Uhh... brothel anyone?

Berlin readies giant brothel for World Cup - Soccer - MSNBC.com

Now, I've always considered myself a fairly liberal guy when it comes to things like human expression (including sexuality). But this little bit of news definitely grabbed my attention. According to the article, prostitution is legal in certain areas in Germany. (Needless to say, the mayor of Berlin isn't apparently too keen on the opening of the brothel.)

And, in Vienna, they gave free admission to the Leopold museum if you came in the buff (or just in a swimsuit).

Brothels in Germany...nude museums in Austria...pot in Amsterdam. Hmm. Sounds like the entire continent is in a perpetual state of PAR-TAY!

Why do we Americans seem so adverse to such things?

Wow! A guy who makes sense!

Read the link. I'll say no more. See what you think; especially what the guy says about making true peace.

What is this crap?

There's this blog that is not even a random collection of words. It has stuff in there along the lines of, "chkn san diego tide table qsw." WHAT IS THIS CRAP!? And, it seems to be posting every 15 minutes or so. Is Blogger aware of this? Is this abuse of the system? Very peculiar.

This goes along with what I said about crackers and virus-makers: don't these people have anything BETTER to do with their lives? Sheesh!

Dead blogs

The blog in question: free cognition

I haven't seen any activity at all on this site for 6 weeks. It's too bad...I thought it was a good blog. I like things that challenge my point of view and make me see new things. Oh well. Maybe they're just taking some time off.

Blogging blunder costs fashion editor her job - MSNBC TV Live - MSNBC.com

Blogging blunder costs fashion editor her job - MSNBC TV Live - MSNBC.com

Here's the thing I want to ask:

1. Was the blog written while at work?
2. Did the blog violate any confidentiality agreement with the company?
3. Could any of the information printed in the blog be considered libel?

If the answer is "yes" to any of the above questions, then she was rightly fired. If both answers are "no," then this young lady should SUE the company for wrongful termination. And, I wonder if she can take action for the company essentially punishing her for exercising her First Amendment rights.

The new political agenda (???)

Here is a post on CNN.com discussing (briefly) the decline in the number of companies that offer flexible scheduling. They're getting rid of it even though it has been proven to increase productivity. And people are afraid to ask for it if they don't already have it.

This fear dominates all our lives so much. We Americans need to find a way to reduce this fear (it's impossible to get rid of it). Here's a few suggestions:

1. Last time I checked, the working American made up the vast majority of the voting population. Sure, only 1% of Americans hold over 10% of the nation's wealth, but the remaining 99% of us have more political power as long as we begin to think for ourselves. Tell our politicians that unless they force corporations to stop treating their workers like slave robots, they're fired.

2. Save your money. It's already a relatively well-subscribed suggestion that any person should have at least 4 months' worth of expenses (rent or mortgage, food, bills) in their bank account before they go spending their mad cash. Increase that a bit. Give yourself some peace of mind; and...

3. ...If you know you're a good employee at where you work (based off of your past reviews), ASK for it, dammit! Ask for that raise, or for the flex-time. Unless your boss is a complete moron, he will at the absolute worst tell you "no." If he fires you over it, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be next; because companies honestly cannot afford to lose high-quality workers, no matter what the job market looks like. And remember--this is also a very litigious society. They can't just up and fire you without a good trail of paperwork stating why, lest they open the door for a parade of lawyers. And if it's just a "lay-off" you receive, you can still take legal action if you know you have had good if not better reviews than other co-workers still working. Maybe you'll win, or maybe not; but you will still cause the company grief (and some bad press) in the process. And then the company's bottom line is negatively affected. They don't like that. You have to take the bull by the horns.

4. Form community or neighborhood support groups. Not only might you be able to help one another with food (etc.) if it comes to it, but your neighbors may have contacts for you to get a new job if you DO get fired/laid off. Networking--the 21st-century corporate America buzzword. It works! That's how I got the job I have now!

