I listened to President Bush outling his definition for victory. He laid out his multi-level approach to when our troops come home. He said the same stuff as before though I do not think he used the term "evil-doers". Punidts on both sides either applauded or denounced it. However the big Elephant was there for all to see.
If the goal is for our troops to leave when Iraqi forces can "stand up" then we are admitting there will be a reason to have those Iraqi troops standing up. We are admitting that there will be war when we leave. Even the President is admitting this. We will leave Iraq at best a land where factions are fighting each other. At worst we will leave and let the Iraqi government fight a civil war for its survival.
That is the Elephant that nobody really wants to talk about. We are getting ready to leave Iraq in a state of destruction. Destruction wrought upon it by Sadam, Bush senior, Clinton, and George Bush. Even the President is not talking about leaving Iraq in peace. Only leaving with the government troops able to fight the war themselves. We are now being prepped by Bush and Congress to accepet Iraq as a war zone and at the same time cheer ourselves as victorious warriors.
I heard a Bush league pundit say that we "cannot walk into the future while looking into the past" regarding our desire to know how we got into this war. Well we better pay attention or we will be duped again. We all are to blame for this mess. Congress did have 90% of the info the White House had. And they are not dumb people. They saw the flimsy evidence but went along. Nobody wanted to act week after 911. So we all gave Bush the benefit of the doubt and trusted our troops to sqwash Iraq. Well this should instruct us not to trust one President when all sorts of other people are saying something different. It should instruct us to the value of real debate. Iraq is an example of letting your hart rule your actions.
Still the Elephant remains. We are getting ready to leave Iraq in a state of war. Not good. Not at all. But probably unavoidable and the best that can be achieved now. But hey we should everyone how tough we are. Right?
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
Of boots and feet
I calculated that if I replaced my Raichle Montanga's with the La Sportiva Trango S EVO, on a two mile hike I would save my body from having to lift 5,922.56 lbs of boot. The calculation is rough but goes like this....
Old Boots weigh 6 lbs
New Boots weight 3.2 lbs
Two Miles of Trail run 10,576 ft
Average stride 2.5ft
Strides in Two Miles: 10,576 / 2.5 = 4,230.4
Weight per stride (old boot) = 3lbs
Weight per stride (new boot) = 1.6lbs
Total boot wieght for two miles (old boot) = 12,691.2 lbs
Total boot weight for two miles (new boot) = 6,768.64 lbs
That is an amazing amount of lifting your legs do aside from the act of lifting the rest of your body and backpack. Just my old boots make my body lift 6.35 tons on a short little two mile jaunt.
Old Boots weigh 6 lbs
New Boots weight 3.2 lbs
Two Miles of Trail run 10,576 ft
Average stride 2.5ft
Strides in Two Miles: 10,576 / 2.5 = 4,230.4
Weight per stride (old boot) = 3lbs
Weight per stride (new boot) = 1.6lbs
Total boot wieght for two miles (old boot) = 12,691.2 lbs
Total boot weight for two miles (new boot) = 6,768.64 lbs
That is an amazing amount of lifting your legs do aside from the act of lifting the rest of your body and backpack. Just my old boots make my body lift 6.35 tons on a short little two mile jaunt.
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Ae we ready for a pandemic if it comes? What the hell! We already have one!!!!!!!!!
Currently the worst pandemic in human history is upon us. It is not bird flu. It is a virus that is 100% fatal if untreated and even with treatment life is shortened and life quality effected. The pandemic is the HIV/AIDS pandemic. To date this pandemic has killed 25 million people. 5 million people have come down with it this year alone. 3.1 million people die of the disease each year. 40 million more are infected. 40,000 US citizens come down with the illness each year. In africa, where the pandemic is currently hitting hardest only 1 in 10 infected people are being treated. In Asia the pandemic is out pacing all actions to stop it.
Yet here we are worried about Bird Flu. Currently if you become infected with it the odds of you dying are as yet unkown. The mortality rate in Asian cases is 72%. If you put the deaths in context that percentage should not look as frightening. The cases documented are of very poor people living in terrible conditions and treated with substandard care at the outset of their illness. If an American contracted the illness in the US, I would imagine the mortality would be less. Aids is as 100% fatal for the American as it is for the Botswanan, though it takes 10 to fifteen years to manifest itself. At best a patient will live the rest of their lives ingesting loads of anti-retroviral drugs.
Are we ready for bird flu? Bird flu is a cake walk to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has been raging out of control for 20 years.
Info Sources - The Aids Pandemic in the 21st Century - United States Agency for International Development issued in 2004
- Center for Disease Control
Yet here we are worried about Bird Flu. Currently if you become infected with it the odds of you dying are as yet unkown. The mortality rate in Asian cases is 72%. If you put the deaths in context that percentage should not look as frightening. The cases documented are of very poor people living in terrible conditions and treated with substandard care at the outset of their illness. If an American contracted the illness in the US, I would imagine the mortality would be less. Aids is as 100% fatal for the American as it is for the Botswanan, though it takes 10 to fifteen years to manifest itself. At best a patient will live the rest of their lives ingesting loads of anti-retroviral drugs.
Are we ready for bird flu? Bird flu is a cake walk to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that has been raging out of control for 20 years.
Info Sources - The Aids Pandemic in the 21st Century - United States Agency for International Development issued in 2004
- Center for Disease Control
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Murtha and how to misquote him
I keep hearing how Jack Murtha from Pennsylvania wants the troops out imeadiately. NPR says it, CNN says it, CBS says it. Of course Jack Murtha never said it. But that doesn't matter. It matters more that the story is enhanced if he had said it so lets just pretened that he did. What he actually said, in his House Resolution, was this....
Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That: The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
What he is saying is that since the President is unwilling to look facts in the face the Congress, who has the power to wage war and conclude peace, has to act. All the resolution would do would be to redirect things so that they are descalating toward no troops in Iraq. "The earliest practicable date" could mean 6 months or longer. And even then the force would not be gone, only out of the site of most Iraqi's. This pretty much gels with what Iraqi leaders want too.
But let us not look at the actual words of the honorable Mr. Murtha. Let us listen to Cheney or Bush or anyone of a hundred pundits all commenting on Murtha without actually discussing the resolution. Let us not discuss what took Murtha to his current way of thinking. Does anyone know why he did what he did? Is anyone discussing the facts? No.
Fact: In recent surrvey's 70% of Iraqi do not approve of being occupied.
Fact: 45% of surrvied Iraqi's consider attacks against US soldiers totally legitamate self defense.
Fact: Insurgent attacks have increased from 150 a week in 2003-4 to over 700 a week in 2005
Fact: Infrastructure in Iraq remains below where it was prior to the invasion.
Fact: 60% of the nation is unemployed
All Jack Murtha is trying to do, like a true patriot who loves his country, is direct our vision to reality and get us to discuss the big elephant in the living room before it stomps on us.
For those of you who do not know who Murtha is:
"This is Jack Murtha, who left college during the Korean War to enlist as a private in the United States Marine Corps, and who later, as a 33-year-old husband and father of three, volunteered to fight in combat in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded and received the Bronze Star with combat "V," two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Nobody -- not even the most conservative commando with the biggest flag lapel pin in the House Republican leadership -- dares to suggest that Jack Murtha is "soft" personally or politically on communists, terrorists or any enemy of America. He is recognized as the knowledgeable and informed Democratic hawk on defense in the House, whose counsel and support have been highly valued by presidents, national security advisors and defense secretaries in both parties.
Twice Murtha, in the House, voted to back invasions of Iraq by a president named Bush. Today, recently back from a return inspection visit there, Murtha is upset and angry about Iraq, its future and the well-being of this nation's military men and women their civilian leadership have stationed there"
-source May 8th 2004 CNN
Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
That: The deployment of United States forces in Iraq, by direction of Congress, is hereby terminated and the forces involved are to be redeployed at the earliest practicable date. A quick-reaction U.S. force and an over-the-horizon presence of U.S. Marines shall be deployed in the region. The United States of America shall pursue security and stability in Iraq through diplomacy.
What he is saying is that since the President is unwilling to look facts in the face the Congress, who has the power to wage war and conclude peace, has to act. All the resolution would do would be to redirect things so that they are descalating toward no troops in Iraq. "The earliest practicable date" could mean 6 months or longer. And even then the force would not be gone, only out of the site of most Iraqi's. This pretty much gels with what Iraqi leaders want too.
But let us not look at the actual words of the honorable Mr. Murtha. Let us listen to Cheney or Bush or anyone of a hundred pundits all commenting on Murtha without actually discussing the resolution. Let us not discuss what took Murtha to his current way of thinking. Does anyone know why he did what he did? Is anyone discussing the facts? No.
Fact: In recent surrvey's 70% of Iraqi do not approve of being occupied.
Fact: 45% of surrvied Iraqi's consider attacks against US soldiers totally legitamate self defense.
Fact: Insurgent attacks have increased from 150 a week in 2003-4 to over 700 a week in 2005
Fact: Infrastructure in Iraq remains below where it was prior to the invasion.
Fact: 60% of the nation is unemployed
All Jack Murtha is trying to do, like a true patriot who loves his country, is direct our vision to reality and get us to discuss the big elephant in the living room before it stomps on us.
For those of you who do not know who Murtha is:
"This is Jack Murtha, who left college during the Korean War to enlist as a private in the United States Marine Corps, and who later, as a 33-year-old husband and father of three, volunteered to fight in combat in Vietnam, where he was twice wounded and received the Bronze Star with combat "V," two Purple Hearts and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry.
Nobody -- not even the most conservative commando with the biggest flag lapel pin in the House Republican leadership -- dares to suggest that Jack Murtha is "soft" personally or politically on communists, terrorists or any enemy of America. He is recognized as the knowledgeable and informed Democratic hawk on defense in the House, whose counsel and support have been highly valued by presidents, national security advisors and defense secretaries in both parties.
Twice Murtha, in the House, voted to back invasions of Iraq by a president named Bush. Today, recently back from a return inspection visit there, Murtha is upset and angry about Iraq, its future and the well-being of this nation's military men and women their civilian leadership have stationed there"
-source May 8th 2004 CNN
The Bush league better catch a clue!
The White House is like a guy who goes into a movie theater and yells "fire" then gets caught and trys to argues that it isn't really his fault since everyone else ran out of the theater too.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire vs Jar Head
HP
For starters this series almost always puts me to sleep. It just keeps going on and on and on. It is like going to prep-school while partaking often of LSD. The weird characters and magical jiggery-pokery just keeps comming at you. There always seems to be some kind of sporting event with lots of flying around and hooliganism. And for all the magical stuff things are pretty squalid. Can't they clean that Hogwart dump up? Does it have to look so shitty? Shouldn't it be at least as advanced as the non-magical world the gandalf-wana-bes come frome? Still the place and stories seem to have enormous appeal to young people and old people. The story in this film, like most of them, while attempting to be vast and expansive, is real two dimensional. I always, about half way through the films, tend to wonder "okay so who is the bad guy? Wormwood...no....thats not it..." and so on. So how does this rate with Star Wars. Very similar. Loud and shallow. It has better acting and much better dialogue but it is pretty much the same. This movie gets a 7
Jar Head
This movie is the least bloody war film I have seen in quite some time. What it lacks in blood it more than makes up for with characters. The main character is solid and is crafted so well that you like, loath, love, and hate him almost all at once. This would be an excellent film to accompany Three Kings and Blackhawk Down as a desert war trilogy. Films like this eat Harry Potter and Star Wars like a couple MRE's. It gets a 9.
