Tuesday, December 20, 2005

America

When I was in high school, our band teacher once said "A band is only as strong as it's weakest player, just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link." At the time I thought "Yeah, right, whatever" but now...now, with all that has changed about America, I can truly appreciate what he was trying to tell us.

For those of you having trouble grasping it, let me offer an explanation of what it means. If you have a chain of 20 links, and 19 of those links can handle 25 pounds each but one of the links can only handle 10 pounds, the chain is only good for holding 10 pounds. Anything over that and the weak link breaks, causing the chain to fail. Thus, the chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

I think that this can be applied to a number of things going on in this country, and so I offer you the following phrases:

A people are only as free as their most oppressed citizen. Are you really, truly free? You may think you are if you're able to go to the Christian church of your choice, you can browse the internet, read newspapers, and talk to anyone in the world about any subject. Right? Well considering that President Bush has admitted to secretely wiretapping the phone of American citizens without a warrant and without ever notifying the citizens that they had been wiretapped, I'd say you aren't. Even if you weren't the victim of the government spying on its own people, the truth is that it is now a possibility for anyone of us to victimized by our government.

A country is only as safe as its most vulnerable point. With so many of our military overseas fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, with recruiting at a low point, and with so many casualties, who is going to protect us? They couldn't stop two airplanes that had been hijacked back in 2001, how are they going to stop an all out invasion? Or another, better coordinated attack (and I have no doubt that they learned from their mistakes in 2001). It is still way too easy for people to enter this country illegally. Hell, we give driver's licenses to people that we KNOW are here illegally.

Before I go, I'll leave you with one last thought: We are only as good as the worst among us.

Form your own opinions.

Sunday, December 18, 2005

The truth about PETA

PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals) has never been one of my favorite groups. I'm semi-vegan (I do still eat eggs and cheese and occasionally drink milk although soy milk is what I use at home) for several reasons, none of which include equating killing animals for food with murder. Now, I have yet one more reason to hate them.

PETA is killing dogs and cats by the thousands. Not strays, hurt or ill animals, but going to veterinarians and animal shelters under the pretense of finding homes for the animals, then euthanizing them (watch CNN's video here: http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.html?url=/video/us/2005/12/17/peta.kills.pets.cnn).

Now I don't blame PETA for the actions of its employees if they are acting on their own, without PETA's consent or authority. But the reaction of PETA's president and co-founder is that what those employees did was consistent with PETA's philosophy. Since they didn't inflict pain or suffering on those poor animals, it's just fine that they killed them. It was humane, after all.

But it gets worse. PETA provides financial aid and support for ALF (Animal Liberation Front) and ELF (Earth Liberation Front). You probably know ALF and ELF by their more common names: fucking nutcases who commit arson and attempted murder because they are so much more enlightened than the rest of us. You can read all about this here: http://www.activistcash.com/organization_blackeye.cfm/oid/21.

And PETA has tax-exempt status. That's right, boys and girls, all of the money that they receive is non-taxable income. And non-taxable income means that the taxpayers have to pay more to cover the taxes that aren't collected from the tax-exempt organization. In other words, you and I, my friend, are footing the bill so that PETA can continue to fund domestic terrorists.

And if you'd like to know what motivates PETA, well you can read about that here: http://www.activistcash.com/organization_motivation.cfm/oid/21. Be warned, though, that reading the statements there may just make you see red, especially PETA President Ingrid Newkirk's comments comparing the Holocaust victims to broiler chickens, or her declaration that "I don't believe that people have the right to life." They also don't believe that dogs, cats, horses, etc. should be kept as pets, or that the blind should have seeing-eye dogs.

Well fuck you. Fuck all of you. Human beings are higher up on the food chain, and if God didn't want us to eat them He would have said so in the Bible. Nowhere in the Ten Commandments does it say 'Thou shalt be vegetarians and not eat meat or animal products.' If your belief is that God doesn't want us to eat our animal friends, please don't be offended. I'm not saying that God is for or against us eating meat. I do believe that PETA is using whatever straws it can grasp at, including trying to twist God's Word to suit their agenda.

Oh, and for you parents out there, PETA targets children as young as six years old with its graphic materials (want to see a sample? click here for the full report, including a sample of one of their 'comic book' covers, Your Mommy Kills Animals, as well as the sexually suggestive billboard PETA had posted near an elementary school: http://www.consumerfreedom.com/downloads/reference/docs/040817_petakids.pdf).

