Dreamlines

See what your dreams look like here. Power of suggestion at work. Pretty neat stuff.

Parents: What's The Point?

I was shopping at our local Save-On Foods store, or rather I was tagging along as my wife shopped.

At the checkout I noticed the cashier's name badge, her name was Alyxsus. Every time I see a name like that I wonder what their parents were thinking.

For her entire life she will have to spell out her name to everyone she meets. Why not just name her Alexis? Then most people would automatically write down the default name which is most common.

Karin is another one. Karun, Karin, Carin, Carun, Karen, Caren. Why burden someone with names with multiple spellings? Whats the point of that?

Why name a boy Jon, when most know the spelling as John? Or Marc instead of Mark? Or Jasun instead of Jason.

We all know you want your child to be "unique" but just think of the hassle he or she has to got through because of your whim.

Don't do it.

Keith, not Keeth, Kieth or Keyth

Want Some Amusement?

I came across this site, Within The Cranium , which has some amusing stuff.
Enjoy

World Cup, Olympics...Christmas!

I have (another) great idea.

The World Cup of Soccer (Football) and the Summer Olympics are monumental events throughout the world because of one reason.

They are held only once in every four years. Hence they are more valuable events. Less frequency = more value.

So why not celebrate Christmas every four years? And for that Christmas week between Dec 25 and Jan 1, give everyone the time off to really celebrate!

Think about the advantages.

The stress of Christmas shopping just twice a decade.
Less frequency of overeating means less obesity, hence a healthier population.
Less Christmas parties means less drunk driving and after party embarrassment.

The list goes on.

But most importantly Christmas would be then considered as a Great World Event rather than one based on Hypocritical Religious Beliefs and Business Greed.

Do We Really Need A Zoo?

I like animals as much as the next person. But I'm not fanatical about saving wild animals from Natural Hazards or hospitalizing birds with broken wings.

There is one thing that's always bothered me and that is why do we need to confine wild animals in zoos or other wildlife facilities?

I haven't been to a zoo in a while, I think the last one I entered was in Calgary quite a few years ago. And the image that stays in my mind is that of a Tiger pacing back and forth along the front bars of his small cage.

If this isn't animal cruelty I don't know what is. And there isn't any reason for it. In this day and age of crisp television screens and Internet Information, there is no need to see these animals live and in person.

We can learn everything about them without actually having them stressfully shipped thousands of miles to Zoos throughout North America.

And how much can we learn about these animals when they are in a totally foreign environment and emotionally and physically disabled?

Can we get rid of these Zoos? There is no point to them anymore, if indeed, there ever was.

Here We Go Again

Anyone who is against severe gun restrictions is a total idiot.


This is what happens when we let anyone own a firearm:

WETUMPKA, Ala. (AP) - An 11-year-old girl was accidentally shot and killed while playing with a young relative during a Christmas party.

The boy, also 11, shot the girl with a .22-calibre rifle after they went into a room to play on Friday, said Detective Sgt. Gary Edwards of the Wetumpka Police Department.

The names of the children were not released and it was unclear how they were related.

Edwards said it was unlikely the boy will be charged. "Families should make sure, especially if there are children around, to secure their guns. This was just a tragic accident," he said.

Christmas

I got some nice gifts. In the picture I have a watch and wallett with Canuck Logos. Also a pair of nice leather driving gloves.

I also got socks, a car vacumn, two cool belts, a set of vice grips (strange) and some other incidentals.

I always get my main Christmas present several weeks before Christmas. In September of this year I bought myself the iMac Core 2 Duo, the sweetest computer on the planet.

My Birthday is Feb 09 and I'm planning to get myself the new Windows Vista OS and install that on the Mac.

It's good that Christmas is all about Giving because I am all about Receiving.

Mr. Pope's War on Technology

I am not a big fan of Mr. Pope or the Catholic Church in general. In this news release from CNN Mr. Pope is telling us to forsake technology in favour of spiritual pursuits.

Of course he is. Is there any institution more hypocritical than the Catholic Church?

He knows that many of his followers are in desperate condition in some of the poorest nations on earth and by God he intends to keep them that way. Because the poorer and more ignorant a society is the more likely it will be religious.

Is it any surprise that the most secular nations on Earth are also the most economically, socially and technologically advanced?

Mr. Pope knows only too well that if his ignorant followers are educated in the ways of technology they will soon discover that technology will change their lives for the better at the expense of his preponderance and financial bottom line .

The Pope, like any other despot, needs control and power feeding his ego. Any outside influence, such as Technology, threatens his empire.

Not Even For $10,000 ?

When it comes to the subject of sex I really don't think men and women will ever agree.

As human beings I think both genders, in most cases, are really similar in their way of thinking, Venus and Mars Syndrome notwithstanding.

But when it comes to sex, we are miles apart.

I posed this classic question to four women that I am acquainted with.

If a man that you would not normally be attracted to offered you $10,000 to spend 12 hours with him sexually, would you do it?

This assumes that all parties concerned have a modest income and that the $10,000 represents a very large sum of money. Let's also assume that the man in question is a well groomed but middle aged gentlemen, although this was not specified in the question to these ladies.

Three of the ladies were average looking middle aged women, basically nearing the end of their "desirable" stage in life. The fourth was a very attractive 21 year old.

The expected result was that no, they would not take the offer. One of the older women did qualify that it would depend on the man in question, so not an absolute NO.

One said "I won't sell myself for $10,000". This begs the question, what if the figure was $100,000? Or a million, like they did in the movie? Is there a graph we can make that shows the decline of integrity with the increase of reward?

It's obvious to me that most women would not admit that they would indeed accept the money, fearing that they would appear to have no integrity if they did.

I kind of think that if the cash was waved in front of their faces maybe they'd change their mind. But let's assume they wouldn't.

I found it amusing that the three older women seemed to think they would be worth $10,000 in the first place. The reality is that they could not command a price of much more than maybe $200-$500, if anything at all.

Being older they have less value (Read my Value Post) if they have any sexual value at all. Most single middle aged men have little problem getting sex from women of their own age. More opportunity = less value.

But what are the chances of a 50ish single man hooking up with an attractive 21 year old woman? It happens but usually only to those men in position of status. And the chances diminish with every passing year.

So for him the value of a sexual liaison with this young woman is substantial.

Substantial enough for an offer of $10,000. And in giving up that kind of money, the value increases even more. For every hour he spends with her he is giving up $833!

He is obviously going to cherish every second of that rendezvous. No one minds spending big money if they feel they are getting the value they deserve.

Now if I was that 21 year old woman I would be very flattered that someone thought I was sexually worth $10,000, and yet most women see such an offer as an insult.

