It looks like ZBlogger is somewhat dead. Now I'm back here. I liked the ZBlogger interface and speed. OTOH, with Google buying Blogger maybe I'll get more readers.


In any case, if you have the urge to read the ZBlogger postings here they are:

AFTER LIFE

A games newsgroup had awhile back a discussion of how theistic religions do a poor job of "proving" their deities exist or that even the deities care enough to interfere. Someone commented that the proof is irrelevent - that life is a test to determine whether one is worthy enough for an afterlife.

Bull.

Hell, heaven, afterlife...what does is matter. If there were ANY type of after life that based itself on your current life your best bet would be die as an innocent. Nothing more innocent than a baby or an unborn fetus.

Which means abortion is not bad.

If an afterlife depends on you living out a normal life and somehow making 'correct' choices - you will fail the test because life is full of "lose-lose" choices. That *IS* life - easy choices, hard choices.

If an afterlife does NOT depend on your behavior in this current life then this life is not a test.

Even simpler - why bother with life if it becomes a test for another life? Will the afterlife be a test for another life?
Will it ever end? Why is our population growing if all we're doing is reliving lives?

If the afterlife is so damn great why doesn't everyone up and kill themselves?

The answer is...

There is no afterlife.

*THIS* is it for life.

And from that we know that life is so very precious.

We know that from our reactions to holding a newborn and from recoiling from death. We crave life. We don't want death - we want eternal life. Science pursues extending life. Religion seeks clean, moral deaths.

TV THEMES

Informal poll to see if anyone actually comes here.

Email me with your votes for the 5 best TV/cartoon show themes in two categories: with words and without words.

Here are my votes:

With words:

Laverne and Shirley

Courtship of Eddies Father

Superchicken

Addams Fmaily

Gilligans Island

Without words:

Mission Impossible

Hawaii 5-0

Hogans Heroes

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Here come the Brides

07/30/2003

MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY

Randi on Denying Religion

Sure, religion provides a forum for community but so does a bowling league. When's the last time you saw a bowling league set an abortion clinic on fire or blow up a temple (or anything other than a BBQ)?

Sure, some religions promote charities but there are many charities without religious dogma attached.

Sure, America was founded by non-atheists but they recognized how quickly combining religion and politics can end up in disaster, hence the separation between church and state.

Organized Religions are a lot like corporations. They are means to to an end, ideally a monopoly of a product line, service sector, behavior of a group of people. And like corporations, religious groups are NOT entities. They can not exist without people. Point being that within these groups you have the well-off leaders/CEOs and the not-so-well-off sheep/workers.

I have to stop now. It's get too depressing thinking about how this all ties together - organized religions, politics, corporations - and how your average joe/josephine is essentially born into a life of servitude. Passover never happened!

RELIGIOUS FUN!

Landover Baptist

and it's ironic twin

Objective: Christian Ministries

Maybe I'm not the only one who sees organized religions as more of a threat than organized crime to damn near everything. Certainly organized religion is more pervasive, influential, and financially successful. So crime doesn't pay but being a religious fanatic just might.

ON THE OTHER HAND

Weird thoughts lately. With over 6 billion people on this planet and growing, will we run out of original ideas? My line of thought has been if that everyone copyrighted everything they did, eventually we'd run out of originality. Of course, this won't happen. It takes too long and too much money to correctly copyright something here and abroad.

But the thought of a basic unit of originality. No one is going copyright "the" or "the boy" but someone may have a fit over "the boy stood on the burning deck". Or, more obvious, look at advertising and branding. Companies have massive shits (and lawsuits) if someone uses their word or phrase.

"Share the moment..", "the joy of...","Reach out.." - common phrases are in danger of becoming lost to the marketeers and lawyers. How long before we have to watch what we say and pay when we do say it?

"Joe! How are you?"

"Not well. Problems at home with the kids. I can't communicate with them."

"Joe, I've told you before you have to think young (tm)."