For starters this series almost always puts me to sleep. It just keeps going on and on and on. It is like going to prep-school while partaking often of LSD. The weird characters and magical jiggery-pokery just keeps comming at you. There always seems to be some kind of sporting event with lots of flying around and hooliganism. And for all the magical stuff things are pretty squalid. Can't they clean that Hogwart dump up? Does it have to look so shitty? Shouldn't it be at least as advanced as the non-magical world the gandalf-wana-bes come frome? Still the place and stories seem to have enormous appeal to young people and old people. The story in this film, like most of them, while attempting to be vast and expansive, is real two dimensional. I always, about half way through the films, tend to wonder "okay so who is the bad guy? Wormwood...no....thats not it..." and so on. So how does this rate with Star Wars. Very similar. Loud and shallow. It has better acting and much better dialogue but it is pretty much the same. This movie gets a 7
Jar Head
This movie is the least bloody war film I have seen in quite some time. What it lacks in blood it more than makes up for with characters. The main character is solid and is crafted so well that you like, loath, love, and hate him almost all at once. This would be an excellent film to accompany Three Kings and Blackhawk Down as a desert war trilogy. Films like this eat Harry Potter and Star Wars like a couple MRE's. It gets a 9.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Why wanting our troops out of Iraq is patriotic
If you love your country and value its power and reputation you would be against this war. You would demand the President laydown the strategy to achieve victory and the terms when our soldiers could come home. The patriot should utterly reject the notion that soldiers should determine when our nation fights and for how long. That power resides in the hands of the people, not generals. The President may wish to fight but the final decision is not his to make. This is a democratic republic not a dictatorship.
ARTICLE 1, SECTION 8
The Congress shall have Power to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.
Of course our leaders continually find observing the law problematic hence the War Powers Act of 1973. Yet our nations fate is still in the hands of the people. The generals, and those in favor of war, can present arguments to sway the people, but the people are always the final arbiters of their nations fate. Should those arguments be shown to be false or error filled, it is the patriotic thing to point that out. If the war has been started under such pretenses then the patriotic thing to do is end it quickly. And the patriotic thing to do is force its leaders to obsserve the nations laws not circumvent them for political expediency.
Finally as a patriot you would demand the removal and prosecution of those who a: did not observe the law, and b: led us to war based on errors and misinformation.
ARTICLE 1, SECTION 8
The Congress shall have Power to declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.
Of course our leaders continually find observing the law problematic hence the War Powers Act of 1973. Yet our nations fate is still in the hands of the people. The generals, and those in favor of war, can present arguments to sway the people, but the people are always the final arbiters of their nations fate. Should those arguments be shown to be false or error filled, it is the patriotic thing to point that out. If the war has been started under such pretenses then the patriotic thing to do is end it quickly. And the patriotic thing to do is force its leaders to obsserve the nations laws not circumvent them for political expediency.
Finally as a patriot you would demand the removal and prosecution of those who a: did not observe the law, and b: led us to war based on errors and misinformation.
Awe the sounds of democracy
I heard a bunch of yelling in Congress today and it brought tears of joy to my eyes. That is the sound of democracy, the sound of passionate debate, the sounds of a nation grappling with wieghty decisions about a war. Better that than a quiet office in the White House.
Thursday, November 17, 2005
NPR letter put into perspective
My recent letter read on NPR's All Things Considered is, by an large, how I feel. But it was hacked up and meant to add a counter point to the letter they read before it. I was the bad-cop. I sounded like a Richard Dawkins wana-be and I need to set the record straight for my friends and myself.
Inteligent Design is not a scientific theory. It is creationism, wrapped up in a fancy new term. Since I am a Christian this seems to be a dilema for me. How can I assert that creationism is nonsense and evolution etc is corrent and still claim to be a believer?
For one thing I put faith in God that he gaves us big brains for a reason. I put faith in God that we can come to terms with the universe in all its complexity and not worry about where God is. We probably had more "faith", as biblical literalists would describe it, back in the days of Moses. However that definition of faith is inaccurate, if by that they mean a literal reading of the Bible since no prophet or desciple could be faithful since no such book existed in their day. How could they know God if they had no Bible to read? St. Paul could did not read the Bible nor did any of the 12 apostles or any of their imeadiate desciples. The Vulgate, or Common Bible, composed by St. Jerome, was not complied until the 5th century. I will not go into the plethora of biblical translations from the Septuagint, and Vulgate to Luther's german bible to KJV.
Clearly if you hold to biblical literlism, in my humble opinion, you build your faith on sand not rock. Faith based on one book is like a bad scientific theory. Bad theories get clunkier and clunkier until they collapse on their own. So too faith ascribed to one book. Either you choose to remain blind to the modern world and view things like TV as magic, or you try an mesh the modern marvels and mankind quest for knowledge with the book. Either way you fall down. So faith cannot be predicated on attempting to measure the imeasureable. True faith is a hard link between the diety and you. There is no physiological mumbo-jumbo to mess with.