Let's talk about integrity. The "I won't sell myself" argument is ridiculous. We all sell ourselves out often during the course of our lives. Every day when we go to our jobs we are selling ourselves to our employers. They own our asses for a fee they call a wage.

Are you not selling out your kids if you refuse the opportunity to acquire the money for their educations?

Just because this situation involves the genitals it should make a difference? I think this illustrates the biggest difference between men and women.

From my point of view any women that provides sex for a fee is no different from a woman that is providing a massage for a fee. They are both providing a service and fulfilling the needs of each other.

I don't understand the moral issue here.

One need is money, one need is physical pleasure. Tit for tat. Women often inflate the sexual act into some kind of metaphysical bonding between two spirits.

And I would venture to guess that the same women I have talked to have bedded men for the cost of a meal or simply because "it seemed the thing to do" maybe without even knowing their last names. Integrity? Please don't play that card.

Your self worth should be constructed of something more substantial than your sex life.

For men sex is a goal to be strived for and achieved, a biological function not entirely unlike a good bowel movement.

In the last 50 years or so men have been compromising their masculinity to appease this female fantasy of Harlequin Romance Bliss.

But we play the game as needed.

Canucks Update 17-18-1

It's looking dismal. At the current rate of "success" the team will not qualify for the playoffs.

The frustrating thing is why?

In the games I have seen, the Canucks have not been outplayed. In fact in most games they are the better team.

The defense is good if not great. Luongo has been good if not great. The scoring chances are there but they can't bury the puck.

Guys like Kesler, Cooke and Burrows are not scoring at all. Even though they manage to get a few good scoring chances almost every game.

I still like Vigneault as a coach, I feel sympathy for him, he seems to have his players doing everything right and yet we can't score goals.

If there is a weak area in the team it's the non stop minor penalties for phantom holding and hooking infractions. We spend far too much time penalty killing.

I think he needs to keep Naslund with the Sedins through thick and thin, it's the only way they'll be able to gel by the time Playoffs come around, if indeed they do for the 'Nucks.

Naslund needs to shoot more and the Sedins seem the only other players capable of getting him the puck.

It's easy to say "bad luck" has caused the current situation but no team has "bad luck" lasting for so long.

There has to be an answer and like a lot of other fans and the coaching staff, I am scratching my head for inspiration.

Joke of the Month

In Pharmacology, all drugs have two names, a trade name and generic name.

For example, the trade name of Tylenol also has a generic name of Acetaminophen. Aleve is also called Naproxen. Amoxil is also call Amoxicillin and Advil is also called Ibuprofen.

The FDA has been looking for a generic name for Viagra. After careful consideration by a team of government experts, it recently announced that it has settled on the
generic name of Mycoxafloppin.

Also considered were Mycoxafailin, Mydixadrupin, Mydixarizin, Dixafix, and of course, Ibepokin.

Pfizer Corp. announced today that Viagra will soon be available in liquid form, and will be marketed by Pepsi Cola as a power beverage suitable for use as a mixer. It will now be possible for a man to literally pour himself a stiff one.

Obviously we can no longer call this a soft drink, and it gives new meaning to the names of "cocktails", "highballs" and just a good old-fashioned "stiff drink".

Pepsi will market the new concoction by the name of: MOUNT & DO.

Thought for the day: There is more money being spent on breast implants and Viagra today than on Alzheimer's research.

This means that by 2040, there should be a large elderly population with perky
boobs and huge erections and absolutely no recollection of what to do with them.

New Levels of Stupidity Achieved !!

Not 5 minutes ago on the Global News was a report of a couple on the coast that perished due to Carbon Monoxide poisoning.

These Geniuses ran a Generator inside their house during a power failure!!!

What makes this really hard to believe is that the couple was in their mid sixties. They walked this planet for 60 years and had not heard of carbon monoxide poisoning?

Darwin's theory at work.

Erotica

I've been debating whether or not to post on this subject. There are a lot of prudish people out there that think viewing pictures of explicitly nude young women is somehow immoral.

Everyone's taste is different and I know there are disgusting things out there lurking in the bowels of the Internet or under the bed of some "dirty old man".

I've always thought that it's every man's right to view nude women. Nature made their bodies with male attraction in mind. Whether a man is single or not, he has the right to pornography in one form or another.

Every once in a while you will read a "Dear Ann" or Dear "Whoever is the Wise Woman of Late" complaining bitterly that their husbands are "cheating" on them because they are looking at pictures of naked woman on paper or screen.

Give me a freaking break! Some of these are the same women (and men) who are reading Ann Rice or some other "erotica/smut" author whose pages are laced with incest, child molestation, bestiality, "other" women and the most graphic literary titillation.

And if they aren't doing that they are lusting over a sensually photographed representation of a Pecan Pie in "Woman's World" while shoving Twinkies down their gullets.

Get real!

I am really getting tired of the De-Masculanization of the North American Male!

But that's another post for the future.

So, with that in mind let me guide you to Keith's Eye Candy Blog.

Just a small warning that photos posted on this Blog are of nude women in sexually explicit poses, please be of legal age.




NOTE: Most or all of the photos on the above link are the copywrite property of A&T Kingdom, and/or MET.

Blogging with Feeling

I've been trying to get my Blog circulated around a bit and have gone to a few Blogging Sites and have checked out some of the Blogs of others.

Some have pimped themselves out to advertisers, I avoid those at first glance. Some Blogs are really cluttered. I try to keep this one as lean and concise as possible.

A lot of people write about their "feelings". You know that I, contrary to what some might say, have as many "feelings" as the next person.

But it's not my intention to bore you with them.

Because really, outside of a very few close friends and loved one's, who really cares what your feelings are? Are some strangers' feelings in any way relevant to me?

Nope.

So I try to keep on universal topics, topics that I think everyone has thought about from time to time. That way, even if you disagree with what I write, you'll think for a moment or more about the subject I've brought up.

I think that's what makes my Blog just a little more interesting than a lot of others.

Movies

Movies pretty much follow the 80/20 rule, the 80% being those not worth seeing. Of the remaining 20%, 5% might be really entertaining and 1% incredible.

It's tough to find a good movie and that's one reason I avoid going to the movie theatres.

Shelling out $20 for the two of us to see a boring movie doesn't do it for me.

But there are some Gems out there. One movie that really surprised me at how good it was, no, make that how GREAT it was was: King Kong. Usually over hyped huge budgeted movies turn out to be a real letdown and I was totally prepared to be let down.

But I have to say this is one of the best movies I have ever seen. This is a movie that had everything from spectacular special effects to heartrending emotion.

Naomi Watts has to be considered one of the world's finest big screen actresses and she was just that in this movie.

You have to see her in Mulholland Dr.!!

King Kong is really incredible entertainment.

