read enough of these types of responses to gag a maggot. If you must respond in this manner, please have the decency to at least tell the truth. Say "This question is WAY beneath the notice of the President or Vice-President. It was handed off to an appropriately conservative 1st year intern who frankly couldn't care less about the nattering of the proletariat and will look for the stock answer to send back."
****** End of Letter ******
If you're interested in reading the UN UDHR, you can see it here -> Universal Declaration of Human Rights
January 13, 2004
Herald.com - Your Miami Everything Guide
Secret arrests will stay secret....
Apparently, we don't live in the US anymore, where our Govt. is accountable to the citizens. We, as individuals, have the right to know what our Govt. is doing. The Supreme Court said "When law enforcement uses covert tactics to monitor a citizen, that citizen should be able to become aware of that tactic."
Ironically, that was the decision handed down to justify why radar detectors are illegal. How does Virginia (and D.C. and others) get away with it then? They're illegal there. Simple. On every road that crosses into Virginia, there is a big honkin sign which says "Radar detectors are illegal in Virginia. Speed monitored by radar."
There's your notification.
Piss me off...
Apparently, we don't live in the US anymore, where our Govt. is accountable to the citizens. We, as individuals, have the right to know what our Govt. is doing. The Supreme Court said "When law enforcement uses covert tactics to monitor a citizen, that citizen should be able to become aware of that tactic."
Ironically, that was the decision handed down to justify why radar detectors are illegal. How does Virginia (and D.C. and others) get away with it then? They're illegal there. Simple. On every road that crosses into Virginia, there is a big honkin sign which says "Radar detectors are illegal in Virginia. Speed monitored by radar."
There's your notification.
Piss me off...
boortz.com: The world-famous Internet site of the Nationally Syndicated Neal Boortz Show!
boortz.com: The world-famous Internet site of the Nationally Syndicated Neal Boortz Show!
This is one of the radio programs I listen to when I have the time. Unfortunately, there isn't a feed to listen to here, but you can find the text of most of his programs in Nealz Nuze...
This is one of the radio programs I listen to when I have the time. Unfortunately, there isn't a feed to listen to here, but you can find the text of most of his programs in Nealz Nuze...
January 07, 2004
Some quotes to think on...
"A Government that robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul." - George Bernard Shaw
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices buy honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." -Albert Einstein
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false fron for the urge to rule." - H. L. Mencken
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edward Burke
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he vilates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." - Thomas Paine
"An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing." - Anon.
"When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence." - Gary Lloyd
"Programming is like sex. One mistake and you'll have to support it for the rest of your life." - Michael Sinz
"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it." - Henry David Thoreau
"Women and cat will do as they please, and men and dogs should just relax and get used to it." - Robert A. Heinlein
"A man can fall many, many times in life. He is never really a failure until he refuses to get up." - Evel Kneival
"Fast, Cheap, Good. Pick two." - Engineer's Axiom
"He who joyfully marghes in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." - Albert Einstein
"It is not economical to go to be early in order to save candles if the result is twins." - Chinese Proverb
"Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." -William Pitt
"Great spirits have always found violent opposition from mediocrities. The latter cannot understand it when a man does not thoughtlessly submit to hereditary prejudices buy honestly and courageously uses his intelligence." -Albert Einstein
"The urge to save humanity is almost always a false fron for the urge to rule." - H. L. Mencken
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edward Burke
"He that would make his own liberty secure must guard even his enemy from oppression; for if he vilates this duty, he establishes a precedent that will reach to himself." - Thomas Paine
"An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less until he knows absolutely everything about nothing." - Anon.
"When the government's boot is on your throat, whether it is a left boot or a right boot is of no consequence." - Gary Lloyd
"Programming is like sex. One mistake and you'll have to support it for the rest of your life." - Michael Sinz
"Any fool can make a rule, and any fool will mind it." - Henry David Thoreau
"Women and cat will do as they please, and men and dogs should just relax and get used to it." - Robert A. Heinlein
"A man can fall many, many times in life. He is never really a failure until he refuses to get up." - Evel Kneival
"Fast, Cheap, Good. Pick two." - Engineer's Axiom
"He who joyfully marghes in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice." - Albert Einstein
"It is not economical to go to be early in order to save candles if the result is twins." - Chinese Proverb
"Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves." -William Pitt
January 05, 2004
The new American Past-Time..
