Investigation Reveals Infant Remains, 3 Others Found - washingtonpost.com
Remember the old argument for legalizing abortion? Because then "every child would be wanted," and it would stop illegal abortions/infanticide/child abuse, bring on world peace, whatever they claimed - I don't think that plan's working out so well.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
What exactly is "mouse derivation?"
I love the Adwords ads I'm getting:
Equine Embryo Transfer
Mouse Derivation
I couldn't have gotten those if I'd tried.
Well, I'm pretty sure that no one's actually read any of this aimless blog, ok, like 1 or 2 people were probably not me or some web crawler/verification/spider thing. I had 8 visitors in 1 day, according to Google Analytics (I do love Google - they might turn on us in 10 years and try to make us all worship them, but in the meantime I'm a big fan) - so 8 visits in one day! That's really almost exciting if you have gotten about 20 total. And some were probably me, for all I know.
Unfortunately, even if they were all individual people who are not me, I doubt that very many of them are in the market for an "Equine Embryo Transfer." I don't think I'm gonna get rich on the internet anytime soon.
The weirdest thing about writing on here and checking the stats occasionally is that in many ways, I *hope* no one's reading it. Cause a lot of it makes me feel silly to look back on it. I just start writing in my odd way and don't stop. I'm just writing to myself more than anything. Not to say that if you're reading this I want you to leave immediately, I'm just terribly shy and guarded in many ways, even in an anonymous setting like this. I've got a few issues to work out.
Well, I'd like to end with a suggestion that you check out that whole "Mouse Derivation" thing and just see what it is. It'd probably make me like 2 cents. I still don't even know how much you get from a click! Then like 10 years from now, I might get a check from Google once I've reached the minimum payment of 25 bucks or whatever. Unless Google has taken over the world by then and your ad clicks were the currency and how you were taxed, in which case, if my stats dropped too low, or never rose at all, i'd be deported or executed. I'd rather just get the $25 check. Hopefully they won't take over the world.
Equine Embryo Transfer
Mouse Derivation
I couldn't have gotten those if I'd tried.
Well, I'm pretty sure that no one's actually read any of this aimless blog, ok, like 1 or 2 people were probably not me or some web crawler/verification/spider thing. I had 8 visitors in 1 day, according to Google Analytics (I do love Google - they might turn on us in 10 years and try to make us all worship them, but in the meantime I'm a big fan) - so 8 visits in one day! That's really almost exciting if you have gotten about 20 total. And some were probably me, for all I know.
Unfortunately, even if they were all individual people who are not me, I doubt that very many of them are in the market for an "Equine Embryo Transfer." I don't think I'm gonna get rich on the internet anytime soon.
The weirdest thing about writing on here and checking the stats occasionally is that in many ways, I *hope* no one's reading it. Cause a lot of it makes me feel silly to look back on it. I just start writing in my odd way and don't stop. I'm just writing to myself more than anything. Not to say that if you're reading this I want you to leave immediately, I'm just terribly shy and guarded in many ways, even in an anonymous setting like this. I've got a few issues to work out.
Well, I'd like to end with a suggestion that you check out that whole "Mouse Derivation" thing and just see what it is. It'd probably make me like 2 cents. I still don't even know how much you get from a click! Then like 10 years from now, I might get a check from Google once I've reached the minimum payment of 25 bucks or whatever. Unless Google has taken over the world by then and your ad clicks were the currency and how you were taxed, in which case, if my stats dropped too low, or never rose at all, i'd be deported or executed. I'd rather just get the $25 check. Hopefully they won't take over the world.
Victims of technology
Where have all the pneumatic tubes gone? Those were some of the coolest things on the planet. When I was a kid, late 70s, early 80s, you saw them around at banks, some stores, maybe libraries. They had these capsules - cylinders about 4 inches in diameter and around 10 inches long. You put whatever you wanted to put in them, popped it into this pipe next to you, and it was instantly whisked away to the other end, which could be 20 feet, 100 feet away. I don't know what kind of range they had. But they made a cool sound when they got sucked in, like a vacuum sort of thing, and if you were on the other end, there's nothing there, then BAM - you've got mail. Or a memo, or cash, or gerbils - whatever they needed to send that could fit in the tube.
