Thursday September 29, 2005 - 2:31PM EDT
I think I want to make a sisyphusian comedy. Only my analysis of sisyphusian things has always been a little off so I don't know if I would get it right. Actually I just want to make a movie about all the juvenille crap I do on a daily basis. Because I know the rest of you losers do the same thing. Like now for instance I have a piece of scotch tape across my lips. Why? Who knows, I just do. Or me just sitting here reading craiglist posting with the dumbest look on my face and the weirdest scenarios running through my head. Why? I don't know.
Thursday September 29, 2005 - 11:56AM EDT
The recent spat of natural disasters has really exposed congress and their pathetic leadership and decision making ability. If people weren't so blindly angry after the terrorist attacks on the WTC then they would have seen the pretenders in congress exposed then. If there are decent members of congress out there they don't make themselves known. Maybe they are blocked, maybe they are scared, maybe they just have no moxy. The unended compromises in legeslative government is spooky. It is one thing to compromise to mediate disputes but compromise is some kind of currency in congress. From the outside it seems that internally there is a lack of reason or logic in dealing with issues. To get what you want you simply conceed something else (usually that which has little affect on you). I don't know where I'm going with this. Revist later.
I don't know how that No Child Left Behind education bill got passed. Besides the fact that every educator in the country was essentially opposed to it, it is such an ignorant piece of legislation. It is based on punishing schools that don't perform. It seems odd that you would punish those who don't perform when they never did well in the first place. It is the same as saying the problem is that "your just not doing a good enough job" and ignoring any factors that lead to it. Forget that schools are underfunded and teachers are undertrained your just not good enough.
What I still don't get is how education is still not seen as the most important pillar of society. Spending on education should dwarf anything else. Of course it should be real education not religious dogma or crackpot science. Lets get something straight first. The media sometimes likes to portray the "scientific community" as some kind of disjointed beast warring against itself. The media likes to add whoever they please to the "community" to sell a story. The "scientific community" by comparison to any other "community" is probably the most stable, organized and coopertive group out there. Which is fuunny becuase their fuel is the chaos of the universe. Have you seen how many religious denominations there are? Christians haven't been united since that man they call Jesus was alive.
I also don't understand why there is even the hint of conflict between nations anymore. Dali Llama just gave a speech at Rutgers and said the same thing. Framed it in the context that there is nowhere else to go on this planet so attacking someone else is an attack on yourself. Why in the hell would there ever be any thought that China and the US would go to war. It makes no sense. I don't know why large nations continue to build up national armies for "defense". Fuck, the recent terrorist attacks and natural disaters should have taught you that large armies are the weakest form of defense in this modern age. Men with guns can't handle computer crime, corruption, they can't handle earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes. Men with guns can only handle other men with guns. I still imagine the armed forces becoming the foundation of learning and science on the planet. The only people who want to war are the leaders of countries and a couple of crackpot citizens. The everyday joe doesn't want to go fight somebody on the other side of the planet. They just want to go to work, have some dinner and relax. What I don't understand is that the leaders are regular joes too. How do they live in this vacum where sending your army of joes is as simply as signing a piece of paper. I think about whether if the US declared a complete diarmament and pledge their troops entirely to the UN and as a planetary force what would happen. Is the populace really scared that having no national army would make it vulnerable to attack. Attack from who? Who the "communists" suddenly start dropping bombs. The US is way to important to the world economy to ruin the country. Everyone is so intertwined that if the US attacked China the price of goods in the US would skyrocket. Shit, probably 90% of what we buy wouldn't be available anymore. That would be an amazing step if China just announced that is was disarming and commiting itself to pacifism towards all nations or something along those lines. They have to know their real power is in their economics. Anybody can drop bombs but economic strength is difficult to achieve. How in the fuck does China try to assert itself in taiwan as part of the mainland. How much sense does that make? None. I can't even think of logical reasons to go through the hassle they are by proclaiming them a rogue nation. And the Tibet thing is even more senseless. India and Pakistan have made progress in their squabbling. But again I don't understand what they were fighting over. I'd also like the congratulate both countries in the accomplishment of duplicating the 50-year old technology of the a-bomb. Bravo!