Baseball is not the great American Pasttime. It never has been. What is? I'll tell you.
Complaining.
Complaining the the great American Pasttime. If we aren't complaining about the person on top, we're complaing about the people complaing about the person on top. "The Liberal Media". Please. When Clinton was in office, it was the "Conservative Media". And when Bush Sr. was in office, is was the "Liberal Media." Sheesh. Do you honestly think that Sam Donaldson, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather et al. change their views 180 degrees everytime the legislative and executive branches change hands? Give me a break, will ya?
They are reporting about the person on top, and how they're getting into trouble. We love it. They report what we want to see, read or hear about. They report the train wreck not because it affects us, but because we want to see the cars all strewn across the fields and the bodies dangling from the trees. We love to see the carnage. They know it, and so do their advertisers. If the news only reported stuff that actually affected you, how much ad revenue do you think they'd net? Zero, zilch, zip, nada. As in nada damn penny.
When was the last time the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis actually effected your day? What I mean is, have you ever had to skip a day of work because some nutjob strapped a bomb to his body and blew up a pizza shop in Tel Aviv? No. I didn't think so. But you want to know about it, because like the train wreck, you're horrified but you can't look away. That when they take a break to urge you to talk to your doctor about Viagra.
The Clinton-Lewinsky "scandal" was reported because the networks knew we wanted to hear about it. We loved hearing about the infamous cigar. Even the Democrats loved it. It was nobody's business at all, except between Ms. Lewinsky and the Clinton family. It most certainly wasn't Congress' business. But they reported about it.
And we all got to complain. "The Republicans are just trying to make Bill Clinton look bad!" Yes. "The President lied under oath!" Yes. Yes, yes, yes. We were all so happy.
Just a side note here: Democrats, listen to me right now! If you're accused to doing something wrong, corrupt, illegal or immoral, just say "I'm sorry" and be done with it. The Republican's learned this a long time ago... Learn it, live it, love it.
When Newt Gingrich served his wife with divorce papers while she was on her death bed, and then later, used govt. money illegally, the press didn't really glom onto it as much as things the President was doing around the same time. Why? Simple. Newt admitted to it. The news broke, Newt said "you're right, I'm sorry." and the story went away. Just recently, soon-to-be-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was accused of treating some women in an inappropriate manner. What happened? Simple, he said "I'm sorry" and the story went away. Just like that. Again, Rush Limbaugh was accused of being addicted to prescription drug medications after having a VERY hard line on addicts. He said "You're right." and said I'm sorry by going to treatment. End of Story. The only story left for Rush is whether or not he obtained those drugs illegally in any provable fashion. He probably didn't. Rich people get other people to do the illegal stuff, most of the time.
By the way: Rush, if you happen to read this; good luck with your treatment. I mean it. It's some really nasty stuff you got mixed up with, and I wish you the best in kicking the habit.
SO, we all get to complain all of the time. We should be thrilled.
Complaining.
Complaining the the great American Pasttime. If we aren't complaining about the person on top, we're complaing about the people complaing about the person on top. "The Liberal Media". Please. When Clinton was in office, it was the "Conservative Media". And when Bush Sr. was in office, is was the "Liberal Media." Sheesh. Do you honestly think that Sam Donaldson, Ted Koppel, Dan Rather et al. change their views 180 degrees everytime the legislative and executive branches change hands? Give me a break, will ya?
They are reporting about the person on top, and how they're getting into trouble. We love it. They report what we want to see, read or hear about. They report the train wreck not because it affects us, but because we want to see the cars all strewn across the fields and the bodies dangling from the trees. We love to see the carnage. They know it, and so do their advertisers. If the news only reported stuff that actually affected you, how much ad revenue do you think they'd net? Zero, zilch, zip, nada. As in nada damn penny.