When I finally have my dream house, there WILL be pneumatic tubes. I promise you that. Also a dumbwaiter - a strong one, that I could actually climb into and hoist myself up in, or just hide and eavesdrop on people. Or hide from ax murderers in. I think I got the dumbwaiter fixation and all its attending scenarios from reading Harriet the Spy as a kid. Finally, my house will have a laundry chute and it'll have one of those big old laundry carts at the bottom. The type prison inmates use to escape in old movies. Again, the laundry chute will have to be big enough for me to get in it and slide down into a pile of sheets or something in the laundry cart.
The ultimate, though, would be a capsule for a pneumatic tube big enough to get into. You could step in while it was on those conveyer-belt type of rollers, then push a button on the inside that made a thing on the outside push it, on the rollers, into the tube. Then you'd make that cool sucking sound and you'd be off. Unless you made the tube sideways on one end, I think you'd end up starting off right side up and ending up upside down. Best to plan ahead for that, I think.
That would be the coolest thing for me short of a roller coaster that runs through a big house, or a room where you walk in and the floor's like 10 feet down and you have to swing around on all these ropes hanging from the ceiling, and then there'd be rope swings with seats, or an island in the middle of it (maybe with stairs so you could climb back up if you feel, otherwise you'd need another door - but that door could take you to the laundry room! such exciting possibilities, huh?). And at the bottom of the room, it'd be filled with Nerf balls or something like that. If I was Bill Gates rich, I'd build that place right now. Secret passages, too. And a tunnel system that takes you to a little shed or cabin a quarter mile away.
This reminds me, I have to go check my Mega Millions ticket. Seriously.
When I finally have my dream house, there WILL be pneumatic tubes. I promise you that. Also a dumbwaiter - a strong one, that I could actually climb into and hoist myself up in, or just hide and eavesdrop on people. Or hide from ax murderers in. I think I got the dumbwaiter fixation and all its attending scenarios from reading Harriet the Spy as a kid. Finally, my house will have a laundry chute and it'll have one of those big old laundry carts at the bottom. The type prison inmates use to escape in old movies. Again, the laundry chute will have to be big enough for me to get in it and slide down into a pile of sheets or something in the laundry cart.
The ultimate, though, would be a capsule for a pneumatic tube big enough to get into. You could step in while it was on those conveyer-belt type of rollers, then push a button on the inside that made a thing on the outside push it, on the rollers, into the tube. Then you'd make that cool sucking sound and you'd be off. Unless you made the tube sideways on one end, I think you'd end up starting off right side up and ending up upside down. Best to plan ahead for that, I think.
That would be the coolest thing for me short of a roller coaster that runs through a big house, or a room where you walk in and the floor's like 10 feet down and you have to swing around on all these ropes hanging from the ceiling, and then there'd be rope swings with seats, or an island in the middle of it (maybe with stairs so you could climb back up if you feel, otherwise you'd need another door - but that door could take you to the laundry room! such exciting possibilities, huh?). And at the bottom of the room, it'd be filled with Nerf balls or something like that. If I was Bill Gates rich, I'd build that place right now. Secret passages, too. And a tunnel system that takes you to a little shed or cabin a quarter mile away.
This reminds me, I have to go check my Mega Millions ticket. Seriously.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Yeah, yeah... don't we all?
Romney Says He Wants 'Big Stick' - The Huffington Post
I don't think this guy could be trusted with one, though.
I don't think this guy could be trusted with one, though.
Thursday, May 24, 2007
And some people thought things might get weird after legalizing stem cell research.....
Britain To Go Ahead With Human-Animal Embryos For Research:
"The British government published its draft bill to overhaul the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act this week and it differs from the White Paper introduced late last year in that research using part human part animal embryos is to be allowed after all.
Some news reports are saying this is a major shift by government ministers after the angry reaction to the White Paper from scientists, MPs and patient groups that banning such research would impede medical breakthroughs.
The bill covers a number of areas, including research using three types of human-animal embryo:
* Cytoplasmic embryo or cybrid: where a human cell is inserted into an animal's egg that has been stripped of nearly all its nuclear DNA. The embryo would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal.
* Human-animal chimera: where animal cells are introduced into human embryos.
* True human-animal hybrids: where a human egg is fertilized by animal sperm or vice versa.
