31.7.03

Right.

"'I am mindful that we're all sinners and I caution those who may try to take a speck out of the neighbor's eye when they got a log in their own,' the president [of the United States of America] said. 'I think it is important for our society to respect each individual, to welcome those with good hearts.'

'On the other hand, that does not mean that someone like me needs to compromise on the issue of marriage,' he added."


To begin, this is not the first time that Shrub has tried to use this particular biblical quotation, and of course this is not the first time he's screwed it up.

This is also not the first time that he has displayed, in public, an unremitting and unrepentant hypocrisy. One so blinding and hideous that no one can bring themselves to speak of it. "I think we should be open minded and accepting, unless it makes me uncomfortable." "I think we need to be peaceful, except for when we need to kill people." "Our economy is strong, except that it's in the toilet."

How long, O Lord? How long must we endure this assault on our Sense?
And again the Hillary for President issue comes up. This is what I think would happen: Hillary works behind the scenes to line up a few major-name donors, then announces her intention to run. Everyone who is in the race currently becomes a side show except for Dean, and in a pure war of words and ideas Dean is beaten - not severely, but surely - in the primaries.

Then the Democrats -finally energised by the thought of having a real candidate- hop on the bandwagon, shut their noise tubes, and go on to systematically demolish each and every one of the lies, half-truths, and exaggerations that this Administration has used to satiate public opinion. And for a finale, in a race every bit as close as the last one, Hill wins by a nose hair. Republicans immediately challenge her ligitimacy because "we can't be sure that some recount somewhere wouldn't have yeilded a different result," and Hill shuts their traps by responding, "I think I'll go ahead and quote everyone in the Republican Party in 2000 and say 'We won. It's time to move on.'"

Fantasy? Of course. But then, I'm the type who would rather have a sucker like Tony Blair in charge because he can at least speak proper English.

29.7.03

So instead of living in the nasty, crowded dorms of Anytown University this year, I've been assigned to some brand-new condo style apartment complex. But the dharma says not to delight in good circumstances, as we do not become depressed about bad circumstances. This picture on my new U of A id card may be the last one with my long hippie hair - they don't smile upon long curly locks in the Navy.

Pirates of the Carribean. What a brilliant good time. Depp is delightful, as always. Orlando Bloom plays, well, Orlando Bloom, but he's decent enough. And the special effects really could have been cheesy, but were so artfuly executed that it made the tale all that more engrossing. I highly recommend it to anyone with access to a movie theater, and for those who do not have such access, well, it won't be long until you can grab it on DVD.

From this window, the sky is clear.

27.7.03

I'm very glad when I find links like this one, because it's almost painfully poetic. Whether Twain really wrote this or not, it's a simple yet brilliant indictment of the brainless, holy outrage that seems to have gripped much of our nation, and the Administration in particular.

Today in the computer lab, I am working with a boy. He told me a story about how after 9/11, his high school's computer network administrator denied him the unfettered access to it's server that he had previously enjoyed. So in retaliation, he uses a crude device to blow out all the network cards in their library, denying the school even the basics of internet access.

Take that, Man!

I mainly just feel kind of sad when such a display of short-sightedness is relayed to me. I hope this kid grows up.

25.7.03

The search for enlightenment is a rough one. Fry could only attain it after exactly 100 cups of coffee, a feat to which I am not totally opposed. Such a concentration of chemical energy in one person at one time would surely be enough to bend all of time and space? The ancient ones say that if you name what you are looking for, you will forever be lost. Well, I've been trying like hell to get the actual Korean version of Shaolin Soccer, which Wonko introduced me to whilst I was away in Colorado. From what I hear, the Americanised dubbed version is terrible, although it will be available for viewing in a large movie theater at some point.

So it's taken a while to find a Mac KaZaa client that I feel comfortable using, and even then I ended up downloading it from eDonkey. Which I may or may not be able to finish on Sunday when I work another endless shift in the computer lab.

Speaking of work, Tak is behaving like a stressed, well, manager. So once I have found Enlightenment, I should follow the advice of the sages and, "Be mindful of saving all beings and steadfastly endure the attendant hardship and toil in order to serve as a boat on the ocean of all-knowledge." I don't think I've ever understood stress properly. I mean, I know what it feels like, but why dwell on it? Why let it control you? Even night and day are illusions, so why do we feel shitty when we can't control the circumstances surrounding us?

Ah well. I need to find a better way to articulate this. The wisdom of the sages is not the most accessbile medium.

24.7.03

So, my sis Aisling returned from the Land of Erin yesterday. Apparently, everything in Ireland is better than it is here. Not bigger, or faster, or more convinient. Just better.

There are no SUV's. Or trucks. Or vans. Or "mini" vans. There are no billboards every dozen yards telling you to buy something awful. There are no marketing departments expending thousands of hours to come up with ever more clever ways to sell you awful things.

People there are not trained from birth to believe that everyone else in the world will rob them. People there trust you, and it is perfectly safe to trust them. People there do not feel a sense of entitlement to everything they've ever thought they wanted.