When was the last time the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis actually effected your day? What I mean is, have you ever had to skip a day of work because some nutjob strapped a bomb to his body and blew up a pizza shop in Tel Aviv? No. I didn't think so. But you want to know about it, because like the train wreck, you're horrified but you can't look away. That when they take a break to urge you to talk to your doctor about Viagra.
The Clinton-Lewinsky "scandal" was reported because the networks knew we wanted to hear about it. We loved hearing about the infamous cigar. Even the Democrats loved it. It was nobody's business at all, except between Ms. Lewinsky and the Clinton family. It most certainly wasn't Congress' business. But they reported about it.
And we all got to complain. "The Republicans are just trying to make Bill Clinton look bad!" Yes. "The President lied under oath!" Yes. Yes, yes, yes. We were all so happy.
Just a side note here: Democrats, listen to me right now! If you're accused to doing something wrong, corrupt, illegal or immoral, just say "I'm sorry" and be done with it. The Republican's learned this a long time ago... Learn it, live it, love it.
When Newt Gingrich served his wife with divorce papers while she was on her death bed, and then later, used govt. money illegally, the press didn't really glom onto it as much as things the President was doing around the same time. Why? Simple. Newt admitted to it. The news broke, Newt said "you're right, I'm sorry." and the story went away. Just recently, soon-to-be-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was accused of treating some women in an inappropriate manner. What happened? Simple, he said "I'm sorry" and the story went away. Just like that. Again, Rush Limbaugh was accused of being addicted to prescription drug medications after having a VERY hard line on addicts. He said "You're right." and said I'm sorry by going to treatment. End of Story. The only story left for Rush is whether or not he obtained those drugs illegally in any provable fashion. He probably didn't. Rich people get other people to do the illegal stuff, most of the time.
By the way: Rush, if you happen to read this; good luck with your treatment. I mean it. It's some really nasty stuff you got mixed up with, and I wish you the best in kicking the habit.
SO, we all get to complain all of the time. We should be thrilled.
January 04, 2004
When did thinking for yourself become unamerican?
The war on terror has created a nation of cattle. Moo.
Suddenly, it is un-American to think for yourself, apparently. People I used to respect have jumped on this particular band wagon, and it sickens me.
Yes, it is in fact possible to support our troops without supporting the "war" on terror. The troops are doing a job that you and I wouldn't do for any amount of money because they promised to. And they are doing it for next to nothing. Less than minimum wage, in most cases, if you include overtime. Because they promised to. They don't care who told them to do what, they go ahead and do it anyway. They may be against the war on terror, but they do the job because they promised to. As an ex-sailor, I can tell you that 100% of the soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else would prefer they not be shot at or killed. But they're out there because they were told to be out there. I will support those men and women. I do NOT have to support the person who put them there.
I'm not being un-American. In fact, I'm being nothing BUT American.
Ben Franklin said "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." That is as true today as it was way back then. Over the past 200 years, Americans have been willing to give up their liberties in order to obtain the ILLUSION of security. It happens little by little, item by item. Lately, it's been more overt than usual. The Democrats are trying to court the "Safety Mom" vote for the next election, by promising better safety measures in everyday life. The Republicans (Herr Ashcroft, at the behest of our esteemed President) have started pushing all of the things they've always wanted under the guise of better security.
Examples:
The Department of Homeland Security: This is not a new idea. Hitler had one. North Korea has one today. The only differences between the German/Korean versions and our version are these; 1) We agree in general on the need for this, and 2) We don't have a concentration camp. Wait, on second thought, Guantanamo Bay seems to fit the bill right now.
CAPPS2: Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System - This is the handy-dandy computer system that is supposed to tip off the airlines that you might be a security risk. How? Apparently, aside from seeing if you have an Anglo name that matches a short list used frequently by terrorists, it also checks your credit records. That's right, if you max out your Visa and Discover cards to buy a ticket to your grandfathers funeral, you have an unpaid parking ticket, and your name happens to be David Smith, guess what? You ain't getting on that plane.
The list goes on and on, but frankly, it's late and I'm getting bored. Besides, it sounds like I'm just picking on the Republicans. I'm not. The Democrats are trying as hard as they can to jump on this band wagon.