It all boils down to this: you may not be a powerful person, but you do have some personal power. Don't hand it away just so you can get the latest X-Box game or for a new SUV (which guzzles the gas that costs $2.40 a gallon on average). Be smart, and there will be bigger payoffs than just more money in your bank account. YOU will be in more control of your life. Believe me...after what I've gone through in the past 4 years, the feeling is incredible.

Power to the people! (raise fist now)

Patriot Act renewed (mostly)

The Patriot Act was renewed by a wide margin in the House. Read the following, and think about it for a moment:

Passage [of the Patriot Act] came with the specter of terrorism fresh in lawmakers' minds after another round of bombing incidents in London earlier in the day.

Hmm. How convenient. Blow up some bombs only a couple weeks before the House is scheduled to renew the Patriot Act? You can't be telling me this is coincidence. I honestly believe the bombings were not just timed to be nearly synchronous with each other, but timed in accordance to this legislation.

I am not saying that the terrorists are in league with people in Congress. That's stupid. However, it goes with my theory about evil spreading evil. I honestly think that the bombers did what they did with this purpose in mind: to "encourage" Congress to renew the Patriot Act. And, 14 of the 16 provisions in the Act are now permanent (they have to be intentionally repealed), with the remaining two extended for ten years.

The terrorists will keep on blowing up bombs in our cities until we're a dictator state. I guarantee it. Good resorts to evil means to combat Evil, and thus becomes Evil itself.

Awright!!!

Unocal, a California-based energy corporation, has rejected a $18.2 billion merger bid from a Chinese company in favor of a $17 billion bid from Chevron. Now, I'm all for spreading the wealth and for the economic growth of other nations, but...

AWRIGHT!!!

China owning a major US firm would be scary at best. As stated in the linked article, "American politicians have warned that CNOOC’s effort could pose risks to U.S. national security and called for a full review by the Bush administration. The Chinese company’s officials have welcomed a security review and denied that CNOOC was acting on behalf of China’s government, which is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar campaign to secure foreign oil and gas supplies to power its booming economy."

The point of the matter is, if CNOOC had bought out Unocal, the Chinese would have had access to advanced technology in drilling and refinement. See this link here for further opinion on this matter.

ADAPT OR DIE!

You may be saying to yourself, "Self... how does an Indian casino have anything to do with survival?"

In my home state (Maine), they passed a referendum a couple years ago. Well, more accurately, they defeated a referendum to allow the Passamaquoddy tribe (I belive) to build an Indian casino near Calais, ME. The "moral majority" thought it was in the best interest of our economy to resort to scare tactics (increased crime and traffic) to convince the voters that the casino was a bad idea.

The funny thing is... Maine is supposedly all about tourism. For Maine to make more tax dollars, they would have to increase the revenue from tourism (Maine should focus on industry, too, but that's another argument). To increase revenue from tourism, you have to increase tourism

More traffic.

When you have more traffic, you have more people coming in. And more people means more opportunities for criminals.

More crime!

NOT ONCE did I mention building a casino in those last few lines. Simply increasing tourism alone is enough to increase traffic and crime.

So the State of Connecticut gets $417 million, while the State of Maine gets SQUAT. All because some narrow-minded idiots felt it was their God-given right to scare the voters away from allowing the casino referendum to pass.

Actually... it is their right--their First Amendment right. And I don't have a problem with that. I guess the blame should fall squarely on the proponents of the casino initiative. They should've done more to prove to the citizens of Maine how the tax revenue from a casino (not to mention the industry and ancillary businesses it creates) would benefit everyone in this state.

Alas...

Well, next year is another voting year. It's my personal opinion to fatigue the opponents of a casino. What do I mean? Push the referendum every single year. Educate the voters. That, of course, would require a mess of money. If I remember correctly, that was the problem last time: the proponents didn't have enough money for the campaign.

Maybe next time. I hope.

Intellectual sado-masochism

Okay, maybe not quite that severe, but I seem to really be into mental self-torture.