The new bill will allow research to use cybrids and chimera, but not the true human-animal hybrids. If passed, the law will require all such embryos to be destroyed after 14 days; and under no circumstances would it be legal to implant them into a womb."
Yeah, I'm sure they'll *never* let one of these come to full term, say 10, 20 years from now. Right. Maybe 51% animal, so they feel justified in locking it up in a room somewhere and studying it for it's lifetime.
I suggest next they work on transferring the brains of quadriplegic people into healthy, mobile chimpanzees. Seems to follow to me.
"The British government published its draft bill to overhaul the 1990 Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act this week and it differs from the White Paper introduced late last year in that research using part human part animal embryos is to be allowed after all.
Some news reports are saying this is a major shift by government ministers after the angry reaction to the White Paper from scientists, MPs and patient groups that banning such research would impede medical breakthroughs.
The bill covers a number of areas, including research using three types of human-animal embryo:
* Cytoplasmic embryo or cybrid: where a human cell is inserted into an animal's egg that has been stripped of nearly all its nuclear DNA. The embryo would be 99.9 per cent human and 0.1 per cent animal.
* Human-animal chimera: where animal cells are introduced into human embryos.
* True human-animal hybrids: where a human egg is fertilized by animal sperm or vice versa.
The new bill will allow research to use cybrids and chimera, but not the true human-animal hybrids. If passed, the law will require all such embryos to be destroyed after 14 days; and under no circumstances would it be legal to implant them into a womb."
Yeah, I'm sure they'll *never* let one of these come to full term, say 10, 20 years from now. Right. Maybe 51% animal, so they feel justified in locking it up in a room somewhere and studying it for it's lifetime.
I suggest next they work on transferring the brains of quadriplegic people into healthy, mobile chimpanzees. Seems to follow to me.
What's the highest honorary medal that can be granted to a bird?
Because I'd like to nominate this one....
Political Radar: "As President Bush took a question Thursday in the White House Rose Garden about scandals involving his Attorney General, he remarked, 'I've got confidence in Al Gonzales doin' the job.'
Simultaneously, a sparrow flew overhead and left a splash on the President's sleeve, which Bush tried several times to wipe off."
Political Radar: "As President Bush took a question Thursday in the White House Rose Garden about scandals involving his Attorney General, he remarked, 'I've got confidence in Al Gonzales doin' the job.'
Simultaneously, a sparrow flew overhead and left a splash on the President's sleeve, which Bush tried several times to wipe off."
Friday, May 18, 2007
so fucking lame
Garrison Keillor: A Prairie Homophobic Companion? - TMZ.com
"In an article titled "Stating the Obvious" in salon.com, the Minnesota author wrote, 'The country has come to accept stereotypical gay men -- sardonic fellows with fussy hair who live in over-decorated apartments with a striped sofa and a small weird dog and who worship campy performers and go in for flamboyance now and then themselves. If they want to be accepted as couples and daddies, however, the flamboyance may have to be brought under control. Parents are supposed to stand in back and not wear chartreuse pants and black polka-dot shirts.'"
-----------
the "GLBT community" (which i am a part of) needs to get over this crap. as do the ACLU and other liberals that think they should legislate what everyone thinks and says in defense of gays, and every person that's not a "straight white male." "patriarchy, blah, blah blah" this is life, this is America, they've got a right to say it, and others have the right to say they're idiots. or fire them because they don't want them representing their company.
this "hate speech" thing is snowballing out of control. a slippery slope, as they say. people can be prejudiced and bigoted if they choose to, or never get past their lousy upbringing. i don't think it helps anybody's cause to whine about every "slur" that some b-list celebrity or basketball player makes. i thought the ACLU and the left in general wanted to PROTECT the 1st amendment, not chip away at it. i will continue saying and thinking whatever i damned well please, and i hope everybody else does too. at least you can find out that they're a-holes easily that way.
we're living through a time when a kid takes her school to court because she was disciplined and teased for saying "that's so gay." a comment uttered by about 1/2 to 3/4 of kids and teens in the US daily, and without hatred behind it. it's an expression, and in time, it will fade to more infrequent use. everybody's just losing their mind over this stuff. and i tell you what, if, God forbid, some crazy politician makes a law against some words, and Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock can't use the dreaded "n-word" anymore - screw it, i'm moving to Canada.
when you begin to curtail speech that "someone" finds offensive (the terrorists win!), that's just the beginning. first go the "hate" words, then some that make people "uncomfortable," then what?
"Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings." - Heinrich Heine
i've listened to G. Keillor enough (his story about the church ushers competition is one of the funniest things i can remember hearing) that i would bet that he didn't mean any of it in a disparaging way. and for those saying he was "branding all gay men as trendy fashionistas.....," please note - he said "The country has come to accept stereotypical gay men..." the key word there is *stereotypical*. in the eyes of a huge chunk of America, when they think of gay men, that's what they imagine. not to mention thinking they're hedonistic, drug using sluts. sadly, that's a very accurate description of a segment of the community. i hope that in coming generations, as acceptance of gays grows, maybe there won't be so many gay guys who hate themselves for being gay and try to self-destruct and lose themselves in those ways, often without even realizing it.
i think all Keillor was saying is that we need to work on our image. there are plenty of us that are family men and women. these are the people that need to be "out" the most. because we don't get the attention - it all goes to the club guys and the ones who wear thongs and chaps to gay pride, or those damned guys dressed up like nuns with beards in freaky face paint/makeup (i'm not even Catholic, but that creeps me the hell out). the news flocks to that because it's titillating and flamboyant and a lot more interesting to report on than the average citizens that live average lives, and happen to be gay. the fact is, we need to be more visible simply as human beings, not just sex-crazed Peter Pan types. that should start with our own shows and media, but that's another story.
in a nutshell: get over it
"In an article titled "Stating the Obvious" in salon.com, the Minnesota author wrote, 'The country has come to accept stereotypical gay men -- sardonic fellows with fussy hair who live in over-decorated apartments with a striped sofa and a small weird dog and who worship campy performers and go in for flamboyance now and then themselves. If they want to be accepted as couples and daddies, however, the flamboyance may have to be brought under control. Parents are supposed to stand in back and not wear chartreuse pants and black polka-dot shirts.'"
-----------
the "GLBT community" (which i am a part of) needs to get over this crap. as do the ACLU and other liberals that think they should legislate what everyone thinks and says in defense of gays, and every person that's not a "straight white male." "patriarchy, blah, blah blah" this is life, this is America, they've got a right to say it, and others have the right to say they're idiots. or fire them because they don't want them representing their company.
this "hate speech" thing is snowballing out of control. a slippery slope, as they say. people can be prejudiced and bigoted if they choose to, or never get past their lousy upbringing. i don't think it helps anybody's cause to whine about every "slur" that some b-list celebrity or basketball player makes. i thought the ACLU and the left in general wanted to PROTECT the 1st amendment, not chip away at it. i will continue saying and thinking whatever i damned well please, and i hope everybody else does too. at least you can find out that they're a-holes easily that way.
we're living through a time when a kid takes her school to court because she was disciplined and teased for saying "that's so gay." a comment uttered by about 1/2 to 3/4 of kids and teens in the US daily, and without hatred behind it. it's an expression, and in time, it will fade to more infrequent use. everybody's just losing their mind over this stuff. and i tell you what, if, God forbid, some crazy politician makes a law against some words, and Dave Chappelle and Chris Rock can't use the dreaded "n-word" anymore - screw it, i'm moving to Canada.
when you begin to curtail speech that "someone" finds offensive (the terrorists win!), that's just the beginning. first go the "hate" words, then some that make people "uncomfortable," then what?
"Wherever they burn books they will also, in the end, burn human beings." - Heinrich Heine
i've listened to G. Keillor enough (his story about the church ushers competition is one of the funniest things i can remember hearing) that i would bet that he didn't mean any of it in a disparaging way. and for those saying he was "branding all gay men as trendy fashionistas.....," please note - he said "The country has come to accept stereotypical gay men..." the key word there is *stereotypical*. in the eyes of a huge chunk of America, when they think of gay men, that's what they imagine. not to mention thinking they're hedonistic, drug using sluts. sadly, that's a very accurate description of a segment of the community. i hope that in coming generations, as acceptance of gays grows, maybe there won't be so many gay guys who hate themselves for being gay and try to self-destruct and lose themselves in those ways, often without even realizing it.
i think all Keillor was saying is that we need to work on our image. there are plenty of us that are family men and women. these are the people that need to be "out" the most. because we don't get the attention - it all goes to the club guys and the ones who wear thongs and chaps to gay pride, or those damned guys dressed up like nuns with beards in freaky face paint/makeup (i'm not even Catholic, but that creeps me the hell out). the news flocks to that because it's titillating and flamboyant and a lot more interesting to report on than the average citizens that live average lives, and happen to be gay. the fact is, we need to be more visible simply as human beings, not just sex-crazed Peter Pan types. that should start with our own shows and media, but that's another story.
in a nutshell: get over it
Thursday, May 17, 2007
But what if they *want* to fight?