"True (tm)!"

"You can't be so rigid with them. Go with it (tm). It's a beautiful thing (tm) you have with your children."

"True (tm)!"

"You need to communicate with them. Talk, they'll listen (tm). Smile (tm)."

"You're right!"

"Is it in you (tm)?"

You get the idea and all the while you're talking imagine a little corporate monkey standing there with his hand out. Every trademark, copyright, or brand infringement you pay out.

It's one way to kill freedom of speech.

07/29/2003

OCT 7 - A VOTE FOR STUPIDITY

On October 7 in California we get to hold a recall election. Our Governer Gray Davis faces the boot and deservedly so. He is a very visible figure of all that is wrong with politics - a person beholden to himself and his cronies, who is unqualified and incapable of leadership, who says all the things that sound just right but mean nothing. In other words, he is a modern politician much in the pattern of President Bush (except without Big Daddy in the background).

The scary part is that Davis truly was the lesser of two evils. Davis ran against Bill Simon who, amazingly enough, is and was an even more odious character. I desperately wanted to vote third party but I felt that if I didn't vote for Davis then Simon would win and that was terrifying. So another vote for Davis and he won.

And now the recall. This recall isn't about doing the right thing and ousting Davis. Instead it's a Republican test of power. This test will cost us California taxpayers upwards of $30 million dollars, money we don't have. But the Republicans don't care. This is a new tactic and if it works we will see more of it. The Republican have, unfortunately for the U.S., gotten wise to their power and influence. Lose an election? Big deal - mount a recall no matter what the cost and get in one of ours. Or at the very least embroil the winner in scandal and lawsuits.

And the Democrats give in. They see the power and influence and they want some too. But they won't fight for it. No, they'll line up like sheep and see if the Republicans will throw some scraps their way. Consider Bush and Iraq. Congress lined up all neat and pretty and let Bush invade. Now with the media and the public forum questioning Bush's motives and evidence for the invasion, now we hear bleatings from the Democrats. It's safe for them to speak.

The Democrats have no backbone, no cajones. The Republicans seek only the throne. Third parties - I wish but forget it. We're a one party system now. Short of a major revolution we won't see change. So say goodbye all true Americans. Your liberties and freedom are quickly becoming only cherished memories.

Now back to work. You have to make your quota of bricks without straw.

07/25/2003

SING "HEIL!" TO THE REPUBLICANS

It gets so infuriating! The calls for impeachment for Bush are slowly gaining momentum. At least one Democratic nominee is "exploring" the possibility, meaing if his poll numbers look better supporting that issue then he'll support it. And right there is a problem of our political system: no backbone for the right thing.

Clinton lied about his little dalliance and the Republicans focused on little else. Bush lied about the justifications for war and the Democrats are waiting for the poll numbers to come in. They should be hammering this issue until election day. They should force Bush to accept responsibility for his actions at the very least. And certainnly the impeachment process should be started. Bush has proven himself a great provider to his friends but a horrible President. His concept of morality and ethics is completely self-serving and skewed.

Sure, knocking Hussein out of power may have been the right thing. If Bush had said something like "We're going into Iraq to knock out Hussein and take the oil." that would have pissed people off but at least it's truthful. Instead we got this baloney about Weapons of Mass Destruction, support for Al Qaeda, and trolling for uranium - all reasons proven outright wrong.

But, as I've said previously, Bush and likely the Republicans don't really care about truth. In todays Los Angeles Times (Mon 7/21) there was a nice front page article about how the Republicans are on the verge of becoming a political majority. On the verge? Heck, they are past that point. Many of the Democrats, Lieberman for example, are closet Republicans. The corporate stink is everywhere in Washington. Halliburton et al should just add Washington D.C. to their lists of offices. The Republicans have won. Greed has won. The United States of America is no longer. It's now:

The United States of America, Inc.