If you read my other blog (Voyage to Xanadu Release Info), you will see that I received the final draft of my book. I've been hacking away at the final version like a madman, and everytime I stop and take pause about what I wrote, it's like someone stuck a knife into my heart. No, don't call 911! Not like that. I mean, emotionally. This book really strikes a bit too close to home. Of course, had you read most (if not all) of this blog, you would probably understand what I mean.

I just finished editing the part that says, "Something wanted him to realize that he should not stop dreaming. Wasn't there a vow he made?"

Nobody should lose sight of their dreams. However, my "dream" (and no, I am NOT on drugs!) is on a monumental and unrealistic scale. It still hurts, though, to realize this--that the dream is impossible. Why?

I'll ask my shrink.

"Walk the Walk", or, "If I Had My Druthers..."

I suppose by now, if you've read enough of this blog, you have a pretty clear idea of how I think and what I believe in. If not, let me spell it out for you.

I have no doubts that I'm delusional. I don't consider myself wise, but I think that I do often times have good ideas, and I would be remiss to not share them lest it not create new thought amongst other people. With that having been said, let me tell you what I'd do If I Had My Druthers.

I would form a new society. Can't do it here, so it would have to be on a distant world. Already, this is seeming impossible; but I told you I'm delusional. Anyway. What would this society look like?

1. It would be democratic. I like the US Constitution, and it likes me. We have long chats over a cup of tea. Okay, not really. But I know the founding fathers' hearts were in the right place. The Bill of Rights is your friend.

2. The government would be based solely on those wonderful "inalienable human rights": life, liberty, and the pursuit of beer. I mean, happiness. With that having been said (I love this phrase, apparently...somebody shoot me please!), the government would solely be there to ensure these rights are protected; and that the principles behind Maslow's hierarchy of needs are followed. People deserve a chance to be all they could be. What would our world be like right now if we had done just that? What discoveries would have already been made? What kind of scientific feats would we have accomplished. But that isn't the case. If I had my way, things would be different. With that having been said (there I go again), I'd like to announce my candidacy for President. ... NOT.

Okay, getting a bit too irreverent here.

3. There would be no death penalty. I cannot quote this verbatim, as I don't remember it too clearly, but Gandalf (from Lord of the Rings) said it best: "There are those who live who deserve death. There are those who die who deserve life. Can you give it to them?" So, what would I do with the most violent of criminals? Exile them so they can never threaten innocent lives again. In my book (Book 3--nowhere near publishable), the government there does just that--banishes the most incorrigible and dangerous criminals to a desert moon.

4. "Criminals" would be given every chance to properly be corrected before being tossed in a prison (where they can learn new ways of committing crimes). "Cruel and Unusual" would be redefined. I'd reinstate public humiliation (stocks...except not quite that way). Bruising the ego is much more effective than bruising the flesh. And if it's someone stealing solely to feed their family (or their habit), I'd instate counseling and therapy. If all else failed, and/or the person just doesn't want to try, then they go into not a minimum-security prison...not house arrest (like Martha)...it would be supermax. No way could they be in a situation where they could "learn" new tricks of the trade.

5. The social system: a lot of funding (running either just ahead or just behind military if it were needed) would go straight to education. There would be enough social welfare funds for those just put out of work for whatever reason (or unable to for whatever reason) and for the retirees. Outside of that, I'd have it so that the disabled had access to Vocational Rehabilitation (which I have)--a way to learn new trades they can use to feel some form of fulfillment in life and earn a decent wage. Other things could go in there too. I would definitely ensure there was enough funding in our elementary and subsequent schooling.

6. Affirmative action would go right out the window (I'm sure I just made a lot of enemies with that statement). But remember: this is a NEW society, first and foremost. That, and to make laws telling minorities they have certain rights in my opinion makes me wonder if they were less than a citizen to begin with. In the past, this was true. But the 13th and 14th Amendments should be more than enough. If I were a minority, and I was told I needed special laws to give me rights I should already have, I'd be irate! But, AA is a necessary evil in a world where people still cling to bigoted and antiquated ideals. In my society, I'd create a "double-blind" hiring law. In the first phase of hirihg, the hiring manager could only see the resume and references. In the second phase (the interview), the hiring manager could only see a representative amount of the individual, and the voice would be disguised. Enough would be shown to indicate cleanliness, posture, and other signs the manager needs to know if the person is a good candidate or not. This way, race can NEVER enter into the picture. If a company violated this rule, further hiring would be supervised either in a government hiring facility (already designed for this "double-blind" hiring process), or a representative of the labor department would watch the hiring process at the company's headquarters.