I remeber my ethics class at Villanova and over the "just war" theory by that wonderful thinker Augustine. I can't belive our teacher had the nerve to even consider that nonsense valid reasoning. Maybe he was just being compliant with curriculum requirements but he should have at least called it out for what it is. Bullplop. I did have a teacher in another class point that out later on.
I'm tired. Too much ruminating this morning.
Thursday September 29, 2005 - 9:08AM EDT
New York already requires children to learn about the Irish famine, the Holocaust, the Underground Railroad and "a great deal" about slavery, said state Education Department spokesman Jonathan Burman.
Candace de Russy, a State University of New York trustee and national lecturer and writer on academic issues, said she believes the state's commission opens the door to endless group advocacy-oriented legislation.
"Inherent in it, Jews will decide how to teach the Holocaust, the Irish the Great Famine, Armenians the Turkish genocide, Indians the French and Indian War, and so on," she said.full article
A "great deal". Who is that person kidding. For sure the whole issue of what to teach in history is hairy. But if there is one thing that there should be no arguement on it is slavery. More profoundly, the lack off a complete story taught in schools about slavery. All you learn is, slavery was bad white man evil black man suffered. Until I took the history of slavery course in college I had no idea how shortchanged I was on slavery in my previous education. I'd argue a more complete slavery education in our schools would do much more than anything we do today to eliminate discrimination and hate. The whole idea of slave culture is never taught in schools and that is so important to slavery and to modern times. We just ignore a large group of people's cultural additions yet we live with them everyday, ignorant of where they came from. The attitude of founding fathers toward slavery is much more complex then what the average student is taught. It is usually either ignored completely or they say this person owned slaves or this person was an abolitionist. Those kinds of statements are so shallow and worthless that it just engenders more ignorance about what really happened. I think it should be a required course in school curriculums. A whole course dedicated to slavery. It has to be one of the most important time periods in human history. You can't look back anywhere else in history and see something like that go on for such a long time. It was like for 300 years another species of human lived on the planet. Then some people say that there is already too much to teach. Which I personally think is garbage, as they really just need to develope more efficient teaching methods then some of the crap they get away with now. If there is too much they need to let slavery which is of great importance replace some of the lesser crap they fill our heads with. Like the Lewis and Clark fiasco or some other stuff. Critics of expanding slavery curriculum need a course in slavery themselves. Damn fools.
The issue of reparation comes up every now and then. When I think about reparations all I can think of is what a shallow incomplete solution. I think about the people and companies that exist today as direct beneficiaries of slaves. Don't know how many there are, maybe just a few but there are some no doubt. I guess on a broader note I have ambivalent feelings about the money of people who have attained it by less than honorable means. With the caveat of it being great wealth.
I had something else, but I forget now.
Wednesday September 28, 2005 - 4:29PM EDT
Well, here is my personal add on craigslist. Ridicule and funny replies welcomed.
go easy on capitals
Wednesday September 28, 2005 - 4:07PM EDT
Holy crap I wish someone could see the stupid grin I have on my face right now. Not becaue I am amused bu becaue of just the opposite. I am so bored and just picking up random things around my desk with this dumb look on my face. Like it wouldn't bother me if there was a shitstorm inside the building right now I would just continue with whatever I was doing.
3 arches in the plastic - comments(0)
Wednesday September 28, 2005 - 2:32PM EDT
I wish I knew more of it but with the word that Hollywood studios are looking for other revenue streams to strengthen their weak movie business I ask myself a few questions. First they are spending tons of money on DRM and lawsuits against pirates and so called copyright infrigers. Somehow though entertainment itself it the grandest source of copyright infringement, so it is kind of ironic that they would pursue it so vehemently. Shit, their whole business is based on the sharing of ideas. Their overall stinginess with the final product is sort of lame. Anyway, everyone is aware the most movies lose money for the studio and that the studios hope is that they come out with a few massive money makers each year to offset their loses and hopefully turn a profit. I wonder what the ineffeciences of movie making are compared to coporations and government?
Wednesday September 28, 2005 - 11:07AM EDT
Once again our government has proven their rampant inefficiency with their pathetic response to hurrican Rita hit areas. Losers. They play loserball.