Then there are those small budgeted films like I saw today. Films that no one has heard of outside maybe the film crew and actors that were involved with them.

The film is called The Lotus Eaters, a 1993 movie filmed on location on Galiano Island in British Columbia.

Super low budget but a real Gem of a movie. No special effects, no big stars but a nice little story with easily identifiable characters.

I'm not sure if this one is even on DVD but if you come across it, you'll like it.

What's So Funny?

There is something I've never understood. Why is watching a male getting kicked in the nuts supposed to be funny?

Movies and TV shows have often depicted the scene, whether in comic farce or violent drama. And more often than not there are chuckles or hilarious laughter from the audience. I shake my head and view it as disgusting, not so much the violent act but more so the reaction of audiences.

I don't get it. This is a case of a severe double standard. I wonder how the audience would react if a woman was getting kicked in the groin or had their breasts slapped?

I've never scene that in any movie. Probably because there would be a public outcry about violence against women.

So let me get this straight. Violence against men is "funny", violence against women is an outrage.

How about we view violence against any human being, man or woman, adult or child as offensive?

Stockwell Day, Official Moron

I know it's bad of me to slam other people on here, but I just can't help myself.

Stockwell Day is a hayseed hack politician who belongs in the Old South of the 1930's.

He represents everything I hate about Politics and yet this idiot was our Leader of the Opposition for a short time. Thankfully, like most of our Conservatives, he self destructed.

Here are Quotes By or Concerning Stockwell Day.

NOTE: Stockwell is the one on the right (naturally) in the picture.

Christians vs. Christians

Here's a site in which a Christian justifiably attacks the shameful intolerance of some of his fellow Christians.

The rise of Fundamental Christianity in North America poses a greater risk to our freedoms than any Terrorist or Muslim Nation ever can or will.

The John Wayne Syndrome

Have you ever gone to those creepy websites like Siklink or Rotten where there are stories and photos of accident victims graphically displayed? There are also graphic photos depicting scenes of horrible violence, fatal gunshot wounds, torture wounds and autopsies.

It's hard to take but, like watching a train wreck, something that peaks one's curiosity.

For me it really shows how fragile the human body is.

I remember seeing a series of photos showing the results of a massive auto accident. One of the unfortunate victims was some poor soul whose body parts were scattered all over the road. I'm talking intestines, arms and legs scattered asunder.

John Wayne, for those too young to know, was the Iconic American Hero. I don't know if he ever played a bad guy but I doubt it. He was a Cowboy, a Soldier, a Farmer, the true American Male upholding the American Dream.

In his movies John Wayne was the recipient of a lot of bullets. He was shot and wounded many many times and more often than not died in the arms of the woman he loved.

Back in that day a bullet left a nice clean wound, hardly staining his shirt much less severely damaging his body. And death was almost seen as glorious especially if one sacrificed one's body for Country or Family or God.

Just in the last 20 years or so have we seen Hollywood actually try and depict actual reality through such movies as Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Born on the Fourth of July, etc.

The damage caused by modern weapons to the human body is catastrophic. The same can be said for the damage caused by a high speed auto accident.

I think that up to and including the Vietnam era, many young men, having been exposed to the John Wayne image arrogantly marched off to war not thinking of the terrible consequences that might befall their bodies and minds.

I really think that exposing the general public and young men in particular to the realities of war can help to prevent war.

The same applies to driving our cars. I have a 5 Litre Mustang and now and then I am tempted to take the car to its limits on an open stretch of highway. But whenever I get that thought I also remember the images I saw on that website.

And that changes my mind.

I think kids need to see those images as disturbing as they might be. They need to see the result of one loss of judgement while driving. They need to see the carnage their precious bodies may suffer if they take the responsibility of driving too lightly.

They might get nightmares, they might cry and they might emotionally traumatised for a while.

But they need to see the reality to save their lives.

Wow, Someone Submitted a Comment

I had a very polite comment submitted by an anonymous reader (yes I have one), rebuking me on some facts that I stated in my post : The Things Some People Believe

I had stated that : The physics of travelling the million of light years across space make it almost impossible to conceive of such a feat.


This was in reference to the unlikelihood of Interplanetary Travel. The Comment was:

Extraterrestrials don't need to be from "millions of light years" away. The next star is only 4 light years away (Proxima Centauri), and there are quite a few more with the 10 ly range.


I investigated and yes the commentator is right, I did exaggerate the distances.

So let me re-think this. Let's see, 1 light year = 6 TRILLION MILES. So 4.3 light years (the distance to Alpha Centauri) is 25,800,000,000,000 miles away. That's 25.8 TRILLION MILES AWAY!

The commentator goes on to say: "A few years of travel are easily conceivable - humankind did it on this planet just a few hundred years ago.

Um, I am thinking travelling 25 Trillion Miles is going to take more than a few years. I don't know of any space ship that travels at the speed of light.

Currently technology enables interplanetary craft to travel between 25,000 and 50,000 miles per hour in space.

At 50,000 mph it would take 500,000,000 years to reach that star. Even if the lifeforms on planets surrounding Alpha Centauri had a significant technological head start on us I very much doubt if they could overcome this travel distance/time problem.

Anyway, Anonymous, thanks for the comment!

The National Anthem

I've never really gotten the significance of National Anthems. And I've especially never understood why they are played at sporting events like prior to each and every hockey game.

What has patriotism got to do with Professional Sports?

Thankfully most TV networks insert a commercial spot when the anthem is played. They know most people would prefer watching that than the 8153rd time in their lives they have heard the anthem.

And when they don't, I fast forward through it.

Playing the anthem so often cheapens its value. I pity the players, they have to listen to this thing before every game. I assume they learn to tune it out as their careers progress and switch to thinking about their investment portfolios.

Quite often the singer is some amateur wanting a jump start to his or her career and of course the anthem gets botched. The best anthems are the screw ups, people forgetting the words or, hopelessly out of key. Those anthems are entertaining at least.

I think we should just sing these anthems at Government Celebrations and Functions like Canada Day or Victoria Day or Civil Servant Funerals or Citizenship ceremonies, or the first day of school, something like that.

Keep nationalism out of professional sports. And lets put a cap on how often we hear it. Really, it's not that great a tune.

Greatest Hockey Team Ever

The 1976-1977 Montreal Canadiens

No Question, No Doubt about it.

This was the greatest hockey team ever assembled.

Wins: 60

Losses : 8

EIGHT LOSSES IN 80 GAMES!!!!!!!!

Goals For: 387 #1 by a Mile

Goals Against: 171 # 1 by a Mile

Jacques Lemaire, Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur: Best Line EVER

Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe and Serge Savard : Best Defense EVER

Abortion

You know by now that I am not afraid to confront controversial issues. In fact I thrive on them because, for me, there is usually a clear vision of where I stand and where everyone else should too (with me).