In Wisconsin the Republicans are threatening Democrats from airing a commercial questioning Bush's Iraq motivations. So much for free speech if the Repubs successfully block the airing. But, hold on folks, there's going to be plenty more where that came from! The Repubs have the money and they are not afraid to use it.

Which brings me to my final thought: If Jesus were alive today, which political party would he join? I doubt it would be the Republicans.

07/21/2003

SUMMERTIME BLUES

The Summertime Blues have hit. Between the daily grind of work, taking care of house and kids, and an oppressive heat, summer reinforces the feeling of being trapped in a rut. It wasn't that long ago that summer meant a freedom - no school - but bicycling with friends along the beach, a drive somewhere just because, an all-night game session, or making horrible films.

Now there's too much to do, not enough energy to do it, and just too damn hot. It makes reading the news less tolerable, hence my heightened venom towards our janus-faced government. In Santa Monica an elderly motorist drove through a crowded street market, killing and injuring many. I should be in shock; I used to live in Santa Monica and still have many friends and relatives there, but after hearing the news I felt like "OK, next crisis." Freaking 102 degrees out. I'm tired from work. Kids are behaving like the Mongol Horde on amphetamines.

I've been to Wednesday market in Santa Monica. It's small but very nice, smack in the middle of the pedestrian mall and only two blocks from the cliffs overlooking the Pacific. That was one of my stomping grounds. Before the mall became euro-trendy, the whole area was quiet - literally. No major chain stores, except for J.C. Penney at one end, Sears at the other, and Newberry's right in the middle. Then came years of nothing: empty fronts, bums, elderly, and not quite so safe. Boom! A rebuilding, new stores, and the mall took off. It became a mini-Venice with weird entertainment, hordes of visitors, and Santa Monica (the City) turned into a Hollywood enclave ("Hello Ahnold!")

But now with the accident the image will be tarnished. The open-air market will have a fear, a bad memory hanging over it. People will look and point - There! That's where it happened. And Santa Monica - my Santa Monica - will have blood stains that just won't come off.

It's still hot out but tolerable - swim time. The kids are quiet for now. I can breathe but yet all I feel are the Summertime Blues.

TOO MUCH

After awhile it becomes too much. The commercialism which translates into Bullshitting for Bucks. Ads in the paper, on radio, on tv - with the truth ever so cleverly hidden or outright avoided. Waffle words abound. This treatment MAY get rid of your condition. Our rates ARE AMONG the lowest. Your satisfaction guaranteed or your money back (some restrictions apply).

Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer beware. You gotta be sharp, keep on your toes at all times. They're out to screw you over, separate you from your dollars. Keep your hands on your wallet. Get it in writing.

That's the life lessons for Americans and likely most of the world. Businesses will do anything to achieve their profit. As consumers we have a simple option. We can opt not to buy a product. But - darn the advertising - maybe car will get my zoomzoom zooming, maybe that shampoo will give me multiple orgasms, maybe, maybe, maybe all of my problems can be fixed through this cereal or that yogurt...

And now I feel like our government is playing the same game. "What we say is not what you'll get." You almost expect Bush to be wearing a shirt advertising for Bechtel, or Cheney displaying the Halliburton logo on his duds. Our boys sold enough lies about Iraq to the world to make their quote many times over. They'll be getting a fat bonus in their paychecks come the winter holidays. "Sure, there's Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq. We'll find them when we're damn good and ready!" "Uranium?!? Hussein was thinking about buying uranium...and that's bad!"

The problem is that we can't opt out. We can't withhold our tax dollars. We don't have a choice. We pay our taxes and the government spends it any way they want. It'd be nice to vote on where the tax dollars go. Do we need another aircraft carrier when that money could salvage darn near all the school districts in the country? Our military budget could shrink considerably if we cultivated and worked with ally nations instead of cheesing everyone off. "Bush, it's called Diplomacy."

(*sigh*)

Perhaps our government should come with a disclaimer: "Contents liable to shift."