Support Bill Richardson for President Bumperstickers - Buy Bill Richardson Bumper Stickers:
"Gay Rights - Bill Richardson not only has taken unpopular progressive positions on gay rights, but also has succeeded in getting those positions adopted.
"[I]n terms of actual [gay rights] accomplishments Bill Richardson stands above the other current candidates because he's actually pushed forward and implemented laws that have helped our community."
- Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
'He's … been wonderful. He's kept every promise he's ever made to the [gay] community.'
- Alexis Blizman, Executive Director, Equality New Mexico.
Animal Rights - As Governor, Richardson spearheaded the movement to ban cockfighting in the state of New Mexico, even though it was an ingrained institution with many citizens there."
-------
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! he banned cockfighting? they just said he was *for* gay rights! wtf....???
oh, ok. they switched to a new topic there. my bad. at least he "spearheaded" something. that sounds a little gay.
/i actually did misread it the first time. kinda threw me off.
"Gay Rights - Bill Richardson not only has taken unpopular progressive positions on gay rights, but also has succeeded in getting those positions adopted.
"[I]n terms of actual [gay rights] accomplishments Bill Richardson stands above the other current candidates because he's actually pushed forward and implemented laws that have helped our community."
- Matt Foreman, Executive Director, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
'He's … been wonderful. He's kept every promise he's ever made to the [gay] community.'
- Alexis Blizman, Executive Director, Equality New Mexico.
Animal Rights - As Governor, Richardson spearheaded the movement to ban cockfighting in the state of New Mexico, even though it was an ingrained institution with many citizens there."
-------
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! he banned cockfighting? they just said he was *for* gay rights! wtf....???
oh, ok. they switched to a new topic there. my bad. at least he "spearheaded" something. that sounds a little gay.
/i actually did misread it the first time. kinda threw me off.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Hack Yourself
Hack Yourself by Michael Montoure at bloodletters.com
i love this. need a new outlook on life? think your life sucks? read this essay. "If you don't like the story your life has become — tell yourself a better one."
it sums up a lot of my own beliefs, things i often forget about, and in a way that grabbed me and inspired me some. i'm already at a point of tremendous change in my life, and this helped me to remember how much of my life i can control as this all happens.
oh, there's some great horror fiction by the guy who wrote this on the site as well. 4 short stories posted. he's pretty good.
------------
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails" - unknown
i love this. need a new outlook on life? think your life sucks? read this essay. "If you don't like the story your life has become — tell yourself a better one."
it sums up a lot of my own beliefs, things i often forget about, and in a way that grabbed me and inspired me some. i'm already at a point of tremendous change in my life, and this helped me to remember how much of my life i can control as this all happens.
oh, there's some great horror fiction by the guy who wrote this on the site as well. 4 short stories posted. he's pretty good.
------------
"We cannot direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails" - unknown
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Bill Richardson - That's my guy.
Bill Richardson for President Exploratory Committee
The most experienced Dem candidate, and as far as the ones that I've seen, the one most likely the be an honest-to-God human being. A down-to-earth type with a sense of humor, and I get the feeling that he wouldn't shame the United States as somebody's been doing lately.
Current Governor of New Mexico (2nd term), 15 years in Congress, former Secretary of Energy under Clinton, former Ambassador to the UN, nominated 4 times for the Nobel Peace prize for negotiating the release of hostages, servicemen, and political prisoners. He actually has experience with diplomacy, something sorely needed these days.
