And now for a statement from Captain Obvious...

Here is a link reporting on the rise in population in prisons. CNN calls the US penal system "the world's largest." Hmm. Interesting. It also states that over 2 million people are in jail right now. That's about 1% of the entire US population.

And there's nothing wrong with this? Do you mean to tell me that the United States has MORE people in prison than China (which has over 1 BILLION people vice 200 or so million)? And there's nothing wrong with this??

And now, here's the quote from the most recently elected Captain Obvious:

"Unless we promote alternatives to prison, the nation will continue to lead the world in imprisonment," said Jason Ziedenberg, executive director of the Justice Policy Institute, a think-tank that studies prison issues.

Wow, what a concept. Here's another interesting quote from CNN:

Criminologists attribute the growth in the prison population to "get tough on crime" policies that have subjected hundreds of thousands of nonviolent drug and property offenders to long mandatory sentences.

So, maybe, we should find TREATMENT options for these people, instead of just shoving them into a 6x6 cell? Hallelujah, it's a revelation!

I know someone who was put into jail for failure to pay a traffic fine that he couldn't afford to pay. A TRAFFIC FINE! He has to repay an $800 fine (for what I don't know) at a rate of $5 a day. That's 160 days in jail. For a TRAFFIC FINE? That he cannot afford to pay, mind you. Hell, there's a good idea. You know what would be a BETTER idea? Suspending his license (oh, wait...that's what the fine was for... driving with a suspended license). Or, you could even confiscate his car for these 160 days. But putting someone in prison where there's NO WAY they could legitimally WORK to pay this fine off is STUPID.

I have a traffic fine of $127 for 'running a red light' (that was yellow, by the way). So, since I'm unemployed and have no money, if the courts decide to take the word of the cop over myself AND my ex, then I can expect to spend 25.4 days in jail...not working...not finding work...not taking care of my son...

If that happens, all hell will break loose. I think the time has come to move to Canada...or some country where the laws/legislature aren't so moronic.

It's all about the West Wing

If anyone were to come up to me on the street and ask me what my favorite TV show was, I'd have to answer "The West Wing." It's cerebral and witty, and they don't mind getting a bit borderline slapstick. The humor is fast-paced, as well as the storyline itself. As I watch it, I realize I would literally give my left nut to work in the White House. Wow.

I just saw an episode tonight: Han. In it, a North Korean piano virtuoso wants to defect, but is told by the President that his defection could derail a meeting designed to monitor North Korea's nuclear program. The President tells him freedom is a choice. Essentially, the Korean could push the issue for defection, or say nothing for the better benefit of all (potentially).

He chooses to sacrifice his bid for freedom to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons in the world.

It was a very noble act. What would this world be like if EVERYONE made noble acts? Let's do this mathematically. You have 10 people. They are all out for themselves (we'll call this a "happiness", to give it some quantitative measurement representing a person being happy). So, you have 10 people x (times) 1 happiness = 10 happiness. What if these 10 people would sacrifice their own wants for the greater good, so that OTHERS can be happy?

10 people x (times) 1 happiness for EACH other person (which would be 9) = 90 happiness. That means, for that one person who sacrifices his own wants for others, good things are visited back upon him NINE TIMES. Nine times the happiness... hmm...

Giving of yourself is not only ethical and moral, but MATHEMATICAL and therefore logical. If each person did a selfless act for everyone else in the world, that's 6 billion happiness for that one person.

Imagine that. So, what's the big deal?

Was I high? (follow-up to "Am I mad, bad, or both?")

I've been perusing my past entries. If you scroll down a bit... a little more... just a little more... there it is. If you read these two entries, I'm sure you will at least once say to yourself, "Was this guy high?"

Maybe I was, maybe I wasn't. I'll let the piss-test reveal all. Nyah.

But at any rate, I still stick to a lot of what I said. It was an epiphany, which (for me) is pretty rare. It seemed like a logical (albeit apparently delusional) train of thought. But it could happen. Sh-yeah, and monkeys might fly outta my butt! (owch!)

(reads entry some more) Yep. The first part pretty much hits the nail on the head. The second part (where I start talking about being more Christ-like) will probably get me sent to the nuthouse. And about that Road...

Like I said, I believe in synchronicities. And I believe that God gives us signposts if we're willing to look for them. He also throws these "obstacles" in our path to lead us to our destiny. If we recognize these "obstacles" for what they really are--either signs or opportunities--we tread further down that Road to what we're really supposed to become. If we, instead, look at all the "shit" that happens to us, and think God's just shitting on us (or whatever negative thought process you want to put here), then our lives will suck. Period.

