Nov 30, 2003

Survival?

I must admit I was intrigued by the first show. But each show after that has left me with a nagging feeling that, like most of these "reality" shows, they got it all backwards.

If these wilderness survival scenarios had a ring of truth to them, wouldn't the point be to keep the people? The more that survive, the better the chance for long-term survival. Wouldn't continually narrowing the field down to only one mean you wouldn't survive? Tribe against tribe or man against the elements, the idea should be to have as many left standing as possible, not to turn on each other and knock your tribal mates off.

If they want to use that definition of survival, put it in a corporate environment.

Woman Knocked Unconscious While Shopping

And for $29, the damn thing will probably only last about as many days.

My parents always taught me not to buy cheap. Don't go for the most expensive, either, but realize that if you buy cheap, you get cheap. And when it breaks and you have to replace it, you end up paying more in the long run. That lesson has served me well, as I have a multitude of objects that are still in use and working fine (tvs, vcr, computers, appliances...)

They also taught me that shopping on Black Friday is just plain nuts.

Nov 28, 2003

L.A. Official: Computer Labels Offensive : "LOS ANGELES - A county official has asked computer and video equipment vendors to consider eliminating the terms 'master' and 'slave' from equipment because they may be considered offensive. "

Well, I never...

I had no input into the designation of "official" nor for the qualifications thereof, so I am offended by the use of this designation for said person. As there are neither vending machines nor foot travel involved here, thus "vendor" is a wholly inappropriate term. Eliminating implies freeing oneself from, thus implying captivity or bondage, thus, again, a wholly inappropriate and denigrating term. Equipment, being defined as "something with which a person, an organization, or a thing is equipped" and as "equipped" is determined to be supplying "with necessities such as tools or provisions" and as there is no determination as to the degree of necessity or who is qualified to make this kind of a judgment, I also find this term offensive. And angels are everywhere. What right does this place have to lay claim to them?

"Primary!" "Secondary!" How offensive to pit one's capabilities against another!

Some people have too much time on their hands. Oh, right. Government employee.

Whoops.

"Greater opportunity for women is probably the most significant gain for human freedom in the last century. But with this gain has come a somewhat unexpected problem: How do we restore a sense of masculinity that is vaguely civilized?"

Why should gain on one side result in loss on the other? It's not a seesaw, dammit.

None? There is a difference between religion and spirituality. Too many are brought up to feel that they must adhere to the specific "rules and regs" of a particular religion.

I am fortunate to have found an interfaith community, where I am free to use Buddhist prayer beads without declaring myself a Buddhist, recite prayers without declring myself either Catholic or Protestant, perform rituals without declaring myself Pagan.

Regardless of what the Bible says, it is still the "word of God" as interpreted by man.

I once saw a very amusing example of this. A simple sentence, like "I didn't tell everyone you were an idiot" with the emphasis placed on different words creating different interpretations.

"I didn't tell everyone you were an idiot." (Someone else did.)
"I didn't tell everyone you were an idiot." (But I should.)
"I didn't tell everyone you were an idiot." (They reached that conclusion entirely on their own.)

You get the idea.

So, thru various storytellers, interpretations, and translations, who really knows what the "word of God" was? What was mis-interpreted? What was twisted around? Ecclesiastical Whisper Down The Lane...

"Woman Leads Fight Against Nigerian Fraudsters "

Well, there's a .000000002% drop in my spam...

"The women, he said, simply knocked on the door of his hotel room, entered and had sex with him. He said he did not know if they were prostitutes because they never asked for money and he did not pay them. "

So, another one inherited the dips--t gene.

Nov 27, 2003

1. What is your favorite room in your house/apartment and why?

The sunporch. Warm, breezy, with a view of the gardens. Protected from the unpredictableness of the weather, it's where I meditate, write, read, or just muse.

2. Have you ever read a book you hated, but had to keep reading anyway? What book was it?

Just about every high school textbook encountered.

3. What's the best way to eat a cupcake?

Icing last. And lots of it. So sweet it makes your teeth hurt and you swear you'll never eat another one. Which you do about 20 minutes later.

4. What detail do you remember best in the last book you read?

"Creativity and imagination are not frosting on a cake: They are integral to our sustainability. They are survival mechanisms. They are of the essence of who we are. They constitute our deepest empowerment." Matthew Fox, in Creativity, Where the Divine and the Human Meet.

5. In his Absolute Blank article this month, Stephen Simpson (Macfisto) compares writing a first novel to running a marathon. What sport would you compare your writing process to?

Swimming - in uncured concrete

Questions from Toasted Cheese.

Nov 26, 2003

"Cinnamon spice produces healthier blood "

Yum. And just in time for pumpkin pie.

Short shrift: "Life is a disability. After all, at some point, at some time, somewhere, everyone is going to feel at a disadvantage for not being smart enough or strong enough or beautiful enough or even short enough. The point is to deal, not consider better living through chemistry."

Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/25/2003 | John Grogan | The dos and don'ts of using duct tape: "Ever since the Great Duct Tape Scare of last February, an alarming number of parents seem to think duct tape is the greatest child-rearing invention since disposable diapers."

Are parents getting lazy, or are they just plain stupid? Want something cute and adorable with your eye color and hair? Bring back the Cabbage Patch dolls. Tape 'em up all you want. Leave 'em in a hot car. Lock 'em in the basement. But if you don't have the time and energy it takes to be a parent, I suggest you duct tape something else...

Philly.com - "The Region's Home Page": "'To be honest, we really didn't think so many people would want it.'"

So why the f--- did you make it? Honestly, companies can't make prescription drugs unless there's enough of a market for them (regardless of the cost of human suffering and the quality of life of those with rare illnesses) while other companies waste resources on things like this just for a bit of entertainment on ebay.

Nov 16, 2003

I'M RIDING IN MY CAR

1. The first car I ever drove was a...

Ford Maverick. The color was Hula-blue. Such a clever play-on-words. (If anyone understands that, it will seriously date me.) I was rather intrigued by the clever commercialism of it.

2. My dream car is...

One I haven't found yet. A small but roomy, little care creation. That can slough off dirt like the coat of an Eskimon Spitz. Sleek, elegant lines on a sturdy, rugged frame. Not the stuff of glitzy commercials, but a jump-in-and-drive-rugged creation with an understated air of elegance. Like an evening gown with cowboy boots.

3. Can you drive a vehicle with a stick shift? If yes, how long did it take you to learn?

Yes. The learning curve was short and pertrifying. The bonding of car and driver was always easy for me. I fleetingly considered the life of a racecar driver, but could not reconcile with the purposelessness of the trip.

4. What is the fastest you have ever driven?

Some insane speed on the turnpike. Keeping up with the rest of the traffic until I considered the possibility of what any one of the idiots around me could do.

5. How many people you have crammed into a vehicle at one time?

8 or 9, in a Volkswagon Beetle. For a 3 hour drive. Absolutely nuts, especially considering the company.