ID or the attempt to measure the imeasurable or quantify God is nuts. It cannot be done. If God wished us to figure him out in that way why no just say "uhummm...over here!" I believe you could sift through each subatomic nuclei in the universe and not find a trace of God. And this has nothing to do with my faith. In a hyper materialist culture full of hyper-materialist church goers, whos faith is based on a book instead of their own connection to God, is it any wonder that people want to be directed to God like we are directed to Walmart?
Faith is not religion. God does not "belong" to a church. Nor is God an old bearded man with a crown on his head. But images die hard and the faith of our forefathers, full of superstition, meldrama, and materialism, is dying hard too. I don't think faith can be built on this world. Not that there is anything wrong with the universe. It is just the wrong perspective. So I guess I would admonish myself to not waste time finding some kind of physical proof of God in science by doing equations, I should save my effort and meditate on how best I can serve my fellow man. Concentrate on what purpose my life has beyond simple reproduction. The Bible has lots to say on that count. And so do lots of other books. And all, in my opinion, are manifestations of Gods word, that always works for good for those who love the Lord.
Inteligent Design is not a scientific theory. It is creationism, wrapped up in a fancy new term. Since I am a Christian this seems to be a dilema for me. How can I assert that creationism is nonsense and evolution etc is corrent and still claim to be a believer?
For one thing I put faith in God that he gaves us big brains for a reason. I put faith in God that we can come to terms with the universe in all its complexity and not worry about where God is. We probably had more "faith", as biblical literalists would describe it, back in the days of Moses. However that definition of faith is inaccurate, if by that they mean a literal reading of the Bible since no prophet or desciple could be faithful since no such book existed in their day. How could they know God if they had no Bible to read? St. Paul could did not read the Bible nor did any of the 12 apostles or any of their imeadiate desciples. The Vulgate, or Common Bible, composed by St. Jerome, was not complied until the 5th century. I will not go into the plethora of biblical translations from the Septuagint, and Vulgate to Luther's german bible to KJV.
Clearly if you hold to biblical literlism, in my humble opinion, you build your faith on sand not rock. Faith based on one book is like a bad scientific theory. Bad theories get clunkier and clunkier until they collapse on their own. So too faith ascribed to one book. Either you choose to remain blind to the modern world and view things like TV as magic, or you try an mesh the modern marvels and mankind quest for knowledge with the book. Either way you fall down. So faith cannot be predicated on attempting to measure the imeasureable. True faith is a hard link between the diety and you. There is no physiological mumbo-jumbo to mess with.
ID or the attempt to measure the imeasurable or quantify God is nuts. It cannot be done. If God wished us to figure him out in that way why no just say "uhummm...over here!" I believe you could sift through each subatomic nuclei in the universe and not find a trace of God. And this has nothing to do with my faith. In a hyper materialist culture full of hyper-materialist church goers, whos faith is based on a book instead of their own connection to God, is it any wonder that people want to be directed to God like we are directed to Walmart?
Faith is not religion. God does not "belong" to a church. Nor is God an old bearded man with a crown on his head. But images die hard and the faith of our forefathers, full of superstition, meldrama, and materialism, is dying hard too. I don't think faith can be built on this world. Not that there is anything wrong with the universe. It is just the wrong perspective. So I guess I would admonish myself to not waste time finding some kind of physical proof of God in science by doing equations, I should save my effort and meditate on how best I can serve my fellow man. Concentrate on what purpose my life has beyond simple reproduction. The Bible has lots to say on that count. And so do lots of other books. And all, in my opinion, are manifestations of Gods word, that always works for good for those who love the Lord.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Poll Crunch time...again
Does America approve of the way W is doing his job?
Approve: 37%
Disapprove: 57%
Duh-Iduno: 6%
Okay for those of you not keeping up with the Poll Crunch, this is an average of 6 national polls. My advice to the President is stop trying to campaign and please start to lead. You cannot photo-op your way out of this big mess. The only way to do this, and do this right, would be to can Rove and the other men and women who have dis-served you. Unfortunately, unlike Clinton, none of your "freinds" will back you if they leave. They will stab you in the back so I guess you are screwed. You can keep them around but things are not looking good. You have 3 years left to serve, not three months.
Problem 1: Iraq
Problem 2: Scandle
Problem 3: Lack of initiatives that satisfy the majority
Problem 4: Growing credibility gap due to problems 1 thru 3
Problem 5: Base abondoning you because you look weak and disconnected.
Problem 6: Adhering to policies that have not been shown to work
Problem 7: Adhering to policies that have been shown to cause problems
Problem 8: Blind "damn the polls full speed ahead" approach
Solution 1: Use any pretext you like and draw down US forces in Iraq by 25%. Start talking about the end game in each speach.
Solution 2: Fire Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld with extreme prejudice. Force Cheney to resign and then pick governor Romney of Mass. to succeeed him.
Solution 3: Authorize 3 billion dollar increase in home-heating assistance for the poor. Launch initiatives aimed at alternative fuels technologies.
Solution 4: This will be partially solved by solutions 1 thru 3
Solution 5: Go to Iraq and spend 2 months there in the green zone running the war in-country.
Solution 6: Forget SSI reform and forget about your oil buddies. They haven't helped you have they?
Solution 7: Author new guidlines that prohibit inhumane treatment of any detainee and then admit the the mistakes of the past.
Problem 8: This will have been solved if the other solutions were followed.
But this will not be done. It seems the more unpopular Bush becomes the more he digs in his heels. Who does he think he is running against? America itself? His problems have all been self inflicted by his own pigheaded nature and the misadventures of his confidents. The democrats could sit and say nothing and his popularity and his presidency would still collapse.
