Things I am conservative about

I grew up conservative. But I'm finding the Republican party and, moreso, the whole finger pointing system that plagues our government extremely distasteful; it doesn't fix the problem and it creates unnecessary strife.

I'm reading Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrel and I tend to agree with the excerpt I'm about to post than disagree. I see his gripe in the manufacturing world a lot - upper management creating rules without the advice of the people closer to the product (not at my company ... but this is a well known attribute of bad management - not listening to your workforce). Upper management determines quality of the product, end of story. They can blame the guys working on the machinery and putting the materials together.  And those guys make mistakes, don't get me wrong. But their mistakes are very micro. Upper management mistakes have a long reach. The guys lugging the chemicals around don't determine the type of materials they receive to make the product (power of the purse) or how they should put the materials together. And the guys with grease up to their elbows don't determine the machinery they are able to use. This is determined by upper management.

The one thing that sits wrong with the following excerpt would be the higher chance of killing civilians. And I guess that's one of the many reasons war is war.  I'm sure there's an optimal middle that can be found between the safety of our military, the safety of civilians in nations of unrest, and the capture and removal of bad guys.

So here is a long excerpt from Lone Survivor.

It's been an insidious progression, the criticisms of the US Armed Forces from politicians and from the liberal media, which knows nothing of combat, nothing of our training, and nothing of the mortal dangers we face out there on the front line. Each of the six of us in that aircraft en route to Afghanistan had constantly in the back of our minds the ever-intrusive rules of engagement.

These are drawn up for us to follow by some politician sitting in some distant committee room in Washington, DC. And that's a very long way from the battlefield, where a sniper's bullet can blast your head, where the slightest mistake can cost your life, where you need to kill your enemy before he kills you.

And these ROE are very specific: we may not open fire until we are fired upon or have positively identified our enemy and have proof of his intentions. Now, that's all very gallant. But how about a group of US soldiers who have been on patrol for several days; have been fired upon; have dodged rocket-propelled grenades and homemade bombs; have sustained casualties; and who are very nearly exhausted and maybe slightly scared?

How about when a bunch of guys wearing colored towels around their heads and brandishing AK-47s come charging over the horizon straight toward you? Do you wait for them to start killing your team, or do you mow the bastards down before they get a chance to do so?

That situation might look simple in Washington, where the human rights of terrorists are often given high priority. And I am certain liberal politicians would defend their position to the death. Because every knows liberals have never been wrong about anything. You can ask them. Anytime.

However, from the standpoint of the US combat soldier, Ranger, SEAL, Green Beret, or whatever, those ROE represent a very serious conundrum. We understand we must obey them because they happen to come under the laws of the country we are sworn to serve. But they represent a danger to us....

I can say from firsthand experience that those rules of engagement cost the lives of three of the finest US Navy SEALs who have ever served....

I am hopeful that one day soon, the US government will learn that we can be trusted. We know about bad guys, what they do, and, often, who they are. The politicians have chosen to send us into battle, and that's our trade. We do what's necessary. And in my view, once those politicians have elected to send us out to do what 99.9 percent of the country would be terrified to undertake, they should get the hell out of the way and stay there.

The entire business of modern war crimes, as identified by teh liberal wings of politicas and the media, began in Iraq and has been running downhill every since. Everyone's got to have his little hands in it, blathering on about the public's right to know.

Well, in the view of most Navy SEALs, the public does not have that right to know, not if it means placing our lives in unnecessary peril because someone in WAshington is driving himself mad worying about the human rights of some cold-hearted terrorist fanatic who would kill us as soon as look at us, as wlel as any other American at whom he could point that wonky old AK of his.

...

I promise you, every insurgent, freedom fighter, and stray gunman in Iraq who we arrested knew the ropes, knew that the way out was to announce he had been tortured by the Americans, ill treated, or prevented from reading the Koran or eating his breakfast or watching the television. They all knew al-Jazeera, the Arab broadcasters, would pick it up, and it would be relayed to the USA, where the liberal media would joyfully accuse all of us of being murderers or barbarians or something. Those terrorist organizations laugh at the US media, and they know exactly how to use the system against us.

...

I am not a political person, and as a Navy SEAL I am sworn to defend my country and carry out the wishes of my commander in chief, the president of the United States, whoever he may be, Republican or Democrat. I am a patriot; I fight for the USA and for my home state of Texas [shocker]. I simply do not want to see some of the best young men in the country hesitating to join the elite branches of the US Armed Services because they're afraid they might be accused of war crimes by their own side, just for attacking the enemy.