Here are some quotes from PETA:

“We feel that animals have the same rights as a retarded human child because they are equal mentally in terms of dependence on others.”
— The New York Times


Yeah, well both the animals and the retarded kid are YOUR mental superiors, PETA.

“[Eating meat] is not your personal decision, any more than, you know, whether somebody beats their child is their personal decision.”
— “Animal Rights 2002” convention


What the fuck??? People eat meat because human beings cannot survive without food. People beat their children for the same reason you burn down buildings and encourage children to become domestic terrorists, you sick bastards.

“I think [food producers] should appreciate that we’re only targeting their property. Because frankly I think it’s time to start targeting them.”
— "Conference on Organized Resistance," American University

Ever heard of "an eye for an eye"? If you dish it out, be prepared to get it back in return.

“Here’s a little model I’m going to show you here. I didn’t have any incense, but -- this is a crude incendiary device. It is a simple plastic jug, which you fill with gasoline and oil. You put in a sponge, which is soaked also in flammable liquid -- I couldn’t find an incense stick, but this represents that. You put the incense stick in here, light it, place it -- underneath the ‘weapon of mass destruction,’ light the incense stick -- sandalwood works nice -- and you destroy the profits that are brought about through animal and earth abuse. That’s about two dollars.”
— "Conference on Organized Resistance," American University

Umm...did it ever occur to you that you just gave instruction on how someone could destroy your own headquarters and homes? Talk about dumbfucks.

“We are complete press sluts.”
— Ingrid Newkirk, in The New Yorker


...among other things...



If you want more information go to http://www.petakillsanimals.com. Oh, just one more thing: PETA President Ingrid Newkirk made the statement that the world would be a better place if there were no humans.

Actions speak louder than words, Ingrid. If you truly believe that, you should be the first person to leave.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

Who is the Carver?

It's the biggest question in television history since "Who shot JR?"

(By the way, who did shoot JR?)

If you're a fan of Nip/Tuck, then you know exactly what I'm talking about. The identity of the Carver, who has been slicing and raping the 'beautiful' people, will be revealed in the final minutes of the season finale. Damned you, Ryan Murphy, keeping us in suspense until the last moments. Are you afraid that viewers will start tuning out once the Carver is unmasked?

Carver theories, it seems, are much like opinions and assholes: everybody's got one. If you're not a fan of the show, you should probably tune out now. For those of you that stick around and continue reading, here is my theory on the Carver.

At some point, Sean's personality fractured. He has been through a lot these last few years, after all. There was the whole thing with the child molester that ended with him and Christian feeding the child molester to the gators. There was Megan, the breast cancer survivor who ended up dead because of the breast implants that Sean gave her (no, it wasn't that he used silicone and they leaked). Julia engaged in some truly terrifying self-destructive behavior, culminating with her going through a plate glass window. Luckily, Sean and Christian fixed her up. At the end, she tells Sean "It's always been you."

Sean and Julia are now divorced. Does that give you some clue what kind of roller coaster ride this character has been on.

Sean has also learned that his son, Matt, is actually Christian's son. Seems Julia and Christian did the dirty deed right before Sean and Julia's wedding. Matt is 'acting out' and having his own issues since learning that the forbidden love of his life, Ava (who recently left town as part of a deal she made with Sean and Julia) was a post-op transsexual.

Sean leaves McNamara/Troy to be a plastic surgeon for the Witness Protection Program. He falls in love with Nikki and her son. They are in the program and Sean performed their plastic surgery, along with another doctor. Nikki and son take off, leaving Sean all alone once again.

Oops, forgot to mention that Sean dated Kimber for a while. Yes, the very same Kimber that was getting ready to marry Christian when the Carver kidnapped her. In fact, Sean caught Kimber and Christian screwing in a chair in the office.

Next post, I'll explain why everything makes sense when applied to Sean's alternate personality being the Carver.

Sunday, December 04, 2005

Happy Holidays

This time, I'm going to tackle something that really, really upsets me. Not that people say 'Happy Holidays'. I'm all for saying 'Happy Holidays' because it takes in everything from Halloween to Valentine's Day. Okay, not quite, but you get my point. It is all-encompassing. What is wrong with an all-encompassing greeting? It's sort of like saying 'Aloha' in Hawaii. It could mean hello, goodbye, and a few other things.