Approve: 37%
Disapprove: 57%
Duh-Iduno: 6%
Okay for those of you not keeping up with the Poll Crunch, this is an average of 6 national polls. My advice to the President is stop trying to campaign and please start to lead. You cannot photo-op your way out of this big mess. The only way to do this, and do this right, would be to can Rove and the other men and women who have dis-served you. Unfortunately, unlike Clinton, none of your "freinds" will back you if they leave. They will stab you in the back so I guess you are screwed. You can keep them around but things are not looking good. You have 3 years left to serve, not three months.
Problem 1: Iraq
Problem 2: Scandle
Problem 3: Lack of initiatives that satisfy the majority
Problem 4: Growing credibility gap due to problems 1 thru 3
Problem 5: Base abondoning you because you look weak and disconnected.
Problem 6: Adhering to policies that have not been shown to work
Problem 7: Adhering to policies that have been shown to cause problems
Problem 8: Blind "damn the polls full speed ahead" approach
Solution 1: Use any pretext you like and draw down US forces in Iraq by 25%. Start talking about the end game in each speach.
Solution 2: Fire Karl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld with extreme prejudice. Force Cheney to resign and then pick governor Romney of Mass. to succeeed him.
Solution 3: Authorize 3 billion dollar increase in home-heating assistance for the poor. Launch initiatives aimed at alternative fuels technologies.
Solution 4: This will be partially solved by solutions 1 thru 3
Solution 5: Go to Iraq and spend 2 months there in the green zone running the war in-country.
Solution 6: Forget SSI reform and forget about your oil buddies. They haven't helped you have they?
Solution 7: Author new guidlines that prohibit inhumane treatment of any detainee and then admit the the mistakes of the past.
Problem 8: This will have been solved if the other solutions were followed.
But this will not be done. It seems the more unpopular Bush becomes the more he digs in his heels. Who does he think he is running against? America itself? His problems have all been self inflicted by his own pigheaded nature and the misadventures of his confidents. The democrats could sit and say nothing and his popularity and his presidency would still collapse.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
And now for something completely different...Hedonism
Lets just say that I have 10 million in the bank and make 500k a year off the interest. So I am trying to decide what auto I should waste gas in. There is no reason, other than environmental concern, to pay attention to gas prices just as there is no reason to pay attention to sticker price.
So off I go to the exoticar lot. Hmmm?
The first car that I come to is the Bugatti Veyron
This would set me back 1.5 million bucks. At 1000 HP and a top speed of 253 it really has some man-appeal however it becomes radically unstable at those speeds. It sort of looks like a jelly-bean. It has this piddly wing on the back. It goes from 0-60 in 3 seconds
I then decide that I should really keep things under 1 million. So I go to the Corvette Z06
This is way cheaper only $65k and it has almost the same snappy acceleration as the million+ bugatti.
0-60 in 3.8 seconds. It has a top speed of 190mph and uses a 500HP V8. However the interior is kinda 80's looking with lots of faux leather dash board and crummy looking guages.
Moving on up a bit to the Ford GT. This little 140k car is looking mighty nice. It has this retro sex appeal. Its specs are pretty much the same as the Corvette but for an extra $75,000 you get a racing stripe and you can go 15 mph faster than the vette. Interior is very nice.
I go foreign again and look at the Maserati MC12. I could not imagine driving 200+ mph in a convertable. But the car has me one over except for the 400K price. It's 0-60 is still only equal to the vette though the interior is the winner so far. For only an extra 261,000 you can go 5 mph slowwer than the Ford GT.
Back to America and a look at the Saleen S7. The version I am looking at is 1000hp and is the quickest car in the world at 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Unlike the Bugatti this car is designed to stick to the road. Its interior is sparten but very cool. It tops out at around 230mph. Basically it is equal or better in performance to the bugatti but at 1/3 the price.
I look at the Lambo's and Porches too, they look nice, but really can't stand up to the real bad boys above.
I sill have a few left to look at the Panoz Esperante and others that might be in the drive way....
So off I go to the exoticar lot. Hmmm?
The first car that I come to is the Bugatti Veyron
This would set me back 1.5 million bucks. At 1000 HP and a top speed of 253 it really has some man-appeal however it becomes radically unstable at those speeds. It sort of looks like a jelly-bean. It has this piddly wing on the back. It goes from 0-60 in 3 seconds
I then decide that I should really keep things under 1 million. So I go to the Corvette Z06
This is way cheaper only $65k and it has almost the same snappy acceleration as the million+ bugatti.
0-60 in 3.8 seconds. It has a top speed of 190mph and uses a 500HP V8. However the interior is kinda 80's looking with lots of faux leather dash board and crummy looking guages.
Moving on up a bit to the Ford GT. This little 140k car is looking mighty nice. It has this retro sex appeal. Its specs are pretty much the same as the Corvette but for an extra $75,000 you get a racing stripe and you can go 15 mph faster than the vette. Interior is very nice.
I go foreign again and look at the Maserati MC12. I could not imagine driving 200+ mph in a convertable. But the car has me one over except for the 400K price. It's 0-60 is still only equal to the vette though the interior is the winner so far. For only an extra 261,000 you can go 5 mph slowwer than the Ford GT.
Back to America and a look at the Saleen S7. The version I am looking at is 1000hp and is the quickest car in the world at 0-60 in 2.8 seconds. Unlike the Bugatti this car is designed to stick to the road. Its interior is sparten but very cool. It tops out at around 230mph. Basically it is equal or better in performance to the bugatti but at 1/3 the price.
I look at the Lambo's and Porches too, they look nice, but really can't stand up to the real bad boys above.
I sill have a few left to look at the Panoz Esperante and others that might be in the drive way....