I like controversy not because I want to stir shit or because I want to convert someone else to my view. I like it because a person's stand on any issue tells a lot about them.

You can ask a person about themselves and they'll often give you some schlocky cliched goop, telling you what they think you want to hear.

But ask them about a controversial issue and they will either have an opinion, thus revealing an aspect of themselves, or offer none and should therefore be dismissed.

Not professing an opinion means one of at least four things.

1) You are a shallow person that doesn't consider the world outside of your own little circle.

2) You have an opinion but are too afraid to expound on it because its based on bias and prejudice and not on fact (and you know it).

3) You have an opinion but you feel your listener hasn't the intelligence to interpret it.

4) You have an opinion but your lack of refined social skills prevents you from confidently verbalising it (so you write Blogs).

Abortion. I've considered this one for a great many years. It's one of those issues where both sides have legitimate arguments that deserve consideration if not support.

There are some pretty powerful images on the Net. I was going to provide a link, but you can find them, Google Images: Abortion. Not for the squeemish but viewing them does make one sympathetic to "Pro-Lifers".

Extracting a fetus is kinda like tearing apart a well cooked chicken (though not to the same scale).

I'm not stating an opinion on this one, there is just too much grey area for me to make a firm statement. So I am officially sitting on the Fence.

However I will say this:

Abortion and Religion have nothing to do with each other. And if I am swayed at all it's because Fundamental Christians and the Catholic Church are "Pro-Lifers", contaminating that cause.

And whatever they are for I like to be against. So I am leaning that way.

That Sound Was 500,000,000 Groans

The secret is out Indians have small penises.

A spokesman for Indian men says:

"It's not size, it's what you do with it that matters," he said.

"From our population, the evidence is Indians are doing pretty well."

So it seems the smaller your penis is, the more kids you will have.

I have no children.

Euthanasia

I think there are few topics as controversial as this one. You can debate the pros and cons endlessly.

About five years ago I went to the dentist on a Friday afternoon for a routine checkup. Dr. Gray, my dentist at that time here in Kelowna found what he said to be a "loose filling". He wanted to refill it, but not that day. In the meantime, he said, he would take out the loose filling and pack the hole in my tooth with gauze.

I was to see him on Monday.

What's that got to do with Euthanasia? It changed my whole outlook on it and forced me to do an about face.

Because for the next two days I went through sheer agony. A chronic pain unlike I had ever before experienced. A dull throbbing ever present pain. All I could think about was the pain and no amount of Tylenol could relieve it. The pain consumed me, I couldn't sleep, couldn't think of anything but the pain.

If someone would have told me that this pain would be with me for the rest of my life I would have asked to be put down.

Honest.

Obviously there are other ways of dealing with chronic pain and pain is by no means the only reason for requesting death.

But there are things that no one should be expected to live with if there is little or no hope of relief.

So I am in favour of euthanasia where it is warranted. And that is the problem. Who decides who is to live and die? The inflicted victim? What if he or she is incoherent or emotionally incapable of making that decision. Does Grandpa want Grandma euthanized for her sake or for his, because he is understandably tired of looking after her?

If euthanasia is ever legalised finding a formula for doing the act is going to be a very complex and controversial problem on its own.

Baby On Board

You've seen this sign usually in the rear windows of various vehicles. My question is why?

Can anyone tell me why I need to know this information?

What possible difference does it make to me, as a fellow motorist, whether or not there is a baby in the car ahead?

I've thought about this a lot and I still can't figure it out.

Canucks' Power Play

I have no hockey coaching experience but some things just make sense, things so obvious that an expertise is not required.

My gut feeling is that the only way you have a hope to score a goal is by SHOOTING THE PUCK TOWARDS THE NET! The vicinity of the 24 square feet that comprise the goal opening is where the puck needs to be.

There is nothing more frustrating for me, and nothing more pleasing for the opposition team, than to see the Canucks continually pass the puck around the perimeter of the attack zone without so much as an attempt at a shot.

The key to the Power Play is simple: Get the puck to the point and wail on it. If there is no room for a decent shot, then the Point man has to wrist it towards the net.

The point is to get the puck to the front of the net.

IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE !

The Monarchy and Princess Diana, R.I.P.

I've never been huge on conspiracy theories as some are but there is one that makes some sense although I am not prepared to commit to it. And that is that Princess Diana was murdered.

For a conspiracy to have validity the crime has to be possible and it has to have motive and, of course, involve several people.

It could be that someone nudge nudged and wink winked an MI-5 agent saying "that Diana is causing a lot of problems".

We might never know.

Latest News: Diana's Driver Drunk

I'm a big supporter of the Monarchy. I admire the Queen and think that Prince Charles has gotten a bad rap from the Press and the Public. I would go further to say that Prince Charles is one of the world's great assets. He is multi-talented man concerned about a great many social issues including poverty and the ecology.

For me, the Monarchy represents one of the great Traditions of our western Society. The history of Great Britain is one of the richest in the world and has had a great influence on the way we all think and perceive our world today.

There is no institution that represents the History of Great Britain like the Monarchy does. In this age of social and technological revolution I take great comfort in the traditions that are represented by the Queen and her Royal Family.

We in Canada pay very little for the privilege of calling Elizabeth our Queen. A few dollars here and there for Royal Family visits is a pittance to pay.

Those in Great Britain pay several millions to pay the Queen's bills. About the cost of a few jet fighters or squadron of army tanks. Again, very worth it in my opinion.

Now back to Diana. I have two words : "Good Riddance". This so called Princess did more to undermine and potentially destroy the Monarchy than anyone since Oliver Cromwell.

She was a self-promoting opportunist that put herself ahead, not only of her husband, but of the Queen herself.

I am sure she was scolded a very many times by the rest of the Family and re-schooled on exactly how she was expected to act. Still she wanted to be the Star of the Family when it was not her place to be.

I'm not promoting assassinations but I for one am glad Diana is not around anymore.

A Special Time of Year?

I'm not a big fan of Christmas, or Thanksgiving, or Easter, or Valentine's Day, or even Haloween.

"Special Days" creep me out and, other than the fact that one gets a day off with pay for some of them, they aren't of much use to me.

If anything they are a detriment to my Routine. As mentioned in previous posts I am a Control Freak and as such I require a daily Routine.

"Special Days" throw a real wrench into my Weekly Rituals, and to be honest, causes me considerable stress. Christmas is the worst because its not just one day, its a whole season. December is a catastrophe for me and I'm double whammied by another "special day" a week later: New Year's Day.

Thanks god for the gap between new Year's and Valentine's Day, six weeks of Bliss!

Were supposed to get togethar with our loved one's every Chritmas, be romantic on Valentines, give Thanks on Thanksgiving (thanks to who?). Do we really need a special day to do that?

