The Bible is Hilarious

LiveJournal 9/10/2003

If, according to old testament law, you should kill someone working on sabbath, for example carrying something – then the person doing the killing is carrying a stone, and therefore must also be put to death. Since you cannot stone someone to death without someone doing the stoning, and since stoning itself represents work, then the natural solution to what Exodus suggests, if taken literally, is that the entire population of people who follow this law should whittle themselves down to one very righteous individual standing alone, holding a rock.

I love the Bible.

How Quaint!

LiveJournal 7/16/2003

From CNN Money:

Deficits expected to reach $455B
White House acknowledges ballooning deficit and pledges for the first time to cut it in half.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House said on Tuesday the federal budget deficit would balloon to a record $455 billion this fiscal year after absorbing heavy costs from the war in Iraq, and then climb $20 billion higher in 2004, a presidential election year.

Side Effects: May make your head explode

LiveJournal 6/17/2003

In the annals of history mankind has searched for drugs that answer to our shortcomings and inadequacies – now we have PT-141, a replacement for Viagra that is an inhalable spray through the nose that generates similar effects to Viagra except, to quote: “They also found the drug seemed to help patients overcome performance anxiety because, unlike Viagra, it works with or without visual or tactile stimulation.” 

So, lets hear it for the smart barkeep who has misting equipment set up on the dance floor and loads it all up with a solution of 10 parts water to 1 part PT-141. America will never be the same. 🙂


HINDSIGHT: Drug causes a huge spike in blood pressure, alas, you’re randy but your head explodes. Awww! 🙂

Terror Level Orange, Fear Level Bored

LiveJournal 5/21/2003

The Department of Fatherland Homeland Security has raised our national terror alert status to the unrhymable Orange. I found this on salon.com: Department of Homeland Security officials initially provided few specific reasons for the alert, which will set in motion a series of security measures around the federal government. It also advises cities, states and businesses to take extra security measures. Now, what are these “extra security measures”? Are they in any way different from the same security measures already in place? And how should I react to my government telling me to fear, would it be plausible that by the DHS affirming a Terror Alert that they themselves are in some way engaged in an act of terrorizing the population? Does it really matter what level of risk we are currently at, couldn’t we just assume we’re always at risk and just carry about with our lives like we always have?

I never got my wish

LiveJournal 4/6/2003 –

Well, surprise surprise surprise! It turns out that the US Military can’t find any of the much dreaded Weapons of Mass Destruction after all. So I can’t help but wonder why we are in Iraq? Oh yes, to free the people from their oppressive regime, so we can give them the same benefits of democracy that we’ve become accustomed to -=cough=-. The entire operation is starting to show it’s threadbare bits – why didn’t we just let the Iraqi people lead their own civil war or wait for their despotic leader to simply die of old age? First we beat the shit out of Afghanistan, now we’re bitch-slapping Iraq. I can’t but wonder what sandy oil-rich nation is next? Perhaps Saudi Arabia, they have a monarchy ripe for democracy, since Weapons of Mass Destruction is now a thinly veiled bid for popular re-election (er, re?) I can’t help but wonder what new excuse our proud and upright Misunderestimated Presidentiary will come up with next? We certainly have fallen off the beaten path when it comes to these wars:


Korea
Drugs
Illiteracy
Homelessness
Child Hunger
Terrorism

It’s definitely not manly to leave such wonderful opportunities for bloodshed unexplored Mr. Bush! I hate to state this of course, but wouldn’t the image of American and British troops flooding over your country while you were a small, impressionable little boy, watching your house and local hospital blow up because someone told someone who overheard it from someone else that there might be someone wearing black clothes somewhere in the vicinity of a city block from where you live – and that this psychological trauma, mixed with the notion that the United States needs to legislate Christian prayer during a time of war lead any small Iraqi boy to contact their nearest French or Jordanian weapons dealer, strap as much C4 as one can carry without tipping over and walk into something very fragile, like a fuel depot loaded with US Servicemen? Oh goodness no, our war for the “Hearts and Minds” of Iraq will be utter and complete I’m sure… I’m sure all the dead Iraqi fathers will be sure to tell their sons not to regard a white man in desert kahkis as someone to throw kerosene at… after all, dead fathers raise such balanced children. I just hope that the witless fool which is our esteemed President understands that while concentrating on his buff and raw masculinity in “Dealing with Saddam once and for all” that we’ve let all the other wars we need so very badly to identify us as Americans fall by the wayside and rot:


Kim Jong Il, case in point.

How many of your friends are hooked on something easily obtainable and dangerous?

Ask a random American to find two places on a globe: America and Iraq, then spin the globe and ask them to find China as quick as they can.