And I know one thing for certain. If I ever rounded a mountainside in Afghanistan and came face to face with Osama bin Laden, the man who masterminded the vicious, unprovoked attack on my country, killing 2,752 innocent American civilians in New York on 9/11, I'd shoot him dead, in cold blood.

At which point, urged on by an outraged American media, the millitary would probably incarcerate me under the jail, never mind in it. And then I'd be charged with murder.

Tell you what. I'd still shoot the sonofabitch.

smart guy

"All dames are alike: they reach down your throat and they can grab your heart, pul it out and they throw it on the floor, step on it with their high heels, spit on it, shove it in the oven and cook the shit out of it. Then they slice it into little pieces, slam it on a hunk of toast, and serve it to you and then expect you to say, 'Thanks, honey, it was delicious.'"

random thing i stole about how the economic crisis affects charities, movie store, and your mom

the charities suffer because you stop donating.
the movie theater and the candy store suffer because you stop spending money.
and you dont have enough money saved to pay back your mom.

you're in an economic crisis.




I found this on a twitpic. I have no clue what the context was. But I liked the the randomosity of the candy store/mom stuff.
(I personally had thought the candy stores took an economic hit during the atkins time ... I'm sure they're bummed they're always the first to suffer. Seems like candy would help you out during hard times.)

lululemon athletica quotes

I got this big, red poster type thing from lululemon. And it has lots of quotes on it I like. This is preventing me from throwing it away. So therefore, I will write the quotes on my blog so I can throw away the red paper.

drink fresh water and as much water as you can. water flushes unwanted toxins from your body and keeps your brain sharp.

a daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you be at peace with yourself, and offset stress.

the pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.

do one thing a day that scares you.

listen, listen, listen, and then ask strategic questions.
write down your short and long-term GOALS four times a year. two personal, two business and two helath goals for the next1, 5, and 10 years. goal setting triggers your subconscious computer.

life is full of setbacks.
success is determined by how you handle setbacks.

your outlook on life is a direct reflection of how much you like yourself.

what we do to the earht we do to ourselves.

the world is changing at such a rapid rate that waiting to implement changes will leave you 2 steps behind.
do it now, do it now, do it now.

friends are more important than money.

visualize your eventual demise. it can have an amazing effect on how you live your life for the moment.

don't trust that an old age pension will be sufficient.

that which matters the most should never give way to that which matters the least.

stress is related to 99% of all illness.

take various vitamins. you never know what small mineral can eliminate the bottleneck to everlasting health. (okay i dont agree with this one just sayin)

jealousy works the opposite way you want it to.

breath deeply and appreciate the moment. living in the moment could be the meaning of life.

observe a plant before and after watering and relate these benefits to your body and brain.
practice yoga so you can remain active in physical sports as you age.

children are the orgasm of life.
just like you did not know what an orgasm was before you had one, nature does not let you know how great children are until you actually have them.

successful people replace the words 'wish' 'should' and 'try' with 'i will'.

creativity is maximized when you're living in the moment.
nature wants us to be mediocre because we have a greater chance to survive and reproduce. mediocrity is as close to the bottom as it is to the top, and will give you a lousy life.

do not sue cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters or floors. someone will inevitably make a sandwich on your counter.

sweat once a day to regenerate your skin.

the conscious brain can only hold one thought at a time. choose a positive thought.

live near the ocean and inhale the pure salt air that flows over the water, vancouver will do nicely.

communication is complicated. we are all raised in a different family with slightly different definitions of every word. an agreement is an agreement only if each party knows the conditions for satisfaction and a time is set for satisfaction to occur.

DANCE, SING, FLOSS AND TRAVEL.

Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance

I watched a pretty decent movie. It's called Koyaanisqatsi: Life Out of Balance.

ITs more of something you would watch at an IMAX or something. As it is just nature scenes or people walking on a sidewalk in fast motion or buildings with clouds reflected on it. And its 88 minutes long with no talking.

But the following is a definition of the word Koyaanisqatsi. And then the second is translation of some of the chants in the soundtrack.

KOYAANISQATSI
ko yaa nis qatsi (from the Hopi language) n. 1. crazy life 2. life in turmoil 3. life out of balance 4. life disintegrating 5. a state of life that calls for another way of living

“If we dig precious things from the land, we will invite disaster.”
“Near the Day of Purification, there will be cobwebs spun back and forth in the sky.”
“A container of ashes might one day be thrown from the sky, which could burn the land and boil the oceans.”