I am making progress with projects while holding this 9-5. So far so good I guess. Still need to move now that it is getting cold. Japan, San Fran or NY. Which will it be? I don't know. Japan wouldn't be until June though.
Wednesday September 28, 2005 - 1:04AM EDT
So I am watching PBS which I occasionally catch late at night every now and then. Charlie Rose in on with a guy names Richard Dawkins. The program is titled "The public understanding of science". This is the first time in a long time I've heard well thought out coherent interaction between humans on TV. The best part about the program was that it ended with Rose asking a question that was beautifully answered by Mr. Dawkins. The question was what question do you most want to see answered. Mr. Dawkins replied that he sought to understand subjective consciousness. More simply put, why is the color red, red to both me and you. Can I ever know what someone else is thinking of feeling and how do I know that what I thinking is a jeep cherokee isn't an african elephant to you. It is a question that goes beyond just communication. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't seek the same thing. The Ancestor's Tale is the name of a book Mr. Dawkins wrote. I will be picking that up from the library soon. Maybe I can find some solace in this program.
Tuesday September 27, 2005 - 7:05PM EDT
I just saw some regular joe on TV who supports Intelligent Design. The whole world has to be laughing at us and that guy. He had the nerve to say he has no problems with intelligent design being taught because school is a place to learn and think and they should be taught all the theories. Holy crap what the hell is going on in that man's head. I don't understand people. Besides the fact that Intelligent Design doesn't make any sense and it sits on a crux that is absolutely worthless to science (how in the hell does the assertion that everything was designed and not random help you cure cancer, I know lets go asks the creator for the blueprints to life). This dude doesn't understand science, probably also think that he children should be taught that someone might color the sky blue before he wakes up in the morning.
Tuesday September 27, 2005 - 2:11AM EDT
So I am watching CNN and they have some story on global warming. Then I hear them say "neither side of this debate". I just about lost it right there. I don't know who to call out anymore? Is it always this two sided conflict that they need to portray? There is no debate on whether global warming is happening and its effects. That is an illusion. The real issue is the fact that researchers don't get nearly enough money or have nearly enough computer power and technology to find out the answers to the questions they ask. Why is it that science is often shown as some kind of opposing side to each other. I don't know what to say anymore. I just keep repeating myself.
Our most common ways of expression are so incomplete or distorted that what is normal isn't real. I keep reading articles, seeing stories and even just the mundane daily interaction with people that make me wonder if that person lives in the same world that I do. I guess not.
Monday September 26, 2005 - 3:24PM EDT
I just witnessed what can only be called an informational black hole. I watched about 6 people take a simple question from a someone pass it around and watch it mysteriously vanish. I don't think the person who asked the question even exists anymore. That just blew my mind
Monday September 26, 2005 - 3:16AM EDT
I was a machine today. I did so much work. Not just website stuff but other stuff too. I changed my oil, read, worked out. I didn't even take a midday nap yet I was at ful energy the whole day. I don't understand how that happens, because most of the time I can barely stay awake for 3hrs straight. Maybe it is what I eat. Who cares. If I could work this well everyday I'd get so much done. I guess I'll see what happens tomorrow.
Sunday September 25, 2005 - 2:40PM EDT
War Supporters Follow Anti-War Rallies
Just read a few sentences of that article. Those people are in as much denial as the government. "Silient Majority" you have got to be joking right? "Do you want to vote?". I guess that old dude must have been deaf and blind in the 60's when a whole bunch of people called African Americans had to fight to fight government firehoses and dogs to get to the polling stations. The reality some people live in is almost as fucked up as mine.
Saturday September 24, 2005 - 8:58PM EDT
I've removed the Polls section, which was stupid anyway and added a movie review section. Actually it is just a listing on the sidebar of the last 20 posts that I categorize as a movie review. Up first...
Friday September 23, 2005 - 11:21PM EDT
I always viewed the different races of alien in Star Trek to be representations of human traits. Each race represented and extremity of some human characteristic. Clingons for example are the war mongers. But war mongers with a purpose. There is a uniform purity to their love of battle that humans don't have. Somehow their purity makes it successful or something like that. Where am I going with this? Oh yeah, when I read about these people who "support" the war it is very confusing. First of all, as I've said before you never seem to hear about them until the anti-war people come out. And the war "supporters" are portrayed as those who simply are against anti-war people. It confusing, I don't know how to intepret it. It is disturbing though to hear war "supporters" champion the glory and honor of dying in this war. I'm just like, dude what are you thinking?