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Monday, November 07, 2005
Islamic Jesus
Here are some sayings of Jesus taken from the Muslim tradition:
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "Do not take the world as masters, for it will take you as slaves. Lay up your treasure with him who will not lose it, for he who possesses treasure in this world fears lest some calamity may come upon it, but he who possesses God's treasure has no fear of calamity coming upon it."
The Messiah, son of Mary (Blessing and peace be upon him!) passed by a company of the Jews; then they spoke evil to him, but he spoke good to them. Then someone said to him, "Verily they are speaking evil, and you are speaking good." Jeus replied, "Everyone spends from what he possesses."
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "Seek a great amount of what fire cannot consume." Someone said, "And what is that?" He said, "Kindness."
The disciples said to the Messiah (Peace be upon him!), "Look at this mosque, how beautiful it is!" Then he said, "My people, my people, verily I say unto you, God will not leave one stone of this mosque standing on another, but will destroy it for the sins of its people. Verily God does not pay any heed to gold, or silver, or these stones which charm you. The things dearest to God (Exalted is He!) are the pure hearts. With them God preserves the earth, and with them He destroys it if they are otherwise."
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "The love of this world and of the next cannot stay in the heart of a believer, just as water and fire cannot stay in one vessel."
The Messiah (Peace be upon him!) said, "O you who seek the world to be charitable with it, your leaving of it alone is more charitable." And he said, "The least thing is such that looking after it occupies one to the exclusion of glorifying God, and glorifying God is greater and more important."
The Messiah (God bless him and grant him peace!) said, "The world is a bridge, so pass over it and do not inhabit it." And some people said to him, "O prophet of God, if you would only order us to build a house in which we might worship God!" He replied, "Go and build a house on water." They said, "How will a building stand on water?" He replied, "And how will worship stand along with love of this world?"
The Messiah (Peace be upon him!) said, "Blessed are the humble in this world; they will be set on high on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed are they who make peace between men in this world; they are those who will inherit Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed are they whose hearts are purified in this world; they are those who will see God (Exalted is He!) on the Day of Resurrection."
Concerning Jesus Birth:
It is related that when Jesus, son of Mary (Peace be upon him!) was born, the devils came to Iblîs [Satan] and said, "This morning the idols have been thrown down on their heads." Then he said, "This is a new thing which has happened. Remain where you are." Then he flew till he came to the East and the West of the earth, but found nothing. Afterwards he found Jesus (Peace be upon him!) already born with the angels doing him honour. Then he returned to them and said, "Verily a prophet has been born last night; no woman ever became pregnant or gave birth to a child without my being present, with the exception of this child."
Conerning Jesus Crucifiction:
Then when God (Exalted is He!) wished to take him and raise him to Himself, his disciples gathered withhim in Jerusalem in a room belonging to one of his companions, and he said, "Verily I am going to my Father and your Father, and I am giving you an injunction before the departure of my divine nature and am making with you a covenant and a pledge. So he who receives my injunction and fulfils my covenant will be with me to-morrow; but he who does not receive my injunction, I have nothing to do with him, and he has nothing to do with me."
Then they said to him, "What is it?"
He replied, "Go to the kings of the ends of the earth and convey to them what I have charged you with, and summon them to that to which I have summoned you, and do not deceive them, and do not fear them, for when I leave my humanity I shall be standing in heaven at the right hand of the throne of my Father and your Father, and shall be with you wherever you go and shall strengthen you with help and strength by the permission of my Father. Go to them and summon them with gentleness and cure them and command them to be kind and forbid them what is unlawful, until you are killed, or crucified, or rejected from the earth."
Then they asked, "What is the verification of what you command us?"
He replied, "I am the first who does that." And he went out the next day and appeared to the people and began to summon them and admonish them and warn them until he was taken and carried to the king of the Children of Israel. Then he ordered him to be crucified, and his humanity was crucified and his hands were nailed to the two pieces of wood of the cross, and he remained on the cross from dawn to afternoon. And he asked for water, and was given vinegar to drink, and he was pierced with a lance. Then he was buried where the cross was and forty people were put in charge of the grave; and all this happened in the presence of his companions and his disciples.
Then when they saw that happen to him, they were sure and knew that he had commanded them nothing in which he was different from them. Three days afterwards they gathered in the place where he promised them to appear to them and they saw those signs which [had been arranged] between him and them; and the news spread among the Children of Israel that the Messiah had not been killed.
Then the grave was dug up, and the humanity was not found. The parties among them disagreed, and there was a great amount of talk which is too long to be recounted. Then verily those disciples who had accepted his injunction separated in the country and each of them went his own way. One went to the west, one to Abyssinia, two to Rome, two to the king of Antioch, one to Persia, one to India, and two remained in the dwellings of the Children of Israel summoning them to the opinion of the Messiah until most of them were killed, and the Messiah's claim was spread in east and west by the deeds of the disciples.
Just a little bridging of the gap between the Muslim and the Christian.
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "Do not take the world as masters, for it will take you as slaves. Lay up your treasure with him who will not lose it, for he who possesses treasure in this world fears lest some calamity may come upon it, but he who possesses God's treasure has no fear of calamity coming upon it."
The Messiah, son of Mary (Blessing and peace be upon him!) passed by a company of the Jews; then they spoke evil to him, but he spoke good to them. Then someone said to him, "Verily they are speaking evil, and you are speaking good." Jeus replied, "Everyone spends from what he possesses."
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "Seek a great amount of what fire cannot consume." Someone said, "And what is that?" He said, "Kindness."