I totally didnt get a koyannisqatsi vibe at all from the movie. Except maybe the last 10 minutes or so. But it showed the skyscrapers in slow mo and with the sun reflecting off of it. And it showed twinkies being made in a factory! I mean, whats so doom and gloom about that? I got more of a hustle and bustle hecticness get back to nature feel from it.

This is all.

Chuck Klosterman FTW

It strikes me that every wrongheaded sentiment in society ultimately derives from the culture of inherent, unconditional rightness. As I grow older, I find myself less prone to have an opinion about anything, and to distrust just about everyone who does. Whenever I meet someone who openly identifies themselves as a Republican of a Democrat, my immediate thought is always, Well, this person might be interesting, but they'll never say anything about politics that's remotely useful to me. I refuse to discuss abortion with anyone who is pro-life or pro-choice; I refuse to discuss affirmative action with any unemployed white guy or any unemployed black guy. All the world's stupidest people are either zealots or atheists. If you want to truly deduce how intelligent someone is, just ask this person how they feel about any issue that doesn't have an answer; the more certainty they express, the less sense they have. This is because certainty only comes from dogma.

EAT MY JUSTICE!

Tick: It's your turn now, Thorace-bog.
Thrakkorzog: It's Thrakkorzog. Thrakkorzog. With a K.
Tick: We're only serving humble pie, Whatchamazog.
Thrakkorzog: For the last time, it's...
Tick: Thorax-and-a-bog. Four-yacks-and-a-dog.
Thrakkorzog: No.
Tick: Ah, laxative-log.
Thrakkorzog: No, no, no.
Tick: Sapsucker-frog.
Thrakkorzog: Thrakkorzog.
Tick: Susan?
Thrakkorzog: Now you're doing it on purpose. How juvenile.

Arthur! That belt is a fashion accessory of evil! And evil is never in fashion!

We've got to smack evil on the snout with the rolled-up newspaper of goodness!

Terror: You think you can take me, do ya?
Tick: You got that right, you big weenie.
Terror: Bah! I'll fold you into my wallet and spend you on a whore!

Interviewer: Can you see through steel?
Tick: No
Interviewer: Can you create energy based multiples of yourself?
Tick: Whoa! Nope
Interviewer: Can you destroy the earth?
Tick: YE GADS! I hope not! That's where I keep all of my stuff!

I can't read your crazy moon language!

Excerpt: "Chapter: Penelope" by James Joyce, from Ulysses.

"Molly's soliloquy ends, "O and the sea the sea crimson sometimes like fire and the glorious sunsets and the figtrees in the Alameda gardens yes and all the queer little streets and pink and blue and yellow houses and the rosegardens and the jessamine and geraniums and cactuses and Gibralter as a girl where I was a Flower of the mountain yes when I put the rose in my hair like the Andalusian girls used or shall I wear a red yes and how he kissed me under the Morrish wall and I thought well as well him as another and then I asked him with my eyes to ask again yes and then he asked me would I yes to say yes my mountain flower and first I put my arms around him yes and drew him down to me so he could feel my breasts all perfume yes and his heart was going like mad and yes I said yes I will Yes."

I, like Sharon, really like run on sentences. That part at the end ... with all the "yes"ses and the "and"s and its lack of punctuation makes me yes

Lucky Jim

Not only is the 1st paragraph of Ch. 6 the best description of a hangover I've ever read ...

"His mouth had been used as a latrine by some small creature of the night, and then as its mausoleum."

But I read this today too.

"All the same, what messes these women got themselves into over nothing. Men got themselves into messes too, and ones that weren't so easily got out of, but their messes arose from attempts to satisfy real and simple needs."

Dont particularly agree with that 100% (the first half, yes; the second half, not so much) but still was funny to read because the first part is SO TRUE SOMETIMES.
You couldnt believe some of the problems I've dreamt up in my head that didnt really exist.

"I would say about individuals: an individual dies when he ceases to be surprised. What keeps me alive — spiritually, emotionally, intellectually — is my ability to be surprised. I say, I take nothing for granted. I am surprised every morning that I see the sun shine again. When I see an act of evil, I am not accommodated — I don't accommodate myself to the violence that goes on everywhere. I'm still surprised. That's why I'm against it; why I can fight against it. We must learn how to be surprised, not to adjust ourselves. I am the most maladjusted person in society."

Abraham Joshua Heschel

more american gangster

"hey hey hey hey! dont rub on that! you blot that! ya understand? thats alpaca! thats $25,000 alpaca. you blot that shiat. you dont rub it. put the club soda on there."

I think that should definitely be a memorable quote.