But suddenly, I'm hearing that Christmas is under attack. No, not from the Martians that kidnapped Santa Claus. Actually, I'm not sure who is supposedly attacking Christmas. Perhaps this is yet another attempt to distract the American public from what is really going on in the White House, the war in Iraq, etc. but this is ridiculous. Yes, there have been some issues regarding having nativity scenes on county and/or state property. Yes, the Ten Commandments have been removed from one courthouse. Yes, there is an effort to remove 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance and 'In God We Trust' from our money. Those are not, despite what some of the religious right will insist, attacks on Christianity. It's called THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. But the lesson on the U.S. Code (yes, people, the whole issue of freedom of religion and separation of Church and State is found in the United States Code, not in the Constitution) will be for another day. This post is about Christmas and how it is being attacked.

The Catholic Advocacy Group has called for a boycott of Wal-Mart because the chain as supposedly banned Christmas. Now I'm all for a boycott of Wal-Mart if it's for the right reasons. Okay, I admit it ~ I'm all for a boycott of Wal-Mart no matter what the reason. I disagree with boycotting a store just because they try to have some tolerance and understanding that not everyone that goes through their doors celebrates Christmas. When I am leaving a store, I tell the cashier/clerk/whatever 'Happy Holidays'. Don't like it? Tough. If you want to save Christmas, make Jesus Christ the focus of the season, or whatever it is that you want the season to be about, do it in your own home. Tell your family and friends to have a Merry Christmas. Tell the cashier to have a Merry Christmas. Paint "Merry Christmas" across the back window of your car.

But do not declare that Christmas and Christianity are under attack just because not everyone else says "Merry Christmas". If someone doesn't believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord and Savior, and that someone does not believe in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, than having him or her wish you a Merry Christmas is worth about as much as that envelope from the Publisher's Clearing House declaring that you may just be the next big prize winner. If McDonald's decided to have all of their employees wishing customers 'Happy Kwanzaa' or Sears put 'Happy Chaunakaa' at the top of its catalog, I would understand people being upset. But 'Happy Holidays' is a nice greeting that does not offend anyone.

I still wish my friends and family a Merry Christmas. I put out the nativity in my house. Sometimes, I put up a tree and when I do, I call it a Christmas tree. If I put up lights outside, I call them Christmas lights (if I put up lights inside, I call it 'fire hazard', but that too shall be for another post). I celebrate the birth of Christ in my home and in church; I do not celebrate the birth of Christ in the mall or the retail store, nor do I expect anyone else there to. If you really believe that Christianity and Christmas are under attack, all you have do is keep them alive in your family, your home and most importantly, your own heart. So long as you know why you celebrate Christmas, what difference does it matter what the cashier in Wal-Mart says?

Peace on Earth?

The answer to that question, I think, is no. We can't all just get along. We will never all get along, and the reason for that is that deep down, we believe that the universe revolves around us. I'll admit that I've acted that same way. Give me a little credit, at least I'm willing to admit it.

A perfect example of this need for everything to be all about "me" is the Christmas season. Since this is the time of year when Christians celebrate the birth of their Savior, Jesus Christ, one would expect most of the Christmas shoppers to be...well, nicer. They are, after all, celebrating the birth of the Savior, and as Christians should they be doing what Jesus taught them. Love, hope, patience, and all that stuff. Instead, they cut one another off in parking lots to get the closest space. They fight over laptop computers and DVD players. Peace on Earth, Goodwill towards men? Hah! People bitch and complain over how long they have to wait in line, and throw a hissy fit if someone might get ahead of them.

You want peace on earth? First, try negotiating peace at the shopping mall. Then move on to the bigger things.

And the next time you find yourself getting impatient and/or angry because someone cut you off, got in front of you, or is moving too slow to suit your needs, ask yourself this: Is this how your Jesus would want you to celebrate His birth? Or would He prefer that you celebrated by showing some compassion for the woman who inadvertently cuts you off because she is concentrating on getting back to the hospital with a Christmas present for her nephew, praying that he holds on until she gets there; patience for the man who suffered a stroke and can no longer get around as quickly as he once did; understanding for the wife who goes through each and every bedspread, for she is trying to find the perfect one for her parents, knowing that they won't be around much longer to enjoy such things and there may not be another Christmas to celebrate with them.

And when you've managed that, then maybe, just maybe there will be hope for Peace.