For those who have no families, no one to Romance and nothing to give Thanks for, those are pretty awful days.

I think we should have a Special Day for them : Loser's Day

The Thought Police

The previous Post, Foot In Mouth Apologies, brings up the point that some people feel that what a person says when they are drunk reveals their true thoughts. Thoughts that our natural inhibitions usually prevent us from saying.

We live in an ultra conservative right wing semi-fascist society (ok, maybe somewhat overstated). And the powers that be (corporate and political) would love to regulate what we think. They would love to outlaw some thoughts and encourage others. Simply put, their goals are to dehumanize us.

A person should not be judged on what he thinks but rather on what he does. If Mel Gibson wants to hate Jews or if Michael Richards thinks Afro Americans are sub human, that's their business.

These people ran into problems not because of what they thought but because they verbalised those thoughts and people were offended.

Let's not even consider what we think for a moment. Let's consider what we say in our own homes. If our conversations and sarcastic quips made in our living rooms to our spouses, or even to ourselves, were made public we'd all be up for public condemnation.

A long time ago I worked for a man named Mario Deluca and yes he looked like the Mafia Dom that his name sounds like. I regularly had thoughts of slicing his throat open on a regular basis. I took special glee in fantasising on the brightness of the redness spurting from his artery.

If I had verbalised a thought like that I might have had a pretty stressful conversation with the RCMP. I think you get my point.

My concern is that our society is drifting to a point where our thoughts are being scrutenized and judged and punished.

Right now there are Hate Laws in most western societies. This bothers me. Why should hating be against the law? Isn't it a right to feel an emotion, whether it be jelousy, envy, lust or hate? Isn't that what makes us human beings?

If people want to destroy their own spirits through Hate, then I think thats their perogative.

Further to that, by outlawing Hate Groups, aren't we driving them underground where we can't keep an eye on them?

Our thoughts are our own and make us who we are. Others claiming jurisdiction over them reperesents the greatest threat to our society that I know of.

Foot In Mouth Apologies

Recently there have been a couple of celebrity faux-pas that were whipped up into a media frenzy.

I'm talking about Mel Gibson's drunken rant and Michael Richards rage against the black hecklers.

Talk about a mountain made from a mole hill.

First, Gibson. The amazing thing about this story is that the actual crime of drinking and driving seems to have taken a back seat to his Tirade against the Jews on the outrage meter.

Let's establish the fact that the real crime was the DUI. Let's all establish another fact that most of us have driven under the influence at one time or another. I say that not to diminish the crime but to make the point that such a crime is all too commonplace and not unusual.

As far as his gibberish about the Jews, well stand up anyone who hasn't made of fool of himself while intoxicated. Yes I now there are a few goody goodies standing now. But the truth is that most of us have spouted our mouths off while drunk and felt pretty sheepish the next day. That's one of the reason I no longer drink alcohol.

Read my post on alcohol.

Mel Gibson is not any one's role model.

Even more amusing to me is the Michael Richards create something from nothing news feast. If it weren't for camera phones and YouTube, no one would gave heard of it.

Tell me, does anyone really care what Michael Richards' racial views are? Does Michael Richards have any influence in our society today?

Yes he insulted the Black Community with use of the word "Nigger". But is the Black Community so insecure and sensitive that that they allow such an insignificant individual as Michael Richards offend them? I find that hard to believe.

I thought is was called "Being Human". Most of us have shot our mouths off at one time or another. Just because they are "celebrities" doesn't mean they should be crucified.

It's another example of the news media sharks. When they grab on to a piece of meat the will rip and tear at it until its totally consumed.

Pirated Music and File Sharing

If you have been following my Blog at all you might have found my Best Music Blog where I've listed examples of what I consider to be the best music over the last 40 years.

There is something about music that allows an escape into a fantasy world. When my favorite songs are played I sometimes fantasize that I am the lead singer, belting out an anthem or the Axeman mesmerizing the arena audiance with my fretwork. You really can get lost in it.

When Napster developed around 2000/2001 it was like a beautiful present for me, a dream come true. Most of the Music I have always loved was there for the taking. I had a dial-up connection at the time and the downloads seem to take forever, but worth the wait.

I've had Broadband now for a few years and my MP3 collection has grown to about 2500 songs. Of course they are on my iPod and backed up on three other hard drives and I have hard copies on CD's.

I consider them mine, I own them.

In the last few years the RIAA, representing the Music Industry, has aggresively tried to procecute file sharers and the Internet clients they use.

I use Limewire for downloading. It's the only "illegal" one I know of still operating.

Most nations have enacted laws that prohibit the sharing or distribution of copywrited music files. Thankfully I live in Canada and our enlightened society allows music uploading and downloading.

In return we are taxed on every blank DVD or CD that we purchase. Since that medium is so cheap now, it's really not a hardship. The revenue collected from the tax is supposed to go to artists and the companies that represent them.

But let's return to the moral or ethical argument of File Sharing, specifically of copywrited music.

First let me say that I can totally understand the music industry's viewpoint. They see that what is "theirs" is being stolen. They claim significant revenue loss because of that. I personally think that revenue loss is overstated but that's beside the point.

My view is that all Broadcasted Music should be free. That is that all music that we are able to listen to via media such as Radio or Television should be free to capture and burn for one's own personal use.

My contention is that when this music is Broadcasted it becomes Advertising to promote the artist. Would we ever be aware of 99% of the artists if they were not Broadcast? Hardly. And as advertising it becomes something they give to us whether we want it or not.

If we don't like the particular advertising (the song), we turn the volume down or switch channels or fast forward, just as we do when advertising comes on a TV channel.

So how does the artist aquire revenue? He earns it through live concerts. If the songs weren't on the radio or MTV an artist could barely scrap out a living through public appearance. The Broadcasting of his music advertises him as an artist and allows us to choose whether or not we would like to see his live performance.

There are thousands and thousands of gifted musicians out there trying to survive on their skills and creativity. Few are chosen. Who chooses? The recording companies choose. They choose who they wish to market based on the artists willingness to cooperate and whether his image is marketable.

If the artist really has created a new sound that the masses want to hear, that's bonus.

So really when the RIAA cries Foul, they are really crying for themselves, their "old boys network" and a few hand selected artists they have chosen to promote.


I feel little sympathy for them.

Recording copywrited music is nothing new. In the Casette Tape era, even before that with 8 Tracks, I would record music off the FM Radio station I was listening to. I had the Record Pause button set up so that, when a song I wanted to record played, I could hit that button as soon as possible. Sure I missed a few notes at the beginning and might have gotten a bit of DJ at the end, but most of the song was there.