The disciples said to the Messiah (Peace be upon him!), "Look at this mosque, how beautiful it is!" Then he said, "My people, my people, verily I say unto you, God will not leave one stone of this mosque standing on another, but will destroy it for the sins of its people. Verily God does not pay any heed to gold, or silver, or these stones which charm you. The things dearest to God (Exalted is He!) are the pure hearts. With them God preserves the earth, and with them He destroys it if they are otherwise."
Jesus (Peace be upon him!) said, "The love of this world and of the next cannot stay in the heart of a believer, just as water and fire cannot stay in one vessel."
The Messiah (Peace be upon him!) said, "O you who seek the world to be charitable with it, your leaving of it alone is more charitable." And he said, "The least thing is such that looking after it occupies one to the exclusion of glorifying God, and glorifying God is greater and more important."
The Messiah (God bless him and grant him peace!) said, "The world is a bridge, so pass over it and do not inhabit it." And some people said to him, "O prophet of God, if you would only order us to build a house in which we might worship God!" He replied, "Go and build a house on water." They said, "How will a building stand on water?" He replied, "And how will worship stand along with love of this world?"
The Messiah (Peace be upon him!) said, "Blessed are the humble in this world; they will be set on high on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed are they who make peace between men in this world; they are those who will inherit Paradise on the Day of Resurrection. Blessed are they whose hearts are purified in this world; they are those who will see God (Exalted is He!) on the Day of Resurrection."
Concerning Jesus Birth:
It is related that when Jesus, son of Mary (Peace be upon him!) was born, the devils came to Iblîs [Satan] and said, "This morning the idols have been thrown down on their heads." Then he said, "This is a new thing which has happened. Remain where you are." Then he flew till he came to the East and the West of the earth, but found nothing. Afterwards he found Jesus (Peace be upon him!) already born with the angels doing him honour. Then he returned to them and said, "Verily a prophet has been born last night; no woman ever became pregnant or gave birth to a child without my being present, with the exception of this child."
Conerning Jesus Crucifiction:
Then when God (Exalted is He!) wished to take him and raise him to Himself, his disciples gathered withhim in Jerusalem in a room belonging to one of his companions, and he said, "Verily I am going to my Father and your Father, and I am giving you an injunction before the departure of my divine nature and am making with you a covenant and a pledge. So he who receives my injunction and fulfils my covenant will be with me to-morrow; but he who does not receive my injunction, I have nothing to do with him, and he has nothing to do with me."
Then they said to him, "What is it?"
He replied, "Go to the kings of the ends of the earth and convey to them what I have charged you with, and summon them to that to which I have summoned you, and do not deceive them, and do not fear them, for when I leave my humanity I shall be standing in heaven at the right hand of the throne of my Father and your Father, and shall be with you wherever you go and shall strengthen you with help and strength by the permission of my Father. Go to them and summon them with gentleness and cure them and command them to be kind and forbid them what is unlawful, until you are killed, or crucified, or rejected from the earth."
Then they asked, "What is the verification of what you command us?"
He replied, "I am the first who does that." And he went out the next day and appeared to the people and began to summon them and admonish them and warn them until he was taken and carried to the king of the Children of Israel. Then he ordered him to be crucified, and his humanity was crucified and his hands were nailed to the two pieces of wood of the cross, and he remained on the cross from dawn to afternoon. And he asked for water, and was given vinegar to drink, and he was pierced with a lance. Then he was buried where the cross was and forty people were put in charge of the grave; and all this happened in the presence of his companions and his disciples.
Then when they saw that happen to him, they were sure and knew that he had commanded them nothing in which he was different from them. Three days afterwards they gathered in the place where he promised them to appear to them and they saw those signs which [had been arranged] between him and them; and the news spread among the Children of Israel that the Messiah had not been killed.
Then the grave was dug up, and the humanity was not found. The parties among them disagreed, and there was a great amount of talk which is too long to be recounted. Then verily those disciples who had accepted his injunction separated in the country and each of them went his own way. One went to the west, one to Abyssinia, two to Rome, two to the king of Antioch, one to Persia, one to India, and two remained in the dwellings of the Children of Israel summoning them to the opinion of the Messiah until most of them were killed, and the Messiah's claim was spread in east and west by the deeds of the disciples.
Just a little bridging of the gap between the Muslim and the Christian.
Tuesday, November 01, 2005
What Republicans just dont seem to understand
Back in 2002 I listened to the debate that took place on the floor of the US senate for hours and hours. I heard liberal voices such as Hillary Clinton, and centerists like McCain, and consrvaives like Lott, speak up on the need to confront Sadam Hussain. I heard over and over again the term WMD from Rumsefeld, Wolfawitz, Bush, and a host of others. The only man to really speak up against the idea war was Robert Byrd and everyone pretty much thought he was a dottering old fool.
I listened intently to Colin Powell at the UN lay out the WMD locations and then play tapes of WMD people doing stuff with WMD.
There were lots of books about the WMD's and even Time had WMD on the cover. It was a year after 911 and with anthrax poisonings and the stench of death still in the air in NYC, I was also willing to give Bush the benifit of the doubt.
I heard no mention of questionable intelligence. People like Scott Ritter who spoke up about the idea that Iraq had no such WMD were shot down in flames as being out of touch or pushing an "agenda". The Vice President said directly that there was "no doubt" that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. And all the information about Iraqi's was that they were waiting for us to liberate them.
What if anything has been shown to be accurate about what was said by the war mongers? Sadam was a bad guy. Anything else? WMD? None found yet, not after two years. Only a few empty morter canisters. Nuclear material? Nothing. Terror links? Well there are certainly a shit pot load of them there now! Cheering crowds celebrating? Long since replaced by sobbing masses morning blown up family memebers.
