Friday, June 27, 2008
Jeffrey Rush?
It's actually Frans Pourbus the Elder 1580
It was just too funny as we all saw it as Jeffrey when we were at the Ringling Museum.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
ACLU and NRA
I joined the ACLU.
For some that know me that idea would be mind boggling. Or at least for some that have known me for a loooong time. But the funny thing is, it is rather consistent with my beliefs in many ways, or at least my beliefs regarding civil rights and maintaining ALL of them.
But the ACLU lacks one MAJOR ingredient. They state the following:
For some that know me that idea would be mind boggling. Or at least for some that have known me for a loooong time. But the funny thing is, it is rather consistent with my beliefs in many ways, or at least my beliefs regarding civil rights and maintaining ALL of them.
But the ACLU lacks one MAJOR ingredient. They state the following:
The national ACLU is neutral on the issue of gun control. We believe that the Constitution contains no barriers to reasonable regulations of gun ownership. If we can license and register cars, we can license and register guns.
Most opponents of gun control concede that the Second Amendment certainly does not guarantee an individual's right to own bazookas, missiles or nuclear warheads. Yet these, like rifles, pistols and even submachine guns, are arms.
The question therefore is not whether to restrict arms ownership, but how much to restrict it. If that is a question left open by the Constitution, then it is a question for Congress to decide.
ACLU POLICY
"The ACLU agrees with the Supreme Court's long-standing interpretation of the Second Amendment [as set forth in the 1939 case, U.S. v. Miller] that the individual's right to bear arms applies only to the preservation or efficiency of a well-regulated militia. Except for lawful police and military purposes, the possession of weapons by individuals is not constitutionally protected. Therefore, there is no constitutional impediment to the regulation of firearms." — Policy #47
Fortunately my beliefs in the 2nd Ammendment is protected another way, by also being a member of the NRA.
I can hardly wait to see what the ACLU does with the new 2nd Ammendment ruling of the Supreme Court of the US when it comes out......
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Sin and Zen.
I think that we westerners are guilty of trying to break things up into "good" and "bad" catagories a little too briskly. Granted it has served us well in many ways, but it also does disservice too. For example, I know I am not a potential murderer, a potential rapist, barring some mental illness that would make me not me and I know that most people aren't either. How do I know that? Well in other's case I can't say for sure, but statistically speaking others are almost certainly NOT ever going to be a murderer or rapist. In addition, it has been pretty well established that man has to be TAUGHT to kill, it is NOT a natural act, we are NOT fallen by nature when it comes to homicide.
Post war studies have shown that an incredibly small percentage of soldiers actually do MOST of the killing, the rest keep their heads down. It was so low that now the military uses systematic desensitization techniques to program soldiers to shoot at targets that pop up automatically so that more soldiers will kill out of habit and not think about it.
Now granted, a small percentage of the population is cracked, has been abused to the point that they can kill or rape with no effect, but they are actually fairly rare. To assume that we are all fallen rapists and murderers based on them is like assuming that we are all geniuses because Einstein existed. Absurd.
I much prefer the Good/Bad views of our eastern relatives. They view the world as one seemless whole. To use my avatar as an example. One view of the Yin Yang symbol is that there is good and bad, black and white, but they comprise one part of a larger whole (the circle) and there is a teensy amount of good in the bad (the dots), and vice versa. Thus the symbol. This, to me, is a more complete understanding of "reality" than the western models often are. My bias of course.
When I look at bad acts I often look for the exception to the bad act. Why did the person do it? What was their story? If it is wrong to kill, why is it right to kill someone in self-defense or in defense of others? If killing one soul would save an entire village/city/state should that "right" be done? These are the Yin Yang of reality IMO.
The darker side of human nature is that we try to see the world as darker than it is. Not that it actually IS darker.
Post war studies have shown that an incredibly small percentage of soldiers actually do MOST of the killing, the rest keep their heads down. It was so low that now the military uses systematic desensitization techniques to program soldiers to shoot at targets that pop up automatically so that more soldiers will kill out of habit and not think about it.
Now granted, a small percentage of the population is cracked, has been abused to the point that they can kill or rape with no effect, but they are actually fairly rare. To assume that we are all fallen rapists and murderers based on them is like assuming that we are all geniuses because Einstein existed. Absurd.
I much prefer the Good/Bad views of our eastern relatives. They view the world as one seemless whole. To use my avatar as an example. One view of the Yin Yang symbol is that there is good and bad, black and white, but they comprise one part of a larger whole (the circle) and there is a teensy amount of good in the bad (the dots), and vice versa. Thus the symbol. This, to me, is a more complete understanding of "reality" than the western models often are. My bias of course.
When I look at bad acts I often look for the exception to the bad act. Why did the person do it? What was their story? If it is wrong to kill, why is it right to kill someone in self-defense or in defense of others? If killing one soul would save an entire village/city/state should that "right" be done? These are the Yin Yang of reality IMO.
The darker side of human nature is that we try to see the world as darker than it is. Not that it actually IS darker.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Did they have a point?
"An online study evaluating the characteristics of 25,000 American adults found avid technology consumers tended to score highly in personality traits such as leadership, dynamism and assertiveness — but low in modesty."
-MSNBC/Reuters
-MSNBC/Reuters
Democrats and the election.
"It's like asking a married couple in the middle of their fight what their going to do on Valentines day"
-Mark Melman on Democrats after the brutal election they've been through.
-Mark Melman on Democrats after the brutal election they've been through.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Saturday, June 7, 2008
"National Sacrifice Zone" Nevada and Hanford
Monday, June 2, 2008
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