Let's get something clear here. If someone on an american flight stands up with a box cutter in his hand today, he's going to die at the hands of 200 other passengers. We don't need to screen passengers anymore. NOBODY is going to get away with anything anymore. Bring a gun, bring a Bazooka, bring a Mach 3 razor on board. I don't care. If you brandish any of those things on my flight, I will strangle your sorry ass with my shoe laces if I have to. You will die, even if I die trying.
The elevated levels of security at airports are a joke. They are there to make well-fed white people (voters) feel better. That's it. Nothing more. It is entirely useless anyway. If a guy can MAIL himself from the northeast to the Dallas area in a shipping crate, exactly how hard do you think it would be to mail a bomb? I guarantee you that without buying any special books (which are being monitored, BTW), any combustible materials (which the machines check for) or any equipment on any watch list that I could build a device which would go though screening at the airport without a second look, and surely take a plane down. All it takes is imagination and the desire to do so.
I live in Austin. If you've been to Austin, you've probably been up or down Loop 1, also known a MoPac. MoPac stands for Missouri Pacific, the railroad. The tracks go right through downtown Austin, and continue out to Houston, the Energy Capitol of the world. I haven't seen a single person check the trains that are always stopped on those tracks. How hard would it be to wait for an appropriate payload and attach a bomb to a train? You'd have a choice of targets: Houston or Austin.
Danger is everywhere. If a terrorist wants to do something, he will. Stop worrying about it. The danger is minimal. Almost insignificant.
Now, about the "War on Terror". What war? Is this like the War on Drugs, or the War on Hunger? No thanks. I've had my fill of "War on ...", thankyouverymuch. The War on Drugs has been so incredibly successful. I have to walk all the way downtown to get my drugs now. Before, the dealers used to come door to door, right? These "wars" are economic black holes from which we get no benefit at all. Trillions of dollars spent on the War on Drugs. How, exactly, has it been successful?
And, by the way; if the drugs are still making it into the country, how successful do you think they are at stopping biological weapons from coming into the country? Millions of illegal immigrants coming in every year. And none of them have any luggage at all. SUUUUURRRE...... Whoops, there I go, being un-American again and thinking for myself.
Willie Nelson put out a song just recently criticizing the war on terror. It's all over talk radio. "Is he right to do this?" Blah, Blah, Blah. I say "Bravo, Willie!" I may not agree with everything you say or stand for, but I'll be God-damned if I'm going to let someone call you un-American for voicing your opinion.
More later.
Suddenly, it is un-American to think for yourself, apparently. People I used to respect have jumped on this particular band wagon, and it sickens me.
Yes, it is in fact possible to support our troops without supporting the "war" on terror. The troops are doing a job that you and I wouldn't do for any amount of money because they promised to. And they are doing it for next to nothing. Less than minimum wage, in most cases, if you include overtime. Because they promised to. They don't care who told them to do what, they go ahead and do it anyway. They may be against the war on terror, but they do the job because they promised to. As an ex-sailor, I can tell you that 100% of the soldiers in Iraq, Afghanistan or anywhere else would prefer they not be shot at or killed. But they're out there because they were told to be out there. I will support those men and women. I do NOT have to support the person who put them there.
I'm not being un-American. In fact, I'm being nothing BUT American.
Ben Franklin said "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." That is as true today as it was way back then. Over the past 200 years, Americans have been willing to give up their liberties in order to obtain the ILLUSION of security. It happens little by little, item by item. Lately, it's been more overt than usual. The Democrats are trying to court the "Safety Mom" vote for the next election, by promising better safety measures in everyday life. The Republicans (Herr Ashcroft, at the behest of our esteemed President) have started pushing all of the things they've always wanted under the guise of better security.
Examples:
The Department of Homeland Security: This is not a new idea. Hitler had one. North Korea has one today. The only differences between the German/Korean versions and our version are these; 1) We agree in general on the need for this, and 2) We don't have a concentration camp. Wait, on second thought, Guantanamo Bay seems to fit the bill right now.