This is all I can think of at the moment. My biggest thing is for the free expression of the people; and to preserve their "inalienable human rights." People should be free to be whatever they can be, with minimal interference from the government (if possible). Of course, there will always be the need for safeguards--people being what they are (or can be).

I think I'm done for the night. Constructive input is welcome.

Why is the sky chartreuse?

I had someone ask me just yesterday why I chose such an odd name for my weblog. There are two reasons for the title of the blog:

1. It deals with objectivity and subjectivity. I read in another blog about how do we know what we see is what the other person sees. That is, if I see the sky and say it is blue, how do I know you see the same blue? Maybe to you it's chartreuse.

2. It deals with understanding why things are. Why is the sky blue (or chartreuse, or shit brundle)? Why are we here? Is there a greater purpose in our lives? Do I look fat in this outfit? Tastes great or less filling? You know... the important things.

So hopefully that answers that question.

Disagreement is healthy!

When I first started writing this blog, I generally was thinking of keeping an online journal of my thoughts. But now, as I think more (a dangerous thing!) about the purpose of this blog, I have come to the conclusion that I'd like it to be a catalyst for conversation and debate. Disagreement is healthy! The more someone disagrees with you, the more you are exposed to new ideas and ways of thinking. Nobody should limit their world view. It's that kind of behavior that not only leads to fundamentalist thinking and terrorism; but bigotry and violence in general. So I openly encourage people to constructively "flame" my posts, and maybe we all will learn and grow from it.

Anyway, I decided--me being the opinionated person I am--to send my thoughts to CNN about the bombings in London. Here's what I wrote, and it is in many ways what I said in yesterday's dissertation on the nature of evil:

I have seen one person comment, in regards to the London bombings, that we cannot "give in" to the terrorists and become pacifist. I don't think that's what the terrorists want. I believe they do want us to stand up to them. More accurately, they want the vast majority of us to either say or think along these lines:

"They should just turn their land into one big, glassy plain."

I've heard similar things from the mouths of people I know, and it is unacceptable. You only have to look at peoples' reactions after 9/11 to understand how things could go. Racial profiling and harassment went on the increase. Imagine how we'd react if (and when) the terrorists accomplish a larger feat of terror? The problem becomes this: how do we stop these kind of atrocities without resorting to things like racial profiling and ...well, for a lack of more concise phrasing... turning their homelands into glassy plains?

This is how Evil spreads, boys and girls. It pushes the forces of Good so far so that Good resorts to evil means to protect itself; and thus becomes Evil itself. It is insidious.

In George Orwell's 1984, the repressive government used the constant threat of external aggression to help justify its extreme measures of security. We don't want to go that way. We also don't want to go the way of racial profiling; nor do we want to resort to what essentially becomes genocide. That is not justice; that is just revenge.

So what do we do? Everyone needs to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious. People who learn that a neighbor is part of an extremist group and/or are plotting a terrorist event need to report it to the authorities. People need to be brave and not cow to fear. It takes patience, vigilance and discipline; and the terrorists are betting we don’t have it.

National (laugh) intelligence?

Well, apparently a splinter group of al Qaeda (allegedly) set off four bombs in the London Underground. This had our Department of Homeland Insecurity signal a warning to our large US cities to increase security; however, our national threat level (still the color Mauve I think) is to stay the same, as "...we do not have any intelligence indicating this type of attack is planned in the United States." (Link here)

Uh, huh. I wonder what intelligence Britain had before this happened.

I am now about to have my majorly Politically Incorrect Moment (tm). Only I can have this as I am a self-proclaimed political satirist. Here it is. ahem...

