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589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | my thoughts and wishes are with angie today. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I watched the last episode of Buffy. I'm pissed, too, Angie! Faith schlupped some other dude! (sniffle...) Some one hold me... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Settle in, take a deep breath.....high school pic, and pics of what I presume to be the play 'The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail' urlLink not so spikey and urlLink transcendental spike |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | You awake with an upset stomach in bed with Pat Buchanan. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | what would happen if you took the blue pill and the red pill at the same time? awareness without action? action without thought? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yes, harmony, you will be. actually you were - remember? it was june 19th, 2000 and you were leaving to get some ice cream when a villian held you in his clutches until you started crying. i think you were relieved to be freed but still a tad bit embarrassed. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I wonder if I will ever be in a villain's clutches. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | CK - Since I am purchasing the B5 DVDs as they are released, I do not need the VHS tapes anymore. Feel free to make use of or otherwise dispose of them. Most of my remaining B5 tapes have been fragmented or deleted; perhaps you will buy a DVD player soon? They're awfully cheap. Meanwhile: JOIN US AT SHORE LEAVE! That is all. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I'm sure that if the blog existed when B5 was on the air -- or Twin Peaks, before that -- there would be just as many commentaries, questions, and complaints. Good shows with rich universes inspire deep and broad passions. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i was starting to seriously consider setting up a second 'buffy blog' for you guys - but then i realized that if i did, this blog would be empty until the series was over. what a tsunami of discussion that show brought about! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | The only discrepancy in the whole article that troubled me was Bush's insistence that he initially watched it on television, if the evidence shows he did not. All politicians create a reality for us -- a necessity for all leaders, the fictionalizing of the public self -- and any thinking person can easily see through the smoke. However, it disturbs me when the smoke is this obvious -- not because it reflects badly on the politician (who is doing what all leaders must do), but because it reveals an alarming assumption of the simple-mindedness of the public. If the article is factual on this point, I would have preferred if Bush had said he heard about it through an aide, or that it was confusing and no one clearly knew what was going on, than to create a story about watching it on television. If true, it is a silly and unnecessary lie. Beyond that one point, the rest of the article kind of rolled over me as a sea of timestamps and vague outrage. Conspiracy? No. Confused and silly humans? Sure. Unnecessary fictionalizing? You bet. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I agree with Johnathan about the stupidity of his being robbed of choice in the end. Read urlLink my blog for more of my thoughts. I'm honestly too upset to think about it right now. I know that's stupid because it's just a farkin' TV show, but I get this way about characters in books as well...I just get completely emotionally involved in them, and their tragedies devastate me. I'm far too empathetic for my own good. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I was wondering how you were doing today Angie. Did Spike and Buffy hook up in that last night? To me, they kind of left that to our imagination. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Ben - I read some of the article and skimmed other parts. It takes a little longer than 15 minutes to read it all. I cannot believe that the author(s) is harping over 'discrepancies' of 2-3 minutes on some of these events. If you take a room full of 30 people and ask then waht time it is, I can almost guarantee that you will get answers that vary plus or minus five minutes from each other. As far as the opening statement that he knew we were under attack at 8:48, I strongly disagree. It is very easy to sit here a year and half removed from the attacks and state what we know to be true now. At 8:48, all anyone knew is that 1 aircraft had crashed into WTC. At least 1, possibly 2, other aircraft were out of radio contact and were not transmitting on their transponders. It could have been coincidence (a terrible accident and electrical failures on the planes). I would not be surprised if the message, as it was passed up from ATC to other people (SS and NORAD), that they insisted on confirmation before taking any drastic action. That obviously changed when the second plane hit. As for why Cheney was immediately scooted out of the White House and Bush was not out of the school, think for a minute. If you were flying over DC (which was difficult before 9/11 and impossible now), you would very easily be able to locate the White House, Capitol, monuments, and other known land marks. I bet that if you were flying over Richmond, a city you know well, you would have a hard time locating specific non-descript buildings like a school. Now think about a terrorist, with only basic flying abilities and limited knowledge of the target area. They would have an extremely difficult time locating the school. Bush was as safe as he could be at the school. No plane was going to crash into the school. The White House was a very likely target. Cheney was in more immediate danger than Bush. As for the differences in the accounts by various people, does that really need explaining? Different people, different priorities, different personalities, different memories. I don't know who or what this group is, but they sound almost as bad as the French author that tried to say we attacked the Pentagon with a missile. There is no conspiracy here. The CIA did not kill JFK. FDR did not have advanced notice of Pearl Harbor. Aliens did not crash in Roswell (ok, I might not believe that one). Monica Lewinski was not a plant by the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy. The US Navy did not shoot down TWA 800. Did I miss any? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Spike is dead and I'm having a shit day. Thanks for playing! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I agree with some of your points, and disagree with others. Thanks for the dialogue. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | as far as all the potential slayers becoming slayers at the same time, i don't think that was heavy-handed or took away from the message of personal empowerment. one of the purposes for buffy in the first place was to create a powerful female character who was also human and had human foibles and desires. buffy was not so much someone beyond us as she was someone who despite all of her powers and responsibilites was so much like us. and, i believe, one of the messages of the series was that we (women), in one way or another, are all potential slayers - we all have untapped powers that we just need to realize and cultivate. and as faith herself as shown, just because you are female does not mean you will be 'good' if given the power of a slayer. faith did turn back to the good side but not before a long, difficult struggle. now it can be argued that there was no real male empowerment going on - i personally think men have more than enough rolemodels for that already. and the men in buffy were strong - even spike who sacrificed himself for the love of a woman who he knew would never truly love him back. such an archetypal theme -- the pain that is borne from unrequited love. and i agree that the angel part was nice but contrived. however, the line about her 'cookieness' was worth it. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I enjoyed Buffy's solution, and a few of the exchanges. Beyond that: One of the ubervamps nearly killed Buffy; now Andrew, Anya, Wood, Giles, and Xander can take out a few. Angel arrived to deliver an amulet that did...what, exactly? Talk about easy fixes. Good thing Angel set up that second line of defense...where, exactly? If it was daylight, couldn't they have knocked down the walls so the ubervamps couldn't get out of the hole? Easy fix, part 2: the scythe. Please. Never mentioned before, never fully explained, and looked like a prop for some Klingon blood feud. And let's introduce Buffy's greatest threat towards the end of the season, with no backstory, no explanation -- she just needs something to hit. And let's invent a Big Bad that can be any dead person, and *not* have it appear as Tara at any time, or, in the last moment, appear as her mother -- wouldn't *that* have been more morale-defeating? And throughout the enTIRE series it has been proven that crosses repel vampires, yet not *one* person brings a cross into the *Hellmouth*. As for Kennedy and Willow, the writers assumed I would care, without making any effort to sell it. And finally, Spike, who the writers have worked *very* hard to sell to me, sacrifices himself not in a personal, character-driven way, but by wearing an unexplained amulet that robs him of choice -- he never knew what it did, or the consequences, until the last moment, so instead of making a journey from A to B, he suddenly finds himself at B, and figures, what the hell, might as well. That's not sacrifice, that's circumstance. I *much* preferred Anya's sudden death in battle. A senseless death should be a senseless death, not a slapped-together oh-lookout-I-guess-I'm-sacrificing-myself-oh-well death. Either write a character-driven sacrifice based on clear, high-stakes choice, or let the character simply die in battle. Meanwhile -- I enjoyed the funny moments, I enjoyed Angel's initial appearance (though he disappeared as yet another casualty in the writer-painted-in-a-corner situation), and I *thoroughly* enjoyed Buffy's solution, though I question the wisdom of ending the series with such a world-changing event -- who is going to teach all these girls? I predict that, being human, the majority will turn out to be chaotic and dangerous. But of course, we know they won't, because we all know that if women were given such power, surely they wouldn't do the baaaad things men do, because women are inherently *good* creatures! Take that, evil evil men! I am sorely disappointed that the story, which was so effective at creating a metaphor and myth for personal empowerment, ended on such a simplistic, heavy-handed note. The show remains as important to me as Twin Peaks or B5. I will enjoy it for many years. But beyond season 5, it was notable only for select episodes or isolated moments. To its credit, those select episodes and isolated moments were better than most of the television out there at the time, and that's a high compliment indeed. Sometime, watch the whole arc of season 3 with the mayor, or season 5 with Glory. Then watch season 7, and note how it skips and sputters to the end. It could have been, should have been, so much more. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | so you did or did not like the finale, harmony? i loved it. and yeah, how is spike going to show up on angel? he is so completely dead. the worst death for me was anya. i had felt like i related to her more than any other character in the buffyverse. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | oh yeah, i laughed so hard - they were playing d&d and making a homestar runner reference. it was heaven. :) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yelahneb - read the article. Interesting. Took much longer than 15 minutes. Either you have superhuman reading powers or you suffer from the same time confusion described in the story. ;-) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Why is it so hard to create a movie or television episode that gives me more than a few really good moments? Why are writers so lazy that they expect me to fill in the blanks? Why do writers receive so much notoriety not for being very careful and attentive to the story, but for succeeding in climbing awkwardly out of the corner into which they have painted themselves? Always, always, always leave the party when everyone is having a good time. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Ok, so of my list of fatalities, I got one and a half right - Spike and Anya. I had Anya on the 50/50 list, thus only half credit. How the heck is Spike going to appear on Angel? He is very dead (i.e. dust) Did you guys catch the Trogdor Burninator reference? I thought the ending was to anticlimatic. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink 9.11.2001 group: if you can, please set aside 15 minutes or so to give this one a read, and post your feedback; it's a summary of Bush's actions and whereabouts (and those of others) on 9/11. many questions... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | OK, peeps, catching up on the blog (and I didn't have to go all the way to the bottom of the 100 post view!) JS -- I realized tonight that I still have your video tape with Season 3 of B5 (Angie's Journey caused the lightbulb to fizzle on). Need it back? For that matter, does anyone have 4 and 5 on tape? And, yes, I still need VHS, as I have discovered myself to be a rather late-adopter when it comes to home electronics.... Did anyone here ever watch Farscape on SciFi? I noticed that it didn't make John's list - did you just miss it or didn't like it? BTW, I really like hanging out with you guys as a group, albeit virtually, since this particular collection of minds can easily switch from discussing the inherent unfairness of international power politics vis a vis the individual all the way over to the intricacies of the universe created for 'Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.' It brings a tear to my eye [sniff]. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | that was incredible. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 10 minutes until the end of buffyverse. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 3 hours, 45 minutes to the end of Buffy. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Meanwhile: urlLink where's tank? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | why threat level orange? i thought it was threat level tangerine. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Threat level orange! Threat level orange! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | It's not new. For example, my Government teacher in high school referred to little-d democrats and big-d democrats, as well as little-r republicans and big-r republicans. Usually the terms distinguish between the theory and the party. It has never occurred to me to apply actual rules to their use. I try to distinguish between upper- and lower-case in both text and conversation when I feel the need. In general, the common popular usages are almost universally in reference to a party, even when the speaker claims otherwise, so it's not worth inquiring further. If, in conversation, I claim simply to be a republican, and the listener hears 'party,' that is generally his or her problem, not mine. One might as well carry around a pre-made disclaimer to be read every time one says 'god.' More to the point, to most people I have observed, the distinction is insignificant or irrelevant. I feel most politically-minded people became so because of issues rather than theory. Theory usually comes later, and is grafted to become inseparable from the issues. Postscript: To be fair, the term 'little-d democratic' is far more frequent than 'little-r republican,' because 'democratic' is such a commonly used term to define a method of decision-making. Because no one thinks much about how this country is arguably a republic, or why it was designed as one, and because of the cultural saturation of our political parties, it's almost pointless to attempt a distinction between republican/Republican in casual company. Since (R)epublican has such a universally illustrative meaning, why bother with such a minor quibble as capitalization? And so it goes. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i just checked the mirror and you harmony the june bug are correct! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I thought it was an octality theory. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i'm probably becoming fascinated by minutia here, but the 'upper / lower case' labeling interests me. now that you've created a definition for the terms, will they only be used in emails and other text-based exchanges of ideas? in conversation, no one will be able to hear the distinction between the two; would you come up with different terms for your beliefs to use when you were speaking to someone, or would you explain which type of r/Republican you were each time? if in that same conversation (or another), if the person you were talking to said 'i'm a d/Democrat', would you ask them what sort of d/Democrat they were, or would you just make an assumption? since you mentioned that this is a new thing, it's cool if you don't know the answers to these questions yet - i was just curious. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i feel it coming upon me - like ivy creeping up the walls of harvard, like mold growing on the walls of a public bathroom, like litter flaking slowly from a cat's paw - it's dinner party time again! time - first weekend of august - (first saturday) place - mekong who's invited - everybody! everybody! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i suppose in some ways i'm a sucker for ben's chaos/order duality theory. (as one could have guessed by looking at my lower back) i find myself thinking that i am a representative of chaos - a jemmy for this world. and god, yes, i actually believe that is flaky. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I agree -- illustrating extremes is an effective way to reveal the uncertain middle. A good point indeed. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i agree that there are no absolutes and none should be attempted. however, the purpose of these types of discussions can be to point out the black and white merely so the majority can discover that there are areas of gray. in order to have a balance you must have both sides argued. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Two cents: wrong and evil, and for that matter right and good, are not the same thing. Also: of the final examples, I feel rape is the stronger of the two. Murder is a sub-category of ending a life, and requires more clarification to be both relevant and effective. A minor distinction, but an important one for your larger argument. As to the issue of suffering needlessly, I am generally curious: at what point does the suffering become needless? For that matter, when is suffering needful? Is suffering validated by the beauty or wisdom that comes from it? If one person suffers from a disease and draws on that suffering to compose a heartrending symphony and then dies, while another without such talent stares out a dirty window until he or she suffers the same fate, unknown and unheard -- were both experiences equally needless? What of the many who will be touched by and grow from hearing the symphony? For that matter, what of the son or daughter of the other individual, who, having watched the loved one die, dedicates him- or herself to raising a stronger and more loved family than might have been possible before? Does that person's suffering suddenly become needful? I raise such questions not because I favor generally institutionalized suffering -- surely not -- but I am reluctant to dispense with suffering altogether by labeling it as needless, without understanding where the line is drawn, beyond the usual extreme examples. I feel that only by defining one's terms can one be assured of success in any discourse. Once again, my issue is with absolutes. I am wary of them. They occur nowhere in the universe except the human imagination, and I have yet personally to see one single absolute that applies in infinite cases at infinite times. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i'm going to the bahamas! pajamas! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | in response: i am aware of the difference between the upper and lower case 'republican' and 'democrat.' i ignore them merely out of laziness not aesthetics but thanks for the benefit of the doubt - i am in this discourse referring to the concept of the republican and democratic parties. and i would absolutely agree with harmony's statement that many people are beneficiaries of our lack of social darwinism in this country and are fairly unaware of it. not many of us would survive in a truly competitive society. and those who do believe it, in my opinion, are not only insensitive elitists but also sadists. to ignore one group's suffering or difficulties because they do not match or compliment the most dominant or successful group is disgusting. we can judge ourselves by how we treat the lowest of our society - i would think a vegan of all people would understand that. however, when i hear people speak of the ethical dilemna faced by genetic counseling, i do not see the issue. if someone can be spared the pain of illness or an impariment than let it be. yes, yes, we get into the whole concept of how a society decides what is aberrant but really, when do we start discussing the realities of people's lives? in my own case, as many of you know, have suffered from clinical depression for most of my life - i now take medication to control it. if this could have been prevented before i was born, would i have approved? you are damn right. my depression did not build my character - it stripped away years of happiness from me and no one should have that burden placed upon them even if some intellectuals seem to want to make the world suffer in order to satisfy some form of philosophy. and neb, your questions about who runs what are just questions of policy. what a country would we be living in if only education was taken that seriously! and yes, neb, i know you think life is a cycle but all we can do is try to do what is best - and yes, that is subjective not only to each culture but to each individual but we all have to start realizing some things are wrong. murder is wrong. rape is wrong. letting people suffer needlessly is wrong. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | r/R, d/D: The subject is a bit cumbersome for blog posting. But I will try, by presenting a series of possibly unfair oversimplifications. As a republican, I focus on the realistic application of the political philosophy, while ignoring all specific issues. (R)epublicans (and (D)emocrats) usually unite political philosophy and social engineering. As I use the terms, to be (r)epublican or (d)emocrat is to place a template, a patterned design, atop an ever-moving and ever-changing society. (r)s and (d)s don't particularly mind what that constantly-moving society believes or wants or fears, as long the overlaying template is there to best realize its desires. The overlaying template or design exists not as a restriction, but as the best possible expediter of the society's desires. For example, I believe ideas best flow up, from local to national. To enforce this empowers, challenges, educates, and generally lights a fire in the populace. I don't particularly care what the ideas are, as long as they push upward from the grass. This is exciting and involving. A democrat might believe that ideas best flow down, from national to local. Such a path has the valid benefit of increased speed and less effort. But for various reasons, I generally reject it despite its strengths. In general, I perceive (R)epublicans and (D)emocrats as starting from this point, but then grafting onto this foundation a superfluous catalog of issues, agendas, and ideologies. Also, (R)s and (D)s usually strike me as absolutist, which is not to my taste. I am not entirely pleased with the words I've chosen or the presentation of my ideas, but I felt it only fair to respond to your inquiry. Most of these ideas and opinions are only recently formed, and are not ready for prime time, so to speak. But here is a flawed attempt at communicating them, just the same. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I have observed that Social Darwinists are often ignorant of the interdependencies that got them where they are. Self reliance is equal parts reality and illusion. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | JLS - i've not heard of the difference between 'upper-' and 'lower-case' democracts and republicans. enlighten us... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | part of the difficulty one faces with bringing such arguments to certain republican mindsets: *sometimes*, you're dealing with social darwinists, who believe that only the strong will (and should) survive. as they see it, the species, and society, is only as strong as its weakest link; ergo, if you continue to coddle the poorest and weakest elements of the population, they will only continue to breed more poor and weak persons. evolution has proven time and again that when a given species fails to act or become as strong or stronger than their competitors, they soon go the route of extinction. mind you, this is a rather extreme point of view, and i seriously doubt that anyone who subscribed to it would come right out and confirm this (at least, in political circles). there are plenty of milder versions of this philsophy out there - and more extreme ones. eugenics was committed to the idea that, ultimately, we should set a standard for the human race in regards to intelligence, strength and attractiveness, and eliminate any member of the population who did not meet the minimum requirements established by this standard - or at least discourage if not prevent those same members from producing offspring. this sort of thing is done all the time to other species by farmers and their ilk; why not on our own race, some have asked. involuntary sterilization of institutionalized mentally retarded persons continued in virginia until about the seventies or so, i believe. it does raise some interesting questions about the short term sacrifice, long term gain strategy that miriam spoke of; if via genetics, we could eliminate all disease, physical and mental disability, etc. from the human race via the systematic use of genetic manipulation prior and during each and every human conception, why shouldn't we, for the betterment of our species? this assumes that the genetics in question were tried and true, and took into account the need to allow for some diversity in order to prevent the human race from being wiped out in one pass by a new, never before seen disease. as for education of and for all youth, i'm all for it - but who's in charge of creating the curriculum? should it be creatively or technically driven? should it be paid for on a county, state or nationwide basis, or some combination thereof? should teachers or parents have more control and responsibility for children's behavior? should we offer the benefits of education only to citizens of our country, or to those of others as well? as for 'the social contract which dictates that that we provide the best services we can for each member of society because that's just the ethical thing to do', it certainly sounds like a good and benevolent concept; the problem with those social contracts is that nobody has to sign them. in the end, the policies and procedures of the nation (and the world, to a degree) are decided by rich men in high towers, as it has been for thousands of years. there is a revolution every now and again, and occasionally the men in question are dragged out and shot; but the towers remain, and eventually, someone takes up residence once again. without them, there can be no true order; with them, there can be no real freedom. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I was with you until the last sentence. It seems to me that ethical systems belong in the private sphere, not the public one. In general, institutions make lousy ethicists. Further, I feel the weak link of the sentence is the term 'best services.' It is impossible for more than one human to agree on what that entails in all cases. Also, the term 'social contract' makes me uncomfortable. I have signed no such contract. Finally, for the record, while I appreciate your aesthetic choice to use only lower-case, it can have unfortunate results. For example, I consider myself a republican -- lower-case -- not a Republican, upper-case. As with democratic and Democratic, there are subtle, yet important differences between the two. As for the text preceding that sentence, I hope the tide turns in favor of those with this condition. If the resources are available, and the public agrees on the necessary trade-offs, perhaps one day it will come to pass. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | to bring up a topic that was introduced yesterday during game - you need to have good educational system in order to form a peaceful and strong society. republicans overall don't seem to understand the concept of short term sacrifices for long term goals. for instance - something close to my own life - autistic children. there is a program in place which can actually 'cure' up to 60 percent of all children with autism. the price of this treatment ranges from free in some states (california) to 55,000 dollars per student in others (virginia) the conservatives in this state go no we can't put more money into special education! we don't have the budget! but what they don't realize or seem to realize is that if they invest the money now they can save money on special education for the rest of the students' lives (the treatment generally takes 2-3 years), not have to pay for special services as they get older - this will actually save money in the long run!!! and also, don't we have a social contract which dictates that we provide the best services we can for each member of society because that's just the ethical thing to do? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i just got back from ben's house! wheee! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Difficult to type -- ears bleeding -- |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | because so far, i've listened to it 2,000 times. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yay! did you like the audioblog thing? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I am in your house right now |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | and my phone isn't working - i'm here though |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | okay that is too funny... and aren't you supposed to be at my house in about 10 minutes? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink urlLink this week's episode of 'Road To Glory' [check local listings for time and date] |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | or you mo-fos can't join my posse if you got a prob with bro-bro love, dig? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | american association of law schools will not permit a school to join which discrimates against homosexuals during the job-interview process which is a very important part of the law school experience for the students. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'I noted in an earlier opinion the fact that the American Association of Law Schools (to which any reputable law school must seek to belong) excludes from membership any school that refuses to ban from its job-interview facilities a law firm (no matter how small) that does not wish to hire as a prospective partner a person who openly engages in homosexual conduct.' Ummm...what? Too many wordy negatives in that statement. I got lost somewhere around 'refuses to ban.' Can someone translate that for me? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Harmony is right. The movie industry, by and large, is hella lame. We are fortunate that so many good films slip through the cracks and still get made and sometimes seen and acknowledged. But mostly it's an LCD money machine. Poo. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Same reason why Batman can't turn his head. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | WTF!!!!! A catwoman movie is being made but it won't be about selina kyle! it's going to be some character named, 'patience prince'!!!! Halle Berry playing catwoman is fine but why did they have to get rid of the original catwoman? urlLink http://us.imdb.com/Title?0327554 |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Justice Scalia's (who may be chief justice soon) opinion on the same case: June 27, 2003 | Today's opinion is the product of a Court, which is the product of a law-profession culture, that has largely signed on to the so-called homosexual agenda, by which I mean the agenda promoted by some homosexual activists directed at eliminating the moral opprobrium that has traditionally attached to homosexual conduct. I noted in an earlier opinion the fact that the American Association of Law Schools (to which any reputable law school must seek to belong) excludes from membership any school that refuses to ban from its job-interview facilities a law firm (no matter how small) that does not wish to hire as a prospective partner a person who openly engages in homosexual conduct. One of the most revealing statements in today's opinion is the Court's grim warning that the criminalization of homosexual conduct is 'an invitation to subject homosexual persons to discrimination both in the public and in the private spheres.' It is clear from this that the Court has taken sides in the culture war, departing from its role of assuring, as neutral observer, that the democratic rules of engagement are observed. Many Americans do not want persons who openly engage in homosexual conduct as partners in their business, as scoutmasters for their children, as teachers in their children's schools, or as boarders in their home. They view this as protecting themselves and their families from a lifestyle that they believe to be immoral and destructive. The Court views it as 'discrimination' which it is the function of our judgments to deter. So imbued is the Court with the law profession's anti-anti-homosexual culture, that it is seemingly unaware that the attitudes of that culture are not obviously 'mainstream'; that in most States what the Court calls 'discrimination' against those who engage in homosexual acts is perfectly legal; that proposals to ban such 'discrimination' under Title VII have repeatedly been rejected by Congress; that in some cases such 'discrimination' is mandated by federal statute (see 10 U.S.C. 654(b)(1) mandating discharge from the armed forces of any service member who engages in or intends to engage in homosexual acts); and that in some cases such 'discrimination' is a constitutional right. Let me be clear that I have nothing against homosexuals, or any other group, promoting their agenda through normal democratic means. Social perceptions of sexual and other morality change over time, and every group has the right to persuade its fellow citizens that its view of such matters is the best. That homosexuals have achieved some success in that enterprise is attested to by the fact that Texas is one of the few remaining States that criminalize private, consensual homosexual acts. But persuading one's fellow citizens is one thing, and imposing one's views in absence of democratic majority will is something else. I would no more require a State to criminalize homosexual acts -- or, for that matter, display any moral disapprobation of them -- than I would forbid it to do so. What Texas has chosen to do is well within the range of traditional democratic action, and its hand should not be stayed through the invention of a brand-new 'constitutional right' by a Court that is impatient of democratic change. It is indeed true that 'later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress'; and when that happens, later generations can repeal those laws. But it is the premise of our system that those judgments are to be made by the people, and not imposed by a governing caste that knows best. One of the benefits of leaving regulation of this matter to the people rather than to the courts is that the people, unlike judges, need not carry things to their logical conclusion. The people may feel that their disapprobation of homosexual conduct is strong enough to disallow homosexual marriage, but not strong enough to criminalize private homosexual acts -- and may legislate accordingly. The Court today pretends that it possesses a similar freedom of action, so that we need not