From the article Beyond Hillary and Obama:
"At home, Bill Richardson’s accomplishments have been equally incredible. He has followed a centrist course in government, economically conservative but socially liberal. As governor of New Mexico, he balanced the state budget while cutting taxes for the middle class and increasing funding for education. He eliminated over $200 million of bureaucratic inefficiencies. His statewide energy policy has made New Mexico one of the few states that meet the requirements of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty. During his time in office, the New Mexican economy has been revitalized with the creation of 84,000 new jobs, many of which have been in high-tech industries. All the while, he has been a strong social progressive, pushing New Mexico to legalize civil unions while Democrats in other states have done nothing."
The most experienced Dem candidate, and as far as the ones that I've seen, the one most likely the be an honest-to-God human being. A down-to-earth type with a sense of humor, and I get the feeling that he wouldn't shame the United States as somebody's been doing lately.
Current Governor of New Mexico (2nd term), 15 years in Congress, former Secretary of Energy under Clinton, former Ambassador to the UN, nominated 4 times for the Nobel Peace prize for negotiating the release of hostages, servicemen, and political prisoners. He actually has experience with diplomacy, something sorely needed these days.
From the article Beyond Hillary and Obama:
"At home, Bill Richardson’s accomplishments have been equally incredible. He has followed a centrist course in government, economically conservative but socially liberal. As governor of New Mexico, he balanced the state budget while cutting taxes for the middle class and increasing funding for education. He eliminated over $200 million of bureaucratic inefficiencies. His statewide energy policy has made New Mexico one of the few states that meet the requirements of the 1997 Kyoto Treaty. During his time in office, the New Mexican economy has been revitalized with the creation of 84,000 new jobs, many of which have been in high-tech industries. All the while, he has been a strong social progressive, pushing New Mexico to legalize civil unions while Democrats in other states have done nothing."
Wow.
For $82 a Day, Booking a Cell in a 5-Star Jail - New York Times
How hard up for money is California (and other states) to offer upgraded cells to inmates for cash? So, well-off people not only end up with better representation in court, to avoid going to jail, but can pay to be separated from the riff-raff in their own cell? Some are even allowed computers and/or iPods. That's one of the most outfuckingrageous things I've heard of.
They don't offer it to those who commit "serious" offenses, only the little things, like drunk driving(!), "white-collar crime", etc.
Last time I checked, I think jail was meant to be a punishment for doing bad things. The "sales pitch" for the Pasadena jail at one time was "'Bad things happen to good people.'" WRONG! Good and bad people sometimes DO BAD THINGS, and are sent to jail. According to the Pasadena police rep, people sometimes "have had a lapse in judgment and do not want to go to county jail." Pardon? Who the fuck *wants* to go to jail.
I spent 4 days in the Orange County jail for failing to pay some old speeding tickets. I messed up, and my options were either a few days in jail, or plead not guilty, come back in 2 weeks, probably with a lawyer I couldn't afford, and try to convince them that I didn't do it. But I did, so I sucked it up and went. I remember thinking, Fight Club-style, "you don't want to die without going to jail, do you?" Scared shitless, no doubt, but all in all it wasn't *that* bad of an experience, mostly because the people I met there were alright. No fights, no trouble, even made some temporary friends. A big factor in that was that I was on the women's side. Almost all of the people I talked to were in for non-violent drug offenses, mostly possesion, mostly having to do with speed. I remember one chick who told me she'd shot up speed *while driving* once. If you ask me, she needed treatment more than anything else. They get out and are right back into it. Another girl, a beautiful girl about 20, told me the first thing she planned to do when she was out was go get some shit. Other than them, I remember meeting one pretty 18-year-old who was a prostitute from Vegas. That was a sad one.
The bulk of the sheriffs were power-mad dicks, just assholes for no good reason. I can understand why they'd be jaded and a little mean - these were the people who walked up from place to place, totally unarmed and relying on the guys watching the cameras from the one-way mirrors. They have to exert a measure of control, authority, and showing-you-who's-boss to protect themselves. But some of them went above and beyond, just because they could.
You had to wear used (but washed) underwear and were forced to wear a really uncomfortable, scratchy (also used) bra at all times - and yes, they checked daily - had to show the strap each morning at what was roll call, I guess. And the damned things were *underwire* for pete's sake. Who needs a fucking underwire bra in JAIL?? No privacy, bathroom stalls that were about 3 feet tall(!), and just general institutional bullshit. But it did open my eyes up to a bit of how the penal system works and what it's like for the people in there.