Our stunning Economic Boom has relieved us of the terror of unemployment and potential homelessness. The men and women walking around downtown with everything they possess in a shopping cart stolen from a supermarket are merely actors put on stage to remind people just how lucky we are to have such a caring and effective President when it comes to matters of Domestic Policy.

It’s been forever since a caring and well-educated Mother asked to trade her WIC and USDA food-stamp payments for Cigarettes while her svelt child looked on with pride and happiness.

By scarring the people of Iraq with the experience of War, we have saved them from the long drawn out agony of some sort of lengthy and dull diplomatic solution to the question of Weapons of Mass Destruction that, heh, might not really be there. I’m sure the proud and stalwart citizens of Iraq will have a good belly laugh about this whole thing once the US has established that we have won and that it is over Vietnam, and quite like the Vietnamese, welcome us with open arms and endeavor not to randomly explode busloads of Christian missonaries and the random US Embassy on accident.

Mr. Dubya Bush, YOU THE MAN!

I look forward to ANYONE ELSE in 2005! 🙂

Who's Hungry?

LiveJournal 3/30/2003

Man alive is it chilly out there! I just got back from doing something I haven’t done in a long, long time – went down to the park and fed the ducks. However there bears a correction in that I wasn’t absolutely surrounded by just ducks but rather some geese and a cadre of very bedraggled squirrels who weren’t sure I was actually feeding them or throwing dirt at them, dumb squirrels. So I went down to the edge of the parks pond/lake and immediately when I rustled the plastic Meijer bag it was like someone rang the dinner bell, I was approached very cautiously by ducks, geese, and perhaps a gosling – I couldn’t be sure. The law of supply and demand at work was fascinating to see, drop a entire slice of bread in the water and immediately female ducks paddle over, quacking the whole time, taking nips from the males and even challenging the geese – these are some ballsy ladies. I of course as a human had to throw the entire shebang off it’s balance point by flooding the “market” with supply, even the most sickly looking male got at least a nibble. I was down to half of what I came with and I walked over to this very short concrete pier and I heard this chittering sound, turn, look down, see one very audacious squirrel just sitting on his haunches staring up at me with his hands out – it was so endearing! I put my hand in the bag and the little squirrel started to move off nervously until I brought out a huge chunk of whole-wheat hamburger bun, I tossed the entire bun right in front of the squirrel and he made this happy little squealing noise, grabbed the bun which was nearly as big as the squirrel and started munching away. I left with nearly half of what I came with and decided to save the rest for some warmer day when I can gather a bigger group of avian guests. There is this wonderful feeling from knowing that one single act, tossing stale worthless bread to the wildlife, could possibly keep a few of them alive and that it was a vastly superior thing than simply tossing the bread in the trash to rot.

Way Too Effective

LiveJournal 3/26/2003

As I was reading Salon an idea crossed my mind, as it has for the past few days and especially when I hear about war coverage on the news. That the Coalition forces are SO awesomely advanced and powerful that we can’t seem to keep our enthusiasm for killing in check and that we may have killed more of our own accidentally than any Iraqi can? Of course not, in an age of advanced information technology it’s unthinkable that a Patriot Missile Battery would be obliterated by a United States bombing plane only after the Patriot system targeted the US plane first, or that two British tanks would attempt to destroy one another because they thought they both were facing the enemy.

I’ve got images of Redcoats and Hessians running around Yorktown with their underwear on the outside of their trousers while the American Colonist Rabble stab themselves with bayonets mounted improperly.

We are a nation of idiots, but a well armed bunch of idiots we are! 🙂

Meyers-Briggs Personality Inventory

LiveJournal 3/23/2003

Your Type is
ESFJ
Extroverted Sensing Feeling Judging
Strength of the preferences %
1 11 44 44


Description of the ESFJ:


Guardians of birthdays, holidays and celebrations, ESFJs are generous entertainers. They enjoy and joyfully observe traditions and are liberal in giving, especially where custom prescribes.

All else being equal, ESFJs enjoy being in charge. They see problems clearly and delegate easily, work hard and play with zest. ESFJs, as do most SJs, bear strong allegiance to rights of seniority. They willingly provide service (which embodies life’s meaning) and expect the same from others.

ESFJs are easily wounded. And when wounded, their emotions will not be contained. They by nature “wear their hearts on their sleeves,” often exuding warmth and bonhomie, but not infrequently boiling over with the vexation of their souls. Some ESFJs channel these vibrant emotions into moving dramatic performances on stage and screen.