fear judicial imposition of homosexual marriage, as has recently occurred in Canada (in a decision that the Canadian Government has chosen not to appeal). At the end of its opinion -- after having laid waste the foundations of our rational-basis jurisprudence -- the Court says that the present case 'does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual persons seek to enter.' Do not believe it. More illuminating than this bald, unreasoned disclaimer is the progression of thought displayed by an earlier passage in the Court's opinion, which notes the constitutional protections afforded to 'personal decisions relating to marriage, procreation, contraception, family relationships, child rearing, and education,' and then declares that '[p]ersons in a homosexual relationship may seek autonomy for these purposes, just as heterosexual persons do.' (emphasis added). Today's opinion dismantles the structure of constitutional law that has permitted a distinction to be made between heterosexual and homosexual unions, insofar as formal recognition in marriage is concerned. If moral disapprobation of homosexual conduct is 'no legitimate state interest' for purposes of proscribing that conduct; and if, as the Court coos (casting aside all pretense of neutrality), '[w]hen sexuality finds overt expression in intimate conduct with another person, the conduct can be but one element in a personal bond that is more enduring'; what justification could there possibly be for denying the benefits of marriage to homosexual couples exercising '[t]he liberty protected by the Constitution?' Surely not the encouragement of procreation, since the sterile and the elderly are allowed to marry. This case 'does not involve' the issue of homosexual marriage only if one entertains the belief that principle and logic have nothing to do with the decisions of this Court. Many will hope that, as the Court comfortingly assures us, this is so. The matters appropriate for this Court's resolution are only three: Texas's prohibition of sodomy neither infringes a 'fundamental right' (which the Court does not dispute), nor is unsupported by a rational relation to what the Constitution considers a legitimate state interest, nor denies the equal protection of the laws. I dissent. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Nevermind. I just read about it on CNN. That's really cool. I'm often ignorant of current events, mainly because most cable news networks make want to shoot myself, as do their websites. I like NPR, but sometimes their voices are so soothing that I fall asleep listening to it. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I mean, I like what the guy said, and his actual words made perfect sense, but what's it's context? I have no information about the case to which this pertains. Inform me, for I am ignorant! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Ummm....what? Where did this come from and what does it all mean, man??????? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Following are excerpts from Justice Kennedy's majority opinion in Lawrence vs. Texas, handed down June 26. Liberty protects the person from unwarranted government intrusions into a dwelling or other private places. In our tradition the State is not omnipresent in the home. And there are other spheres of our lives and existence, outside the home, where the State should not be a dominant presence. Freedom extends beyond spatial bounds. Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct. The instant case involves liberty of the person both in its spatial and more transcendent dimensions ... It must be acknowledged, of course, that the Court in Bowers was making the broader point that for centuries there have been powerful voices to condemn homosexual conduct as immoral. The condemnation has been shaped by religious beliefs, conceptions of right and acceptable behavior, and respect for the traditional family. For many persons these are not trivial concerns but profound and deep convictions accepted as ethical and moral principles to which they aspire and which thus determine the course of their lives. These considerations do not answer the question before us, however. The issue is whether the majority may use the power of the State to enforce these views on the whole society through operation of the criminal law. 'Our obligation is to define the liberty of all, not to mandate our own moral code.' [Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, (1992)] ... The present case does not involve minors. It does not involve persons who might be injured or coerced or who are situated in relationships where consent might not easily be refused. It does not involve public conduct or prostitution. It does not involve whether the government must give formal recognition to any relationship that homosexual persons seek to enter. The case does involve two adults who, with full and mutual consent from each other, engaged in sexual practices common to a homosexual lifestyle. The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives. The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime. Their right to liberty under the Due Process Clause gives them the full right to engage in their conduct without intervention of the government. The Texas statute furthers no legitimate state interest which can justify its intrusion into the personal and private life of the individual. Had those who drew and ratified the Due Process Clauses of the Fifth Amendment or the Fourteenth Amendment known the components of liberty in its manifold possibilities, they might have been more specific. They did not presume to have this insight. They knew times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress. As the Constitution endures, persons in every generation can invoke its principles in their own search for greater freedom. The judgment of the Court of Appeals for the Texas Fourteenth District is reversed. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | from urlLink Penny Arcade : I decided right away that I wanted to be a bounty hunter, and so with blaster in hand I began working my way up that particular skill tree. This involved a lot of shooting of rats, bugs and crabs. At one point on Tatooine, I was standing next to a mission terminal waiting for my turn to use it when I saw a large wookie run past me, firing wildly over his shoulder as a tiny crab no bigger than a dinner plate chased him through town. How sad, I thought to myself. I spent countless hours wandering the hillsides in search of new rats and crabs to shoot. Sometimes I would inadvertently stumble upon too large a rat and be forced to high tail it back to town. I placed my character in 'auto run' and pointed him at the nearest town. As I sat there staring at my Trandoshan bounding across the uneven Tatooine landscape with some kind of super rat closing in on him, I thought to myself, This is not how I want to play in the Star Wars Universe. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i just the new madonna video, 'hollywood' and that is embarrassing for everyone involved. please madonna, leave music before making any more sad, sad videos. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink may the force be with some of you |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | not sure why i feel the need to post this but: Main Entry: quaint Pronunciation: 'kwAnt Function: adjective Etymology: Middle English cointe, from Old French, from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognoscere to know -- more at COGNITION Date: 13th century 1 obsolete : EXPERT, SKILLED 2 a : marked by skillful design b : marked by beauty or elegance 3 a : unusual or different in character or appearance : ODD b : pleasingly or strikingly old-fashioned or unfamiliar synonym see STRANGE - quaintly adverb - quaintness noun |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I thought about you a lot. Well....some. Now and then. Like, when I was microwaving dinner, or sorting laundry. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yeah, well karl and i will no longer be doing the radio show. you can see us on cable access when we get a night. he and i will be petitioning to get our own cable show so we may be on every week shortly. i would thank you all for your support, but you know, you didn't really give any. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | thanks angie mcang. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Oops...s'cuse me. 'Edit YOUR profile.' My bad. :) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I'm not sure about how to see who all's in the group, but you can change your screen name on the sign-in page under 'Edit Profile.' |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | andhow do we know who is in the group now? how can we edit our screen names? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | so how did you do that and where were you broadcasting from? i couldn't tell. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | wow that is one happy ben! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink urlLink audblog audio post |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | hee hee funnnee. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink the sundance online film festival and once again, urlLink DA SNEAK! cuz its funneee |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Actually, a friend of mine invited me to join that site. It's the most annoying piece of error-sending, slow-loading shit I've ever encountered. But it's sort of interesting to see six degrees of separation in effect like that, 'cause you basically see all the people that are friends with your friends and their friends and blah diddy blah blah blah... |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | hope they're warm peas |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | let me rest in peace. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | that was funny, ben. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | 'rant' |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | yay! it's yet urlLink another way to meet people by sitting in front of your computer all day. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink the sneak! |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Jam on 'cause Backstreet's got it Come on now everybody We've got it goin' on for years |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | i have once again fallen prey to angie's quizzes. my result No Outlet. You don't take crap from anyone. You know who you are and you're fine with it. Good for you, people are drawn to your strength. sometimes you come across somewhat blunt and that can be hurtful. Don't be afraid to open up to others, you don't have to always be in control. urlLink What's Your Sign? brought to you by urlLink Quizilla |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | urlLink tomb raider: yet another game |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | the calendar speaks truly, yesss |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | I was looking on the RPG calendar and i saw we have a rtg scheduled for july 19th and and hos on july 20th? is this true? |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | From urlLink Fark : urlLink Photoshop Fun with Wil Wheaton's vacation photos |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | You dressed up as Threepio? I cannot even begin to wrap my head around the unbearably goobish cuteness of the image that conjurs. :) |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | Borders Books+Music on West Broad is going all out with the imminent Harry Potter volume. The foyer is dark, with two faux stone columns on either side mounted with electric flames, and the soundracks play; cryptic writings on the wall; special events with a 'real wizard' and the opportunity to attend dressed as your favorite Harry Potter character. How wonderful that some children have a rich fantasy to look forward to. Reminds me of Star Wars days, when I was so excited to dress as Threepio for Halloween. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | It happened with no changes made. |
589,736 | male | 35 | Technology | Aries | 05,August,2004 | cool - did your browser at work get upgraded, or did it just happen with no changes on your end? |
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