Fortunately, I'd been in the Army (Reserves - but I still went through boot camp, surprisingly similar to jail, only more work and less sleep), and had gone through rehab at 17, so I was more prepared than some. But I still wouldn't want to go back. I will certainly never consider a life of crime after that.
I just can't believe that the gov't is so money-hungry that they'd do this kind of shit. What's next? Advertising in jails? Ads for bail bond companies, lawyers, malt liquor? I don't know why it surprises me, but it did.
I mean, I've gotten used to the racket they pull here in CA - every bloody freeway is allegedly "Under Construction," even if you haven't seen anybody working there in months, or even years. And every one has a sign: "Fines doubled in construction zones," or something to that effect. That's before our great 171% "assessment" fee that almost triples your fine, and then any other crap they decide to tack on.
Makes you consider becoming an anarchist. Or at least a Libertarian.
How hard up for money is California (and other states) to offer upgraded cells to inmates for cash? So, well-off people not only end up with better representation in court, to avoid going to jail, but can pay to be separated from the riff-raff in their own cell? Some are even allowed computers and/or iPods. That's one of the most outfuckingrageous things I've heard of.
They don't offer it to those who commit "serious" offenses, only the little things, like drunk driving(!), "white-collar crime", etc.
Last time I checked, I think jail was meant to be a punishment for doing bad things. The "sales pitch" for the Pasadena jail at one time was "'Bad things happen to good people.'" WRONG! Good and bad people sometimes DO BAD THINGS, and are sent to jail. According to the Pasadena police rep, people sometimes "have had a lapse in judgment and do not want to go to county jail." Pardon? Who the fuck *wants* to go to jail.
I spent 4 days in the Orange County jail for failing to pay some old speeding tickets. I messed up, and my options were either a few days in jail, or plead not guilty, come back in 2 weeks, probably with a lawyer I couldn't afford, and try to convince them that I didn't do it. But I did, so I sucked it up and went. I remember thinking, Fight Club-style, "you don't want to die without going to jail, do you?" Scared shitless, no doubt, but all in all it wasn't *that* bad of an experience, mostly because the people I met there were alright. No fights, no trouble, even made some temporary friends. A big factor in that was that I was on the women's side. Almost all of the people I talked to were in for non-violent drug offenses, mostly possesion, mostly having to do with speed. I remember one chick who told me she'd shot up speed *while driving* once. If you ask me, she needed treatment more than anything else. They get out and are right back into it. Another girl, a beautiful girl about 20, told me the first thing she planned to do when she was out was go get some shit. Other than them, I remember meeting one pretty 18-year-old who was a prostitute from Vegas. That was a sad one.
The bulk of the sheriffs were power-mad dicks, just assholes for no good reason. I can understand why they'd be jaded and a little mean - these were the people who walked up from place to place, totally unarmed and relying on the guys watching the cameras from the one-way mirrors. They have to exert a measure of control, authority, and showing-you-who's-boss to protect themselves. But some of them went above and beyond, just because they could.
You had to wear used (but washed) underwear and were forced to wear a really uncomfortable, scratchy (also used) bra at all times - and yes, they checked daily - had to show the strap each morning at what was roll call, I guess. And the damned things were *underwire* for pete's sake. Who needs a fucking underwire bra in JAIL?? No privacy, bathroom stalls that were about 3 feet tall(!), and just general institutional bullshit. But it did open my eyes up to a bit of how the penal system works and what it's like for the people in there.
Fortunately, I'd been in the Army (Reserves - but I still went through boot camp, surprisingly similar to jail, only more work and less sleep), and had gone through rehab at 17, so I was more prepared than some. But I still wouldn't want to go back. I will certainly never consider a life of crime after that.
I just can't believe that the gov't is so money-hungry that they'd do this kind of shit. What's next? Advertising in jails? Ads for bail bond companies, lawyers, malt liquor? I don't know why it surprises me, but it did.
I mean, I've gotten used to the racket they pull here in CA - every bloody freeway is allegedly "Under Construction," even if you haven't seen anybody working there in months, or even years. And every one has a sign: "Fines doubled in construction zones," or something to that effect. That's before our great 171% "assessment" fee that almost triples your fine, and then any other crap they decide to tack on.
Makes you consider becoming an anarchist. Or at least a Libertarian.
HALP!