CAPPS2: Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System - This is the handy-dandy computer system that is supposed to tip off the airlines that you might be a security risk. How? Apparently, aside from seeing if you have an Anglo name that matches a short list used frequently by terrorists, it also checks your credit records. That's right, if you max out your Visa and Discover cards to buy a ticket to your grandfathers funeral, you have an unpaid parking ticket, and your name happens to be David Smith, guess what? You ain't getting on that plane.
The list goes on and on, but frankly, it's late and I'm getting bored. Besides, it sounds like I'm just picking on the Republicans. I'm not. The Democrats are trying as hard as they can to jump on this band wagon.
Let's get something clear here. If someone on an american flight stands up with a box cutter in his hand today, he's going to die at the hands of 200 other passengers. We don't need to screen passengers anymore. NOBODY is going to get away with anything anymore. Bring a gun, bring a Bazooka, bring a Mach 3 razor on board. I don't care. If you brandish any of those things on my flight, I will strangle your sorry ass with my shoe laces if I have to. You will die, even if I die trying.
The elevated levels of security at airports are a joke. They are there to make well-fed white people (voters) feel better. That's it. Nothing more. It is entirely useless anyway. If a guy can MAIL himself from the northeast to the Dallas area in a shipping crate, exactly how hard do you think it would be to mail a bomb? I guarantee you that without buying any special books (which are being monitored, BTW), any combustible materials (which the machines check for) or any equipment on any watch list that I could build a device which would go though screening at the airport without a second look, and surely take a plane down. All it takes is imagination and the desire to do so.
I live in Austin. If you've been to Austin, you've probably been up or down Loop 1, also known a MoPac. MoPac stands for Missouri Pacific, the railroad. The tracks go right through downtown Austin, and continue out to Houston, the Energy Capitol of the world. I haven't seen a single person check the trains that are always stopped on those tracks. How hard would it be to wait for an appropriate payload and attach a bomb to a train? You'd have a choice of targets: Houston or Austin.
Danger is everywhere. If a terrorist wants to do something, he will. Stop worrying about it. The danger is minimal. Almost insignificant.
Now, about the "War on Terror". What war? Is this like the War on Drugs, or the War on Hunger? No thanks. I've had my fill of "War on ...", thankyouverymuch. The War on Drugs has been so incredibly successful. I have to walk all the way downtown to get my drugs now. Before, the dealers used to come door to door, right? These "wars" are economic black holes from which we get no benefit at all. Trillions of dollars spent on the War on Drugs. How, exactly, has it been successful?
And, by the way; if the drugs are still making it into the country, how successful do you think they are at stopping biological weapons from coming into the country? Millions of illegal immigrants coming in every year. And none of them have any luggage at all. SUUUUURRRE...... Whoops, there I go, being un-American again and thinking for myself.
Willie Nelson put out a song just recently criticizing the war on terror. It's all over talk radio. "Is he right to do this?" Blah, Blah, Blah. I say "Bravo, Willie!" I may not agree with everything you say or stand for, but I'll be God-damned if I'm going to let someone call you un-American for voicing your opinion.
More later.
Okay, I am obviously NOT at Texan....
Here I am, living in Austin, and I am an alien. I'm not from around here.
This is painfully obvious by one simple fact: I own not one single item in "burnt orange". That is to say, I am not a Longhorns fan. I'm not a football fan at all, and if I watch football, it's the NFL, not college football. It most certainly is NOT high school football.
People in this state go nuts over football. Even high school football. They build multi million dollar stadiums for high school football here. One town in the eastern part of the state annexed 31 square miles of unincorporated land just to get one kid to have to go to school at their high school. The parents didn't ask for this. The town did it while they were on summer vacation. Why? Because they needed this kid to be a running back for thier football team. Madness.
UT changes head coaches more often than they change students. They get somebody to sign a contract for a gazillion bucks over a decade, and then can him two years later. Why? Because he didn't make it to the Rose Bowl, or the Nacho Bowl, or the Chicken Fiesta Bowl, or some such meaningless game.