Meals there are comprised of good, real food. The idea of "fast food" is an insult. There is one McMeaty's Tasty Burger Joint in Dublin, and no where else. Waiters at restaraunts do not insult you by asking every ten minutes if you need something, and they expect you to take your time dining with them.

It is a similar lifestyle, but a completely different philosophy on how to live it. There is no eat then rush to your 9-5 then rush home then eat then fuck then sleep then wake up and do it all again for fourty years.

America may be industrious, but it's at the expense of, and not for the sake of, life. We've got it completely backwards.

20.7.03

This article, ironically brought to my attention via Anytown's more liberal daily newspaper, is one of the most twisted things ever written. Not so much because it's sickening (although for a certain reactionary subset, it would be) but because it is completely thoughtless. There is no substantive argument at all, beyond the knee-jerk statement "they're winning we're losing." Apparently civilisation is a zero-sum game in this woman's world.

I fully support everyone's freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean I'm not disappointed when someone wastes it thus.

On the way back from Jersey with Tak, we spied many amusing roadsigns. The pictures, by and large, came out remarkably clearly for being taken through the window of a moving car (Tak's Jetta, Gretta). The best one, though, was the back of a dump truck that had written across it's top, in black on gold letters, "Think."

Good advice.

19.7.03

I really hate to say it, but they brought it on themselves. Our regular soldiers have every reason to be royally pissed off about being forced to stay in country when our government clearly doesn't know how to bring them home or fix the nasty fucking mess they just made. But you don't call your commander in cheif a douchebag. No matter how much he may deserve it.

And this is certainly not what they signed up for. If it were clear that the U.S. was in the process of rebuilding a torn country and implementing a real and lasting representative government, then these losses would be acceptable as the price of freedom from Saddam. These kids joined the Army to kick ass and preserve their country and their ideals, but their blood is being wasted by an inept administration, and every true patriot should be outraged.

In the middle of August I shall don the uniform of the officer corps of our country's Navy. I will swear an oath to protect our nation and our way of life, and I shall willingly submit to all the new regulations I shall have to live by. But I shall also continue to use this blog to freely express my opinions and share my knowledge. Should be interesting.

16.7.03

Sometimes I can't help feeling that there's nothing special at all about people. We behave so much like cattle that it's impossible to be angry with stupid behaviour. You don't get pissed at a cow for being dense, you just let it be and work around it. That's how I've come to feel about most of the people who visit the Submarine. Although there are generally one or two exceptions, people file through the torpedo room, call them missiles, and, satisfied that they've learned something, move along.

This Administration is burying itself, I can feel it. The way Tenet laid his crown upon the chopping block smacks of higher authority stepping in, and now certain congressmen are asking for an investigation into Cheney's role in manipulating intelligence results for the good of the War. This is one ship I would be delighted to witness sinking, rats and all.

The question is, who will step up and fill the Leadership Gap? A Democrat? Not as of this week in history.

15.7.03

Zen Man Liam -

You have only begun to travel the Way. Your judgment and your life are still clouded by desire for people and things and circumstances, and thus you make yourself a slave to that which you do not have. Your mind still casts about with energy into all places but itself, and thus the source is never quiet. The Way to non-effort is for you a great effort against yourself, and thus you shall forever miss the point.

Do not strive for patience, for the word itself implies a boundary which can be broken. Strive instead for peace, which is limitless, and live in peace every moment of the day and night. Only then will you discover that the nature for all beings is the same, whether they understand it or not.

Cease your judgment of others. Cease your judgement of things. Cease your judgment of circumstances. The past is gone and the future has not happened, therefore the only moment that exists is now. To live anywhere but now is to not really exist. And lastly, follow your own advice.




I just wanted to put this on the record. My inner monk decided to write a letter to my daily personage, and I guess there's a bigger disconnect between the two than I like to believe. Oh well. We're never done growing.

12.7.03

For the sake of the Record:

From June 22 to 29, I was in sunny Beach City, USA, at the family retreat. Spent plenty of time on the ocean kayaking through minefields of jellyfish and drinking lots of frozen bucket-mix margaritas.

From June 30 to July 4, worked. Solid. July 4 celebration on the Submarine was spectacular. It is literally not possible to be closer to a fireworks display in the city of Anytown than our crew was. They put on quite a show.

From July 5 to 9, went Home home to Colorado. Hung with the original Crew, hit all the old Haunts, and bled out the nose every single day thanks to the altitude and complete lack of humidity. Even though my father's car broke itself before we left the airport and remained broken for the duration of my stay (until 45 minutes before we had to drive 75 miles to get to the airport), it was another blast.

From July 11-12, drove to New Jersey with Tak for a CKY concert. Their last of the year, happened to fall on the evening just prior to Tak's birthday, so we pulled off a Road Trip that turned out to be brief but excellent fun. The Holiday Inn we stayed at hooked us up with King Size beds and free 'net access. The venue for the concert was tiny and cramped and incredibly hot, but the lads put on a good show.

So. Back to life.