07/17/2003

$5 BILLION SERVED

I caught an interview with Rumsfeld yesterday on TV. Would someone please get him his martini or whiskey sour. God, what a scary person and that's before he opens his mouth. Anyway. He was being questioned about Iraq (what else?) and one of the questions was about the cost. He replied that he wasn't sure but Iraq was running about $4 billion dollars per day and Afghanistan a little under a billion per day.

$5 billion dollars per day.

And bin Laden and Hussein are still alive.

$5 billion dollars per day.

And our government isn't quite sure if that's the right amount. Could be less (doubtful). Could be more. Likely it's more - a lot more.

Where's the money going to? Assume the invasion startup costs aren't included in that figure and that the $5 billion is daily costs. Assume we're talking about 100,000 troops which is way to high a number. That's still $50,000 per troop PER DAY.

So where's the money going to?

How about those open-ended contracts with Halliburton, Bechtel, et al.? Who's paying them. We are. ANd when will those contracts end? No one knows - they're open-ended.

Open-ended contracts plus $5 billion dollars per day expenditures. Some CEOs are mighty, MIGHTY happy right now.

07/10/2003

MONEY TALKS, BUSH WALKS

As Corporate America and the Republicans finalize the takeover of Government America we can only shudder at the future. How quickly will we become a one party nation? Let's face it, the Republicans by being cushy with Corporate America control the money. Control the money, you control the Government. Is it no surprise that the rich get richer and the poor poorer? Is it no surprise that the "trickle down" economy isn't trickling down but laterally? We pay our taxes and the money goes for such nice things as open-ended contracts with Halliburton. Not education - no, no, no. The populace must be kept ignorant and dependent on TV for information (because Corporate America runs the media). An ignorant population means the Armed Forces become an attractive solution for young 'uns. Strong military and strong businesses means U.S. Number 1 - Yay!!!
"Might Makes Right" - anybody still believe this not the Washington mindset?

Uranium-Thy Name Is Mud

And yet another untruth from the Bush Crowd. The news that Iraq was seeking uranium from an African nation was a forgery. But, according to Bush, it's irrelevent because Hussein still posed a threat to the world, and hence our invasion still stands as justified.

ALL of the justifications for the invasion of Iraq - ALL OF THEM - have been shown to be fabrications. No Weapons of Mass Destruction. No Uranium. Nothing. And without them Iraq posed no threat to the U.S. (much less the world). We knew it then, protested, and were labelled unpatriotic. Patriotism in the U.S. therefore means blindly following the leader without questioning motives.

Many people are wondering whether Bush knew that the data justifying his invasion was erroneous. Of course he did. But it was in his best interests - not ours - to invade. He had everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose. Really. Iraq has been very good for Bush's business partners. The invasion helped our economy as do most war economies in the U.S. Iraq upped his popularity.

So Bush cheesed off a few allies. We got to demonstrate our military strength and that will keep them in line. Heck, if the military threat doesn't shut up France, Germany, and Russia the business angle certainly will. They had some nice Iraqi oil contracts lined up. Guess who owns them now? Pucker up Allies!

So Bush lied. Big deal. At most it will cost him the 2004 election and it will give the Republicans four years to screw over the Democrats. And, if you notice, Bush is trying to subtly change his former positions: Hussein wasn't a threat to the U.S. he was a threat to the World. Hussein didn't have Weapons of Mass Destruction, he had the potential of producing such weapons. Hussein didn't support Al Qaeda, he supported terrorism. Bush doesn't lie, he tells truths based on erroneous data.

The wordplay is simple crisis management except there's no real crisis. Bush isn't worried about what he's doing. He doesn't give a flying. His business partners have lucrative contracts. His election campaign fund probably has more money than all the Democrats combined. He has Daddy to guide him. He gets to give orders like a big person. What does it matter that our President is an incompetent, lying, corrupt boob.

Here in California the Republicans are trying to recall Governor Davis. Since we're on a wave of accountability and righteousness how about a national push to impeach Bush?

07/09/2003