"We should turn the Middle East into one big, giant glassy plain."

I'm sure some of you thought that. Is it right? No, of course not. 99.9% of Muslims aren't terrorists. It's the 0.1% that spoils the bunch. Nobody has a good answer for solving that problem. Although...I do remember this story of how the British handled fighting the Muslims ... back in the 19th century, I believe, in Afghanistan. They'd grease their bullets with pig fat. Allegedly, it would make the Muslim impure when they died, and they'd never get into heaven.

That, of course, is also racial and bigoted. The problem here is, there's no way to solve this problem withouth resorting to some kind of form of racism or bigotry.

And that, my friends, is the nature of evil. Make the Good resort to such measures to combat the Evil, thus making the Good Evil itself. Couldn't have planned it better myself.

Riddle me this...

What if government, and society in general, was geared towards following the concepts behind Maslow's hierarchy of needs? What would that do for society? If people's basic needs are met, and they can follow the path to self-actualization, how much crime would there be? How much poverty? How much unhealthy behavior (drug addiction, obesity, etc)?

I wonder.

But, then again, if we were a nation of self-actualizing individuals, it would be a lot harder to control us, now wouldn't it? Rather, if everyone was living up to their full potential, there wouldn't be anyone to flip our burgers or clean our toilets. We can't have that now, can we?

This is a father speaking!

Apparently, some time last week, a fifteen-year old boy was stabbed and killed over an iPod.

This is the value of human life to some people. $299. Now, I can understand (well, no, not really) mugging someone for the $299 piece of electronics if the criminal is going to sell it for money; but outright killing a person over it is ... well, stupid. What goes through a person's mind--other than "DUHHHHH"--when they lift that blade to strike their victim? If you're going to rob someone, subdue them instead.

Or, even better, don't do it at all.

"DUHHHHHH"

This, of course, will now lead me into another political tirade. We Americans really love our Bill of Rights. "Cruel and Unusual." For sure. What's cruel and unusual is that we don't actually make a real effort to stop acts like this. Nevermind the cruelty and unusualness we place on our innocent citizens when we mollycoddle criminals and let them run rampant. Oh, you got caught? Throw you in jail where you can learn MORE tricks for committing crimes.

"DUHHHHHH"

There has to be another way. Media has made it "cool" to be a "gangsta" and to have been thrown in jail, because now you're "down". I see teenagers running all over the place with do-rags on their heads and their pants down to their knees. Is it really nothing more than a style? Or do some of these kids fancy themselves "gangstas"? What if we did like in the Muslim world, where if you steal from someone, you lose an appendage? I imagine violent crime in those countries is pretty low.

Or, we could do something a little less ...extreme. Education. We could force the media to make it UNCOOL to be a gangsta. Oh, but then we'd be infringing on the media's First Amendment rights. God forbid. Or, we could offer psychiatric help to troubled teens that can (and often do) turn into our violent offenders. But then we'd have to raise taxes (or cut spending somewhere else) to pay for that. God forbid. Or, parents could take a more active role in raising their children; and whenever the child comes home with a CD that says "violence is cool," the parent promptly confiscates it and smashes it with a 16-pound sledgehammer. Oh, but that would be violent, too, I guess. And, it would interfere with the parent's watching Reality TV Show (tm). God forbid!

I guess, as a society, we're pretty screwed. Is the Second Coming here yet? Hurry UP, Jesus!!!

Are these people bored or something?

I'm a systems administrator, so I have to deal with the threat of computer viruses on a daily basis. Every day I go to the Symantec website to see what new threats are out there, and there seems to be at least 4 new viruses every day.

The people who write these viruses...are they bored or something? They have absolutely nothing better to do with their lives other than to keep Symantec in business? Why not try to stop world hunger? Or help improve an impoverished neighborhood? Or even just go outside and exercise that flab offa their bodies that they've accumulated after sitting in front of a computer for the past sixteen years trying to write these lame-ass viruses and trojans?

Give me a break!