Strong, contradictory forces consume the ESFJ. Their sense of right and wrong wrestles with an overwhelming rescuing, ‘mothering’ drive. This sometimes results in swift, immediate action taken upon a transgressor, followed by stern reprimand; ultimately, however, the prodigal is wrested from the gallows of their folly, just as the noose tightens and all hope is lost, by the very executioner!

An ESFJ at odds with self is a remarkable sight. When a decision must be made, especially one involving the risk of conflict (abhorrent to ESFJs), there ensues an in-house wrestling match between the aforementioned black-and-white Values and the Nemesis of Discord. The contender pits self against self, once firmly deciding with the Right, then switching to Prudence to forestall hostilities, countered by unswerving Values, ad exhaustium, winner take all.

As caretakers, ESFJs sense danger all around–germs within, the elements without, unscrupulous malefactors, insidious character flaws. The world is a dangerous place, not to be trusted. Not that the ESFJ is paranoid; ‘hyper-vigilant’ would be more precise. And thus they serve excellently as protectors, outstanding in fields such as medical care and elementary education.

Screws in the Past

LiveJournal 3/5/2003

While reading the New York Times online, I came across an article relating to the upcoming war in Iraq, about how shocking Iraq may lead to a short war. This quote caught my eye: “He said disarming Iraq would define victory, not capturing or killing President Saddam Hussein.” Allright, so, simply disarming Iraq is what we are after, then is this a war or is it just mopping up after what we tried to do in 1991? Won’t this be just like a can of worms, sure, we can clip, nip, and tuck Saddam’s forces here and there because all of a sudden they threaten us with their WOMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction, which by the way is nearing complete hyphenation because it’s quickly becoming a cliche phrase) but wouldn’t that be rather silly? I mean, if we’re just after weapons then technically Iraq becomes a unwilling manufacturer of WOMD, selling their wares to us by trading expensive WOMD for aerial bombing? I get this intense feeling that we aren’t going to actually listen to anyone else, ie, the United Nations, but we’re going to forge ahead like the brainless oxen we are, missing out on dealing with the reason *why* Iraq makes WOMD and doesn’t want to play fair like all the other disarmed lands out there, like Angola, France, and North Dakota. That by simply bombing Iraq we can “spook” them into behaving properly, ie, the way we want them to. How likely will the Iraqi’s be in finding agreement with the United States out of fear of some future bombing attack? And how do we feel if Iraq suddenly turns on terrorist organizations and fights the “War on Terror”, will we ignore their WOMD just like Donald Rumsfeld did in 1983 when Iraq was at war with Iran? Curious…

Yesterday I was talking with my mother and another thought occurred to me, that The Gulf War was just like Vietnam. We didn’t really win anything, we just declared it was won, declared our intent to be finished with it, and left. If proper wars are to have an ignition, a duration, and some definite conclusion then we haven’t had one of those in quite some time. We apparently have another kind of war, one with ignition, building, and lame-duck wobbling away. Another thing just now, if there is a definite and clear winner, doesn’t that make the loser feel like post WWI Germany, wouldn’t that lead to the contributing factor of WWII, ie, make the loser so sore they have no choice but to pursue some grander scheme?

And we’re still ignoring North Korea. Gah… we’ll treat the Koreans with diplomacy yet we’ll bully Iraq when the clear and present threat is just the opposite! 

It’s a good thing that presidents have terms and those terms are limited. I wonder how close George Washington would be to considering forming a militia and taking that boat ride across the Patomac River… Dubya is the best thing to happen to the GOP in years, I hope they reap everything they’ve sown.

Rosewar Chronicle

LiveJournal 3/1/2003

I broke down and did it. I printed out the website for the Rosewar Chronicle, the Changeling Game that Scott is running and that will be playing later today. I’ve started with a highlighter and the NPC list and I’m carefully marking down key bits for my character to know and now I can put faces and names to what they did. However it does feel very much like an Agatha Christie novel, I keep on expecting a Trod to open up and Poirot to jump out with the stock phrase “I know the culprit!”. Of course that will never happen, Scott doesn’t make it *that* easy. I think that maybe this time if I know who is who and what everyone is referring to by being able to read it all up while we play I can be more “into” the game. I suppose all my years of regarding D&D players as unsociable pale number freaks will have to erode away – there is just some limits to how “into” the game I can get.

A movie quote has been bouncing around my head these past few weeks:

“Life is suffering your highness, anyone who says differently is selling something.” – The Princess Bride.

Anyhow, moving along, Ryan has to sleep and I can certainly understand, I’m the walking dead myself. Tomorrow will be great fun, here’s to early game starts and not passing out. Maybe I can wrest control of the entire party and exercise my early game playing will on them all. Hah, my character leading… terrifying.