I CAN HAS CHEEZBURGER?
ok, so i didn't even know about the whole "lolcat" thing until like 2 days ago. but now i've spent hours on the glorious icanhascheezburger.com site. if you haven't seen it, enjoy. especially good for cat lovers, but please don't be one of the idiots that complain about certain pictures and how "horrible" they are.
example: there's a pic of a cat in a dryer, staring out through the glass. there was a firestorm of outrage from these people - "that's sick"..."that's just not funny".... blah, blah. one person commented that a friend of theres had 2 cats that were killed by getting in the dryer. which is terribly sad, of course. but personally, if i had a cat that got into the dryer, and i somehow didn't notice it, put my clothes in and started it, and said cat was killed:
a) i'd be an idiot
b) i'd be compulsive from then on about making sure there was NO CAT IN MY DRYER before starting it.
how in the hell does somebody do that twice??? i would advise that person that maybe they should just have plants instead.
ok, so i didn't even know about the whole "lolcat" thing until like 2 days ago. but now i've spent hours on the glorious icanhascheezburger.com site. if you haven't seen it, enjoy. especially good for cat lovers, but please don't be one of the idiots that complain about certain pictures and how "horrible" they are.
example: there's a pic of a cat in a dryer, staring out through the glass. there was a firestorm of outrage from these people - "that's sick"..."that's just not funny".... blah, blah. one person commented that a friend of theres had 2 cats that were killed by getting in the dryer. which is terribly sad, of course. but personally, if i had a cat that got into the dryer, and i somehow didn't notice it, put my clothes in and started it, and said cat was killed:
a) i'd be an idiot
b) i'd be compulsive from then on about making sure there was NO CAT IN MY DRYER before starting it.
how in the hell does somebody do that twice??? i would advise that person that maybe they should just have plants instead.
Retired Gen.: Bush should sign Iraq bill | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Retired Gen.: Bush should sign Iraq bill | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies." - Ret. Lieutenant General William Odon
That's about the best summary of the Iraq war that I've read.
"The challenge we face today is not how to win in Iraq; it is how to recover from a strategic mistake: invading Iraq in the first place," he said. "The president has let (the Iraq war) proceed on automatic pilot, making no corrections in the face of accumulating evidence that his strategy is failing and cannot be rescued. He lets the United States fly further and further into trouble, squandering its influence, money and blood, facilitating the gains of our enemies." - Ret. Lieutenant General William Odon
That's about the best summary of the Iraq war that I've read.
Friday, March 2, 2007
So, just another blog here.....
we all know how it is. you try to keep up with the news, or you try deperately to avoid the news (both respectable tactics, i think), and you're fucking sickened by the state of the world. and you want to do something, reach out to the world, to somebody and just say "what the fuck is up??? chill out!" or some other equally diplomatic entreaty.
so, what we do in the 21st century is fucking blog. i don't know that it helps. i don't know that anybody who has a damned thing to do with anything or any power reads or cares about 99.999% of what we all blog about, but it's just our new therapy, i suppose.
as i well know, there's already way to much info and blogs and websites and just *crap* out there for anyone to keep track of, and i don't expect anybody to read any of this. but i need to vent as much as the next guy. so, here i go.
i always want to post weird, random stuff that i find online, especially funny things, which help us forget that our government is run by morons on parade, and maybe just feel like the world isn't about to just implode. besides, when i find stuff online, which is such a solitary endeavour, i always wish i could drag my friends over and say "OMG, look at this!" so, i'll probably do just that, and whoever cares to read it, well, knock yourself out.
so, what we do in the 21st century is fucking blog. i don't know that it helps. i don't know that anybody who has a damned thing to do with anything or any power reads or cares about 99.999% of what we all blog about, but it's just our new therapy, i suppose.
as i well know, there's already way to much info and blogs and websites and just *crap* out there for anyone to keep track of, and i don't expect anybody to read any of this. but i need to vent as much as the next guy. so, here i go.
i always want to post weird, random stuff that i find online, especially funny things, which help us forget that our government is run by morons on parade, and maybe just feel like the world isn't about to just implode. besides, when i find stuff online, which is such a solitary endeavour, i always wish i could drag my friends over and say "OMG, look at this!" so, i'll probably do just that, and whoever cares to read it, well, knock yourself out.
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