No one made a stink about that. So what's the difference now? I bought very few CD's or LP's before the dawn of Napster because of the cost and because most of the songs were shit except the one or two you really liked.

The idea that the Record Industry is losing hundreds of millions of dollars due to illegal downloading is CRAP.

They are losing sales because the music has become lame. Why do you think there are so many Classic Rock stations and stations specializing in the music of the 60's, 70's and '80's ?

The music industry has no one to blame but themselves for being a bunch of greedy buggers whose complacency allows any creativity to fall by the wayside in favour of splashes of one hit wonders promoted by glitzy music videos that concentrate primarily on the film producers talents rather than that of the musicians.

Happy Downloading Everyone !

A Creative Outlet

One of the Television Shows I have been watching the past year is Orange County Choppers. It's about the Tuttle Family of Orange County, New York and films them as they design and build made-to-order custom motorcycles.

One aspect of the show is the ongoing dysfunctional relationship between Paul Senior and Paul Junior. The conflicts can become intense and even uncomfortable for the viewer. I think that some if not a lot of people watch the show for that reason. Kind of like watching an NHL Hockey game and waiting for a fight to break out.

I can do without the fighting in the hockey games and I can do without the verbal battles on OCC. That's not why I watch the show.

There is something fascinating in watching an idea develop into a tangible creation. And that's what I like about OCC. An idea is formed, pieces of raw metal are brought together, discussions are conducted and in a few days a beautiful functional machine is presented.

Paul Junior is the creative mastermind of these machines and often the camera will pan to his face staring at a barren motorcycle frame. In his eyes you can see the wheels of vision turning.

Everyone has a creative genius within them, a genius that screams to be let out in one form or another. A genius which allows them to proclaim "I did this, this is mine, it has my stamp on it." And I think it gives a person some form of self value.

For myself, I get some pleasure at work in creating displays and maintaining an overall vision of how I want my retail department presented.

It's a limited pleasure because I don't have complete control, I'm constrained by outside forces and random events.

That's the reason I have turned to this Blogging "hobby". I have an idea in my head that I want to communicate in a style both understandable and concise. If I can entertain and amuse, all the better.

For me, each Posting is a creation of an idea that needs to be expressed. When I click the "Publish" button my need, at least for that idea, is satisfied.

Politics

I enjoy following provincial and federal politics. I'm not as cynical as some towards politicians and their motives.

I really believe that those entering Politics want to do something to improve the country. After all most are educated, articulate and have the social skills to be very financially successful in private life. So they aren't doing it for money or an expense account.

The problem for most Politicians when they get to Ottawa or Victoria is the established system. Bureaucrats run the country and to make any significant change requires at least a Cabinet Post. So they have to tow the Party Line and not make waves. I don't think you can make a significant change without making waves.

For the last 15 or so years I have been voting for the NDP candidate, regardless of who it was. I believe you should vote for the Party and not the Candidate because, as mentioned, the Candidate will have little or no power once he acquires a seat.

I vote NDP not because I agree with their views, although I do agree with many.
I vote for that party because it represents a viable opposite view to the unfortunate conservative trend that has gripped North America.

If we talk about left and right wing politics, I would say I am definitely to the left of centre. But you know if the NDP were in power and I felt trends were swinging too far to the left I might even vote Liberal or Conservative.

The point is to get representation of all points of view in Parliament.

A strong Opposition is the most important result of any election. Astonishingly there are those that won't vote for a particular party because "they have no chance of winning". Yikes.

I know the NDP will probably never win a Federal Election in my lifetime but I think it's critically important that their views be heard.

In British Columbia, we have a slightly right of centre government led by Gordon Campbell.

I think he has done a pretty good job overall, but I still will vote NDP because I know he'll do even a better job if a strong Opposition is across the House Floor.

The People Are Crazy!

You know polls are all the rage among "news" sites. We have a local popular site that provides news and information for our area, Castanet, and they usually have a poll a day on some current event.

The polls are interesting to me, not because of the particular issue, but because they often reflect how polarised are society has become. Results are often split 50/50 representing opposite thinking among the community.

Today's' poll was: "Do you agree with opposition calls for tighter gun control?"

To me this is a no-brainer, YES OF COURSE! But the poll revealed that a clear majority said NO.

I realise that I live in a religious, ultra conservative, wealthy, right wing community but to me allowing people access to guns, especially hand guns, is CRAZY!

Usually I enjoy being in the minority on issues, I am convinced the majority of people are misinformed if not down right stupid.

But in this case I really have to wonder what people are thinking.

If I ruled this country here's what I would do:

1. Minimum 6 month jail sentence for anyone possessing a handgun who is not a law enforcement agent or military man on duty. For those who enjoy the "sport" of Target Practise, guns would be kept at the Target Facility and not be taken off that premises.

2. For rifles and shotguns, those used for hunting purposes: These weapons must be stored at a central depot. When you want to go hunting you pick up your weapon after presenting your hunting license and you bring it back to the depot for storage after your hunting is over.

No one needs to carry a handgun. Those that feel the need are probably leading a life of crime of some sort.

For those that feel the need to "protect their family" I suggest that your family is in more peril by having a gun around the house that could accidentally discharge than by any outside force. If you are that afraid, I suggest you discuss your paranoia with a medical professional and seek a solution there.

Read more on this subject here.

Places I Have Lived, a History

This is a new Blog I am working on today. You can find it here.


I am currently living at my 28th place of residence.

Head In The Sand Syndrome

I absolutely CRINGE when I hear people say: "I don't read the newspapers or watch the news, it's always so negative". That's a jaw dropper.

For me, there is no negative or positive, there is just "what is". And if "what is" makes you feel angry or sad, then maybe you should do something about it. The worst thing is to ignore it and hope that it will go away.

In 1933 a lot of Germans ignored the warning signs of what was happening in their country and we all know what happened.

Instead of dealing with reality these "news-ignorers" turn to the spiritual world and involve themselves in dreamy Utopian fantasies that have no relevance to the real world. Comfort thoughts I call them, kind of like Kettle Chips for the mind.

I love reality. I want to see images of war and pestilence and starvation. I want to know about heinous human behaviour. I want to know all the politics that involves decisions affecting our society. I want to know about the underground economics that drives our "capitalist" system.

The more you know, the less you fear.

I look for patterns in the news and world events and, having a knowledge of history, I can see old patterns emerging.

It's true that many huge information sources like CNN, AP, FOX, CBS, Thompson have their own corporate agendas. So isn't it wise to keep tabs on exactly what they are presenting to us as "news"?

So I am saying to all those with their Heads In The Sand to yank them out and take a good look around. It's a scary world but it's less so when you know what's going on.

Left Lane Driving

First, let's establish some facts.