Don't get me wrong - I can appreciate a good game just as much as the next guy. For example, I root for the New England Patriots every chance I get, but I do NOT bitch, whine and generally complain when they don't win. It's expected. My life does not revolve around a bunch of overpaid jackasses shuffling down a field, trying to move a brown ovoid and hurt each other. Or any other type of ball, for that matter.
When the Patriots won the Super Bowl (for the first time ever) on February 3rd, 2002, I didn't see a single throw, punt, grunt, hit or drop of the entire game. First time they've ever won the Super Bowl, and I didn't bother to watch it. Why? Simple. My son was born that morning. That is the ONLY reason I know what date that game was. It just doesn't matter.
Okay, so you've hung with me this far, and you're saying "what's his point?"
This past week, the Longhorns went to the Holiday Bowl. I understand they lost. From 6:00pm to 7:00pm every Monday through Friday, Jeff Ward and Ed Clemmens on KLBJ 590 talk about sports. Well, Ed was out and so another guy sat in. All Jeff and this guy talked about was whether or not Mack Brown (the Longhorns' head coach) should be fired or not.
Can someone tell me why it matters one lick what the performance of the Longhorn's football team is?
How does this affect the performance of the school overall?
How does having a winning football team improve the quality of education for it's students?
What, exactly, is it about the football team that makes it worth paying a coach $1.45 MILLION dollars over 10 years?
How has Mack Brown added $14.5 Million Dollars to the University's coffers?
Never mind the salaries of the other coaches, aids, team doctors etc, etc, etc, ad infinitum....
The University is still paying for John Mackovic's contract, and now people want to pay for Mack Brown's contract as well as a new head coach? Are they soft?
Somebody, please, explain it to me in terms I can understand......
This is painfully obvious by one simple fact: I own not one single item in "burnt orange". That is to say, I am not a Longhorns fan. I'm not a football fan at all, and if I watch football, it's the NFL, not college football. It most certainly is NOT high school football.
People in this state go nuts over football. Even high school football. They build multi million dollar stadiums for high school football here. One town in the eastern part of the state annexed 31 square miles of unincorporated land just to get one kid to have to go to school at their high school. The parents didn't ask for this. The town did it while they were on summer vacation. Why? Because they needed this kid to be a running back for thier football team. Madness.
UT changes head coaches more often than they change students. They get somebody to sign a contract for a gazillion bucks over a decade, and then can him two years later. Why? Because he didn't make it to the Rose Bowl, or the Nacho Bowl, or the Chicken Fiesta Bowl, or some such meaningless game.
Don't get me wrong - I can appreciate a good game just as much as the next guy. For example, I root for the New England Patriots every chance I get, but I do NOT bitch, whine and generally complain when they don't win. It's expected. My life does not revolve around a bunch of overpaid jackasses shuffling down a field, trying to move a brown ovoid and hurt each other. Or any other type of ball, for that matter.
When the Patriots won the Super Bowl (for the first time ever) on February 3rd, 2002, I didn't see a single throw, punt, grunt, hit or drop of the entire game. First time they've ever won the Super Bowl, and I didn't bother to watch it. Why? Simple. My son was born that morning. That is the ONLY reason I know what date that game was. It just doesn't matter.
Okay, so you've hung with me this far, and you're saying "what's his point?"
This past week, the Longhorns went to the Holiday Bowl. I understand they lost. From 6:00pm to 7:00pm every Monday through Friday, Jeff Ward and Ed Clemmens on KLBJ 590 talk about sports. Well, Ed was out and so another guy sat in. All Jeff and this guy talked about was whether or not Mack Brown (the Longhorns' head coach) should be fired or not.
Can someone tell me why it matters one lick what the performance of the Longhorn's football team is?
How does this affect the performance of the school overall?
How does having a winning football team improve the quality of education for it's students?
What, exactly, is it about the football team that makes it worth paying a coach $1.45 MILLION dollars over 10 years?
How has Mack Brown added $14.5 Million Dollars to the University's coffers?
Never mind the salaries of the other coaches, aids, team doctors etc, etc, etc, ad infinitum....
The University is still paying for John Mackovic's contract, and now people want to pay for Mack Brown's contract as well as a new head coach? Are they soft?
Somebody, please, explain it to me in terms I can understand......
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