There's a term we used in my business management class (BUA 325): self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe it, it will be. Truth isn't black and white: truth is nothing more than our perception of reality. So if we perceive "reality" to be the Universe out to get us, then that is the truth. Our truth.

Well... not MY truth. I know better now. And that's the heart of my enlightenment some several days ago. It truly is all about perspective. I now see that all the bad things are there to help me grow, not to beat me down. What if we all took a step back and saw the pattern in the chaos that is our past? What would we see? Did we grow when we "took it on the chin" (to use an old cliche')? Or did we wallow in our own self-pity, drowning in a lake of our own tears? What would YOU rather do? Grow, or die? You can't aviod one or the other. You either grow, or you die. Period.

Now, about my "May 22" comment: do I really honestly think I'm going to do just like in my book and go colonize a distant planet? I honestly don't know. I would like to. As sure as the sun will rise tomorrow, I would step over my own mother for such an honor. And, as they say, "truth is stranger than fiction." I have my doubts; but I also believe God has a plan for me. It may NOT be what I wish for, but since when did we ever know what we really wanted? Delusions (or alleged delusions) aside, if I never set foot on a distant world, I won't consider my life a waste; as long as I fulfill the destiny set up for me and actually DO something truly constructive in my life.

How's that for perspective?

Greetings from Wireless, USA

Apparently, someone around here has a wireless network they'll let anyone tap into. I'm writing this blog through such a link right now. I know in NYC they have wireless access points (WAPs, or just APs) all around Central Park, so that people can surf the net while watching the ducks. Allegedly, Bangor, Maine (Yes, Maine!) has a similar network.

And, apparently, so does Hallowell. I'm down here visiting my son (and his mother), getting ready for yet another interview tomorrow (and maybe a second interview). I just powered on my laptop to do some web designing, when my computer said, "There are wireless networks in your area."

Sweet!

The past week has been ... well, okay, I suppose. Kind of boring. I'm starting my own business: web design (hence why I started using my laptop tonight). Strictly service. The premise is that if a company wants a quick and professional-looking website put up, I can do it for around $500 (less than industry standards, even in Maine). The secret: templates. And a really cool tool for putting everything together. I still get into the "guts" of the HTML/scripting code; but tool is designed so that even a monkey can slap together a bunch of text and pictures and make a very professional website. You can check out an example of what can be done here: IDS

Also, being on a big techie nerd kick, I decided to beef up my regular computer that I've been using for the past year or so. You know... (or maybe not, I don't know) it's the computer that I slapped a 933 Pentium III into so I could play World of Warcraft. Well, I took EVERYTHING out of the case, got a taller case, put a BETTER motherboard in that case and threw (not literally) everything into the new case.

Plus about 220 GB of disk space. Why, you ask? I've been tooling around with streaming media, and am designing it (since I rarely ever play Warcraft anymore...haven't for a month, anyway) to be a media server. That's me and my technolust for you. My ISA sound card (Sound Blaster AWE 64) won't fit on the new motherboard: there are only PCI slots. So I have no sound on the media server.

How ironic.

I give this past week a "7", just because I got to get my hands all dusty and grimy (there was a mess of dust in my old computer...yuck).

Slacker Extraordinaire!

Yes, okay, I promised weekly postings. I've been slacking. I'm a bad little boy. Deal.

Okay, anyway... Today I'm helping my ex get as much of her stuff out of the old apartment before the FLOOD comes. Yes, folks, we're supposed to have a flood. The apartment is RIGHT ON the river. Doh!

I've been trying to meet new people to hang out with, as I'm bored like hell sitting up in Houlton with only my dad to keep me company (when my son's there, it's a non-issue, but not this coming week). There's two people I've been conversing with. One has a very dark sense of humor. The other has a lot of similar interests. Maybe I'll be able to meet/hang out with one or the other... who knows. So far it's all been black-and-white text. I'm slacking on that, too. When it comes to correspondence, I suck...and that's an understatement. Anyone who knows me can attest to that.

There is not much else going on. Oh wait... my ex and her son are getting evicted, also. It doesn't rain but it pours. I'm still optimistic, though. I must be mental.

Okay. NOW there isn't much else going on. This week is about a '4' so far, and last week was a '8' (I had my son with me, woot!).