So when Republicans now get all cranky about Democrats and everyone else not wanting to put up with the shit that is Iraq I am puzzled. Do they not live on Earth? Do they not understand the giant cost to the US taxpayer? Do they not morn the loss of the _______(fill in the blank) dead Americans? A representative who is more loyal to a President than a nation is, to me, a traitor. Presidents are replaceable, while the lives snuffed out in this usless, costly, and error filled war are gone forever.
The longer the Administration and its defenders follow their current path the deeper their troubles will become. The "Issue" will not go away, like the stench of decay it only gets worse. Do they really want Scooter Libby to go to trial? Do they actually want the VP to testify? They want to be the party of straight talkers and fiscal responsibility, the party of God. But by stumping for a villain in the White House they profane God, make their economic ecumin out to be of little account, and twist their words in defending evil practices that are no less evil if performed by US soliders than by Iraqi Insurgents. They can't understand how the Democrats have one-up'd them. Well the truth is that the democrats have not done that. Iraq is bigger than any Democratic plot or lefty agenda. Thousands of permanently disabled warriors, millions of families effected by loss and privation caused by deployment, stop loss, lost arms and legs, and lost lives are simmering like an ugly stew that the war mongers in Washington cannot escaple eating.
And still they labor in denial thinking that this is a problem that can be spun away with radio pundits and controled TV news bites. They seem to think that there is a way to mud-sling their way back to the lime light. Yet the dead keep on coming, the wounded keep coming, the money keeps flowing away, the credibility keeps evaporating like the sweat off a PFC's neck patroliing Anbar province, and Americans are really getting sick of so called representatives that seem to care more about apperances than the truth.
So all you republicans who would rather destroy a nations credibility and ruin thousands of lives than admit to a failure in the White House be warned. You have made a very nasty bed and you will have to lay down in it. And if it were only the warmongers who had to lay in that filthy pit they have dug for themselves all the better but they will not be alone. We all get to go down there with them, all of us little war mongers who gave Bush the benefit of the doubt.
I listened intently to Colin Powell at the UN lay out the WMD locations and then play tapes of WMD people doing stuff with WMD.
There were lots of books about the WMD's and even Time had WMD on the cover. It was a year after 911 and with anthrax poisonings and the stench of death still in the air in NYC, I was also willing to give Bush the benifit of the doubt.
I heard no mention of questionable intelligence. People like Scott Ritter who spoke up about the idea that Iraq had no such WMD were shot down in flames as being out of touch or pushing an "agenda". The Vice President said directly that there was "no doubt" that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear weapons program. And all the information about Iraqi's was that they were waiting for us to liberate them.
What if anything has been shown to be accurate about what was said by the war mongers? Sadam was a bad guy. Anything else? WMD? None found yet, not after two years. Only a few empty morter canisters. Nuclear material? Nothing. Terror links? Well there are certainly a shit pot load of them there now! Cheering crowds celebrating? Long since replaced by sobbing masses morning blown up family memebers.
So when Republicans now get all cranky about Democrats and everyone else not wanting to put up with the shit that is Iraq I am puzzled. Do they not live on Earth? Do they not understand the giant cost to the US taxpayer? Do they not morn the loss of the _______(fill in the blank) dead Americans? A representative who is more loyal to a President than a nation is, to me, a traitor. Presidents are replaceable, while the lives snuffed out in this usless, costly, and error filled war are gone forever.
The longer the Administration and its defenders follow their current path the deeper their troubles will become. The "Issue" will not go away, like the stench of decay it only gets worse. Do they really want Scooter Libby to go to trial? Do they actually want the VP to testify? They want to be the party of straight talkers and fiscal responsibility, the party of God. But by stumping for a villain in the White House they profane God, make their economic ecumin out to be of little account, and twist their words in defending evil practices that are no less evil if performed by US soliders than by Iraqi Insurgents. They can't understand how the Democrats have one-up'd them. Well the truth is that the democrats have not done that. Iraq is bigger than any Democratic plot or lefty agenda. Thousands of permanently disabled warriors, millions of families effected by loss and privation caused by deployment, stop loss, lost arms and legs, and lost lives are simmering like an ugly stew that the war mongers in Washington cannot escaple eating.
And still they labor in denial thinking that this is a problem that can be spun away with radio pundits and controled TV news bites. They seem to think that there is a way to mud-sling their way back to the lime light. Yet the dead keep on coming, the wounded keep coming, the money keeps flowing away, the credibility keeps evaporating like the sweat off a PFC's neck patroliing Anbar province, and Americans are really getting sick of so called representatives that seem to care more about apperances than the truth.
So all you republicans who would rather destroy a nations credibility and ruin thousands of lives than admit to a failure in the White House be warned. You have made a very nasty bed and you will have to lay down in it. And if it were only the warmongers who had to lay in that filthy pit they have dug for themselves all the better but they will not be alone. We all get to go down there with them, all of us little war mongers who gave Bush the benefit of the doubt.
Why Star Wars can't really change
I must confess that I would like a deeper story for Star Wars. But then it wouldn't be Star Wars
I must confess that I would like better dialogue for Star Wars. But then it wouldn't be Star Wars
I must confess that I would like fewer muppets and midgets. But then it wouldn't be Star Wars
I must confess that I would change nothing about Star Wars. So it stays Star Wars
I must confess that I would like better dialogue for Star Wars. But then it wouldn't be Star Wars
I must confess that I would like fewer muppets and midgets. But then it wouldn't be Star Wars
I must confess that I would change nothing about Star Wars. So it stays Star Wars
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