1. The RCMP in the Province of British Columbia will grant you 10 kph above the posted maximum speed before they will consider charging you with speeding.

2. One of the safest driving habits is to put as much space between yourself and other motorists as you can.

3. I am probably one of the world's best civilian (as opposed to racing) drivers. In 35 years of driving I have had only one extremely minor fender bender, more like a painter scraper that happened in November of 2003. I'm not counting My Near Death Experience as an accident since no damage was done.

The image attached represents the general thinking of the driving community and driving authorities.

I think it's crap. If everyone drove in the right lane we would have a problem with fact # 2. That lane becomes too crowded, it's only responsible to occupy the left lane to ease the pressure on the right lane.

I always drive at the maximum allowable speed, which Fact # 1 says is 99 in a 90 zone and 89 in a 80 zone. Most people in the right lane are driving anywhere from 90 to 99 in the 90 zone. If I drove in the right lane also I would be constantly moving to the left and moving back into the right throughout the course of my trip.

I think you will agree that the less traffic maneuvers you make, the safer the trip.

So I drive in the left hand lane usually when on the highway.

So say someone comes up behind me while I am in the left hand lane? The rule says I should pull over to the right hand land and I am saying why should I?

If I am travelling at the MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE SPEED and someone is coming up behind me, that means he is travelling at a ticketable speed. So why should I inconvenience myself so someone can break the law?! Isn't that called aiding and abetting a crime?

If the person behind me wants to blatantly break the law why shouldn't he move over to the right hand lane then move over to the left and keep going?

Obviously I am not going to encourage a road rage condition and I usually will move over to the right only because of Fact # 3. However I have saved a few speeders' asses in my time by holding them up just before going through a Laser Trap. That's when I say to myself "damn I should have let him through".

So I am saying that this policy of "Keep Right Except To Pass" is one of the dumbest traffic rules established. If they want to have a rule concerning this it should be "Left Lane Yield To Faster Traffic".

Plasma vs. LCD

There are a lot of people that don't know the difference between a plasma TV and an LCD TV and are not sure which one to buy. Neither did I. Recent information seems to be saying that if you want a TV over 42' in size you get a Plasma because that will give you the best picture. Anything under that size, go for an LCD.

The other thing to look at is the resolution. The highest standard is 1080p and thats what you want.

Here is Dotto explaining your HDTV options

More info here: Plasma vs. LCD

Epson Printers Suck

If you are looking for a printer to purchase, avoid Epsons.

I have/had three of them and they are awful.

If you don't use them daily, the ink jet nozzles dry up and are almost impossible to get clean.

If you want a good Printer, buy a Canon.

Old Machines and Old Ladies

I love old machines! Old tractors or cars or old farm equipment. If I see one on the side of a road I try to stop and get a picture. The rustier and extremely decrepit they are the better I like them.

The tractor shown is on display in Keremeos, BC.

At one time they were the apple of some farmers eye. Maybe they were some one's first car and that someone was so proud! He drove it everywhere, showing it off. It took him places he could not have otherwise gone.

Maybe he or she made out in the back seat, maybe even a child was conceived there.

And the tractor? Who knows how many fields were plowed and how many bales of hay it hauled or how many seeds it helps sow? At one time these things were indispensable to someones life. They worked hard and long. People were proud of them at one time.

Sometimes when I look at a very old woman (and I see a lot of them in my line of work) I wonder what they were like when they were young and vibrant and beautiful.

At one time they were the object of many a young man's lust. And maybe many times they satisfied that lust. Maybe they were great lovers and had many romances. How many hearts had they broken and how many times had their hearts been?

Unfortunately now in their old age, unlike the old tractors, no one wants their picture let alone desires them. I'd rather take a picture of a rusting tractor than a picture of an aged woman.

But still sometimes I wonder what they were like when they were young and beautiful.

Pets

This is a picture of me with my favorite all-time pet, Doggo, a mut Terrier. The pic was probably taken around 1972/73 when I was about 19 or so.

I have only had four "real" pets in my life. I am not counting Goldfish, Turtles or Budgies as real pets. They are more or less room ornaments that will inevitably be flushed down the toilet or put in a shoe box and planted in the Garden. You mourn them for about an hour or so at most.

I've had two dogs and two cats. The first Dog was an asshole and the first Cat was an asshole but the second of each were really nice animals that I got quite attached to.

And that's the problem with pets. You know sometime or other they will cause you some considerable heartache. The more you are around your pet and the "closer" you become to it the less you perceive it as an animal. It become an object of extreme affection and trust. Dogs especially.

So knowing that your heart will be torn when this animal is crushed by a car, eaten by a coyote, fall ill to distemper or cancer or kidnapped, why bother?

There are lots of actual people who dream to have someone care for them as some people care for their pets. Why not bestow all that love and affection on them?

There is a good chance you will outlive them and even if not, the love might last longer.

Yeah yeah, a pet's love is "unconditional". I wonder how unconditional it would be if you stopped feeding it or petting it.

There are those that will spend hundreds if not thousands of dollars on an animal that is clearly meant to die and surely will in the near future.

Meanwhile there are homeless humans crouching in a corner under a blanket to protect themselves from the winter winds.

I just don't get it. Pets are fun to have around if you have the time to give them the attention they require. But to think of them as anything other than fun animals is asking for a whole lot of hurt.

Blogging and Working

I was talking to a fellow employee yesterday who said she had read some of my Blog and found it amusing that some topics related to people at work.

When I started this Blog I set my self some borders. One of which was not to mention anything or anyone at my workplace. There are lots of horror stories about employees being disciplined and even terminated due to comments made on their Blogs about their Company and/or fellow employees.

So I was a bit taken aback when she mentioned this. Yes there are a few benign references to others in my Technology post and maybe a certain associate could be matched to my Germaphobia post.

When I started each of those posts I truly did not have anyone in mind at work, only while writing could I see an example there. But in saying that anyone knows that any workplace has (one would hope) a wide variety of personalities that could fit any topic discussed.

Of course you have to censor yourself on here to a point. But I am not going to avoid a topic just because someone at work might disagree with my opinion or even be offended by it. Conversely, I am not going to open a discussion just to piss some particular person off.

This Blog is part of my personal life and so I can do with it what I want. But one has to keep in mind the consequences.

So as I said to her I am going on record with this statement:

I work in a wonderful environment where my fellow employees are supportive and respectful. They are all wonderful people employed by a person of extreme vision and compassion.

There.

Blizzards, Hurricanes and Sluts

Now that I have your attention this post isn't as much about those topics as it is about definitions.

I am a person that prefers a concrete recognised standard over an ambiguous abstract in defining a particular event or subject.