Friday September 23, 2005 - 11:29AM EDT
Looks like some decent movie offerings this week at the cinema. Last week had Lord of War which I like. But other than that the last few weeks have been asbymal. I think that movie Sound of Thunder was only in theathers for a week. It might have failed to break the million dollar barrier. Ben Kingsley really made a good choice on that flick. Maybe he needed that cash? I can't remeber the last time there was a few weeks when such bad movies came out. There have been time when nothing good came out but this recent shit has been just downright terrible.
I want to see Roll Bounce. I'm making a prediction that it will knock-off Flightplan as the biggest opening movie this weekend. Never underestimate the power of a movie the whole family can see. It actually looks funny too. I'll probably see both. Sarsgard has done some nice work recently so I hope his choice here signifies something solid. Foster is usually in solid flicks. Although this movie looks like it could suck monumentally I don't think it will.
Back to Roll Bounce. I don't see how this movie can fail. It looks good. Has a feel good tone to it. Set in the 70's. Mike Epps is always a good laugh here and there. I want to be a movie critic. Not because people will respect my opinion but because people want to hear what the crazy shit I say about movies. Maybe I'll add a section for movie reviews on this website. I'll do that right now in fact. Or not.
Thursday September 22, 2005 - 8:40PM EDT
So I read this news story about how hurricane Katrina supposedly affected american opinions greatly. All I read was that fools have become even more foolish. I hope these aren't the americans I live with.
On a side note I was just thinking about how they show gansters or loan sharks or whatever killing people or beating people when they can't pay back a loan. That doesn't make any sense. All you get is a dead body on your hands and no money. It would make much more sense to simply wage a psycological war on them and their finances until you extract your money. Beating somebody doesn't make you pay them back faster. That whole thing that is portrayed in movies and whatnot about these people using pain or death to enforce their "business" is senseless. I was just thinking about this watching some movie. Why do they keep showing that stuff as being an effective tactic. They never rarely ever portray it as the stupid ineffective action it is.
I read a story called The Hinterlands. It was spooky as all get out.
Thursday September 22, 2005 - 1:57PM EDT
So someone remarked out loud, "I saw the most evil thing yesterday". I thought of course as anyone would, that what they were about to say is actually evil or at least devilishly funny. WRONG! This person continued on with "I saw a recursive main function".
At that precise moment my soul was reaved in half. The half that was left died 10 seconds later when the conversation continued with "I'd expect to see that in a C obfuscation competition not a real program"
If you don't understand this then feel all the better about it.
Thursday September 22, 2005 - 12:33AM EDT
Did you see this fucking pilot land that plane in LA without front landing gear. That shit was tight. Just call that fucker Launchpad McQuack.
For those of you not in the know or not age 18-27 Launchpad McQuack is the name of a character from the Disney TV series Ducktales. It was a cartoon that followed the lives of Donald Duck's three nephews living with their Uncle Scrooge. Scrooge McDuck the richest duck in Duckberg. Anyway, Launchpad McQuack was a recurring character who was a pilot that had a reputation (that he was very proud of) of crashing any kind of vehicle. He had a book to record how many times and which kinds of crafts he crashed. Everything from planes, cars, submarines, airships, etc...
Wednesday September 21, 2005 - 4:28PM EDT
The last major hurricane to strike Texas was Alicia in 1983, which flooded downtown Houston, spawned 22 tornadoes and left 21 people dead. The damage from the Category 3 storm was put at more than $2 billion. Tropical Storm Allison flooded Houston in 2001, doing major damage to hospital and research centers and killing 23 people. - full article
Another bad ass hurricane. Awesome. I hope that shit tears apart the whole Gulf Coast worse than Katrina. I hope it spawns like 600 tornadoes with like 300 of them being F5 ultra turbo twisters. I hope like half of Texas is just destroyed and the pricetag for the country tops like 1 trillion dollars. That would be cool. I want them to report apocolypic conditions in Texas when those tornadoes hit. Make the tornadoes in the movie Day After Tomorrow look like a fart in the wind.