For instance according to Environment Canada, a Blizzard must have winds of 40 km/h (25 mph) or more, have snow or blowing snow, visibility less than 1 km (about 5⁄8 mile), a wind chill of less than −25 °C (−13 °F), and that all of these conditions must last for 3 hours or more.

So there is no doubt as to what is a Blizzard and what is not.

A Hurricane is a storm which must have sustained winds of 74 mph or more.

Of course these being physical phenomena that can be measured it's easy for scientists and weather people to agree on these tangible quantities.

But what about Human Behaviour? What constitutes a Comedian? Does he have to have "x" amount of laughs per minute over a given time?

What about an athlete? I think that should be determined by heart rate. To call yourself an athlete, you must raise your heart rate to 150% of it's normal rate for 60 minutes at least four times a week. How's that sound? That would eliminate Golfers and Snooker players for sure.

I've sometimes wondered about what criteria it would take to label a woman a Slut. That word has meandered its way into the general stream of language. At one time it had a really bad connotation and to a point still does.

But now I think its kind of on equal terms with the term "Stud", meaning a very virile and desirable male.

If you Google "definition of a slut" you get all sorts of interpretations many are based on how a woman dresses, which I think, should have nothing to do with it.

I think the definition should be solely based on how many different sex partners a woman has over a set period of time.

In considering this I am keeping in mind that standards have changed a lot over the last 20 years or more. Women are expected to sexually express themselves and some do very aggresivly.

So here it is My Official Slut Definition: A woman that has 6 or more different sex partners per year over a period of at least two years.

So the next time you label a woman a Slut, please first do your research and find out the facts and figures.

One wouldn't want to place a unjust label on anyone!

Fear and Control

Everyone has fears that they have developed over the course of their lifetime. Our fears determine our behaviour and contribute to us being who we are.

As a self-confessed control freak, I have a fear of losing control of my environment and future. I detest unnecessary obstacles that might hinder my ultimate goal. I get pretty anxious when I feel that sense of control being compromised.

That is an example of a normal self-imposed fear. Some people are afraid of failure, some of success. Some have a fear of poverty, some a fear of being alone, some a fear of being disliked, or loved or a fear of not being loved. The list goes on.

I would call all of these pretty normal fears that we can choose to deal with or not, depending on whether or not we want to change or lives to any extent.

The nasty fears are those imposed on us by others. By our employers, our religions, family members, or Governments.

Since 9/11 and thanks to Tony Blair and George Bush we have allowed ourselves to be controlled by fear. I think here in Canada we have a healthier perspective of what is going on, only because we haven't been a direct target of Al-Queda or whatever other Boogie Men are thought to be out there.

Airports are being shut down because of the smallest breach of a security policy. Racial Profiling is now an accepted practise, billions of dollars that would serve many other more worthy projects are being directed towards more Security.

Governments now have what they consider to be a valid reason to spy on their citizens.

Arrests are being made without charges or without bail applications. Civil rights, that have taken thousands of years to establish, are being destroyed within one generation.

But that's not the scary part. The shocking aspect of all of this is that we are happily allowing this to happen. In almost every poll inquiring about this subject, the majority of citizens are willing to give up their freedoms for the sake of what they perceive as Security.

Almost 4000 people died at the World Trade Centre attack. In 2005 42,636 people died in automobile accidents in the US, that's in one year!

So why isn't there a widespread movement to ban cars or limit their speed to 15 mph?

I remember when I lived in the east and we would see New Hampshire licence plates, it caught my attention because their motto at the time was " Live Free or Die". I thought that was a bit extreme but whatever.

Apparently that's not the case anymore.

As Frank D. Roosevelt said: "The Only Thing We Have To Fear is Fear Itself"

The Things Some People Believe

I am constantly amazed at the things many people believe in. I'm not even going to talk about Religions, the biggest scam out there.

Let's talk about two examples: ET/UFO's and Chem Trails. The Belief that we have been contacted in some way by extra-terrestrial intelligence has been around for some time.

It's a popular belief that seems to have sprouted an overall trend toward ignoring scientific facts and believe something just because you want to. The spread of this belief has been aided by pseudo-documentaries on respected Television Networks, presented in such a way that fiction takes precedent over fact.

Even though not one shred of concrete evidence (and I have seen a lot of what's called evidence) indicates any contact or the possibility of any contact with any extra-terrestrial life form.

The physics of travelling the million of light years across space make it almost impossible to conceive of such a feat. Even granting that some other species somewhere out there has scientifically advanced much much exponentially further than us, why would they pick Earth to land on among the billions of stars, planets and solar systems out there?

Finally, assuming these extra-terrestrials have somehow landed on Earth, why would they not make official contact with proper authorities?

It's hilarious and yet so many otherwise sane people believe or are willing to believe something that flies in the face of any sort of logical thought.

Chem Trails. This one is really bizarre but at least it might be scientifically possible. There are some people that believe we are being "treated" to a chemical spray emitted by high flying aircraft. Sponsored by "the Government".

I'm still a bit puzzled as to the reasons but it seems to be some kind of thought control chemical or slow poisoning or something like this. It's so crazy. Like any government could hope to get away with a cover up up a magnitude they would have to have. It's just so crazy.

The real question is why do they want to believe in this stuff? What need is fulfilled by believing it? I have never felt the need so I don't have the answer.

I do have a need to know a truth that is based on fact. I really don't believe in anything that can't be proved to me via an argument based on established fact.

The scary part is that the more solid knowledge we gain about our universe and ourselves the more these bizarre beliefs seem to profligate.

"Save The Planet"

There is one very good reason to have children, that being having a stake in the future of the society and ecology in which you presently live.

I don't have children and to be absolutely totally honest, I care little about what happens after I die. Thankfully, most adults have children although that number is declining every year.

I am all for ecology but because of my childless state, I am not as overly concerned as a lot of people are. I don't go out of my way to be earth friendly but I understand those that do.

But I think a lot of ecologists are confused about exactly what they are saving.

The Planet has survived Ice Ages, Massive Volcanic Explosions, Meteors, Catastrophic Flooding, Extensive Forest Fires, Plate Tectonics and pretty much everything else Nature could throw at it. And it has always bounced back.

Humans have been on this earth for a million years, the blink of an eye in the big picture of things. There is no amount of damage we can do that won't be reversed over time. Nature will always overcome the remains of man.

We don't have to save the Planet, it's our civilisation we are in danger of losing.

If we lose our Ice Caps due to Global Warming the changes to our economies and societies will be immeasurably altered. Nothing will be the same, everything about how we live and think will be altered.

Sometimes radical change is a good thing in the long run.

But the Planet will overcome it, just as it did the Ice Ages and in 100 million years it could be that, if indeed the Ice Caps melt, that they will be back in position where they are today.

So let's not say "Save the Planet", let's say "Save Ourselves", it might have a greater impact.